Washington vs New York

A side-by-side comparison of Washington, District of Columbia and New York, New York — population, climate, cost of living, demographics, and more.

PlaceWashingtonWashington

District of Columbia, United States

New YorkNew York

New York, United States

Location
State / regionDistrict of ColumbiaNew York
Country🇺🇸 United States🇺🇸 United States
Coordinates38.904, -77.01740.663, -73.939
Elevation24 m23 m
Size
Population702,2508,478,072
Land area61.1 mi²300.5 mi²
Water area7.2 mi²172.0 mi²
Density (per mi²)11,48928,217
Housing units368,7003,737,632
Demographics
Median age34.938.5
White (non-Hispanic)37.6%33.4%
Black or African American41.3%21.6%
Asian5.0%15.3%
Hispanic or Latino12.6%28.7%
Economy & education
Median household income$109,707$81,228
Median home value$733,400$778,600
Bachelor's or higher65.5%42.5%
Poverty rate17.3%18.0%
Unemployment5.6%6.9%
Climate
Avg high temp63°F
Avg low temp48°F
Annual precipitation50.5 in
Sunshine % of year59.0%57.0%
Annual solar (kWh/m²)1,5041,464
Air & environment
US AQI6292
Air quality categoryModerateModerate
PM2.5 (µg/m³)20.446.2
PM10 (µg/m³)21.847.3
Ozone (µg/m³)128.026.0
NO₂ (µg/m³)7.458.0
Wildlife species observed1010
Wildlife observations4,582,0306,243,273
Risk & hazards
Earthquakes (last 10y)14
Largest earthquake (mag)4.8
Active weather alerts11
Health
Obesity25.4%25.2%
Diabetes8.9%11.5%
Smoking10.1%11.6%
Schools
Schools total241571
Elementary schools145298
Middle schools42100
High schools41147
Civic & interest
Notable people (Wikidata)1616
Books about this place88
Wikipedia views (last 30d)1,7194,277
Overview
Summary

Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River across from Virginia and shares land borders with Maryland to its north and east. It was named after George Washington, a Founding Father and the first president of the United States. The district is named for Columbia, the female personification of the nation, through which human form and attributes are applied to the United States.

Wikipedia

New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States. It is located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs—Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island; each is coextensive with its respective county. It is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the United States by both population and urban area. New York is a global center of finance and commerce, culture, technology, entertainment and media, academics and scientific output, the arts and fashion, and, as home to the headquarters of the United Nations, international diplomacy. New York City is known for its fast pace and continuous urban energy.

Wikipedia

Want a deeper comparison or to add a third city?

Open in interactive compare