District of Columbia
What the District of Columbia Can Do
There are many policies that the District of Columbia could enact to improve its climate for asset building and preservation:
PRIORITIZE AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP: To mitigate the high rate of asset poverty and substantial homeownership disparity between income groups, the District should guarantee adequate annual funding for its Housing Production Trust Fund and Home Purchase Assistance Program.
INCREASE SUPPORT FOR JOB TRAINING: To address its high unemployment rate and the relatively low number of entry-level jobs with career advancement opportunities, the District should invest more heavily in job training programs for high-growth industries.
ENCOURAGE SAVINGS AND INVESTMENT: To lower the asset poverty rate, the District should provide annual funding for its Opportunity Accounts savings program and expand college savings incentives for all residents.
Overall Grade: B
Select a tab to see how your state fared in each issue area or a measure to see the definition, source and complete data.
- Financial Assets
& Income
- Businesses
& Jobs
- Housing
& Homeownership
- Health Care
- Education
- Community Investment &
Accountability Policies
Are there widespread opportunities for wealth creation and protection, particularly for low-income residents?
Outcome Rankings |
Issue Area Grade: C |
Outcome Measure |
Rank |
State Data |
US Data |
| Net Worth |
8 |
$156,575 |
$88,803 |
| Net Worth by Race |
n/a |
n/a |
6.1^ |
| Net Worth by Income |
n/a |
n/a |
44.9^ |
| Net Worth by Gender |
n/a |
n/a |
1.2^ |
| Asset Poverty Rate |
36 |
24.4% |
22.5% |
| Asset Poverty by Race |
n/a |
n/a |
2.3^ |
| Asset Poverty by Gender |
n/a |
n/a |
1.2^ |
| Extreme Asset Poverty Rate |
38 |
15.4% |
14.3% |
| Income Poverty Rate |
42 |
14.7% |
12.3% |
| Unbanked Households |
8 |
17.5% |
26.8% |
Bankruptcy Rate
(per 1,000 people) |
3 |
1.2 |
2.7 |
| Median Credit Card Debt |
22 |
$2,788 |
$2,960 |
| Median Installment Debt |
49 |
$17,826 |
$14,887 |
^ This is a ratio of disparity that measures the difference in outcomes between two populations by: race (white and minority), income (high and low income groups), or gender (male and female). A ratio of 1 indicates perfect equality; the higher the ratio, the greater the inequality. |
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Is the opportunity to grow a business or get a job that pays a sufficient wage with benefits available to all those who choose to pursue it?
Outcome Rankings |
Issue Area Grade: A |
Outcome Measure |
Rank |
State Data |
US Data |
| Small Business Ownership Rate |
23 |
17.6% |
17.7% |
| Private Loans to Small Business |
22 |
$2,074 |
$2,116 |
| Microenterprise Ownership Rate |
27 |
15.9% |
16.5% |
| Women's Business Ownership Rate |
5 |
5.3% |
4.4% |
| Minority Business Ownership Rate |
19 |
4.3% |
4.9% |
| Women Owned Business Value |
10 |
$153,301 |
$144,969 |
| Minority Owned Business Value |
16 |
$185,756 |
$162,824 |
Employee Ownership
(per 1,000 firms) |
31 |
1.2 |
1.4 |
Business Creation Rate
(per 1,000 workers) |
3 |
14.8 |
9.6 |
| Employment Growth |
20 |
0.3% |
-0.5% |
| Annual Unemployment Rate |
48 |
7.0% |
5.8% |
| Low-Wage Jobs |
1 |
7.3% |
22.2% |
| Average Annual Pay |
1 |
$53,330 |
$44,458 |
| Retirement Plan Participation |
25 |
50.1% |
47.4% |
| Employers Offering Health Insurance |
2 |
77.4% |
55.8% |
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Is the opportunity to purchase and maintain a home available to all those who choose to pursue it?
Is there broad access to health insurance as protection against income interruption and asset depletion from medical bills?
Do residents have access to the education and training they need to get ahead?
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