Washington, DC/Compare
Adams Morgan vs Columbia Heights
Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights are two official neighborhood clusters in Washington, DC. Adams Morgan is the calmer DC Code map (53 vs 47). Columbia Heights wins the errand count. Columbia Heights has the lower ACS median ($2,013).
Data period. ACS 2024 5-year (2020-2024) · MPD Sep 2025 – Aug 2026 · OSM Oct 2026. ACS and MPD retrieved 2026-10-01; OSM retrieved 2026-10-01. Editorial copy last revised Sep 2026.
Scores
Fit axes among official Washington, DC neighborhood clusters.
| Axis | Adams Morgan | Columbia Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 53 | 47 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 21 | 55 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 30 | 30 |
| Median rent | $2,350 | $2,013 |
| Median home | $869,142 | $856,391 |
| Population | 18,777 | 51,000 |
| Commute to Downtown | 16 min | 18 min |
| Commute to Capitol | 22 min | 22 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 28 min | 30 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Adams Morgan | Columbia Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 63% | 64% |
| Median age | 36.1 | 32.6 |
| Median income | $151K | $123K |
| DC Code per 1k | 29.5 | 30.6 |
| Groceries / 800m | 15 | 38 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 49 | 100 |
| Parks / 800m | 30 | 48 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Washington city. Up 50% since 2014. Adams M. is 20% above the 2024 city median. Col. Hts is 3% above the 2024 city median.
Overlapping 5-year ACS windows (B25064), not asking rent. Census does not publish a rent series for each official neighborhood, so the line is the city place. Dashed marks are each area’s ACS 2024 median.
Which to pick
The same numbers as the table, in sentences. Nobody wins the city.
Pick Adams Morgan if you want the cafes and the night. Vibe is 30 vs 30. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Columbia Heights if you want the errands on foot and the rent gap is the point. Walk is 55 vs 21. ACS median rent is $2,013 vs $2,350. Read both pages before you decide.
Adams Morgan
Cluster 1 is Kalorama Heights, Adams Morgan, and Lanier Heights. Search AdMo and you land here. 18th Street is the night; the ACS rent median is $2,350. Columbia Heights is the larger cluster north.
$2,350 median rent · safety 53 · walk 21
Columbia Heights
Cluster 2 is Columbia Heights, Mt. Pleasant, Pleasant Plains, and Park View — one polygon, not four. It is the largest population in this set, 51,000. Search Mt. Pleasant and you still land here. Petworth is north.
$2,013 median rent · safety 47 · walk 55
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Adams Morgan or Columbia Heights?
Columbia Heights is the lower ACS median: $2,350 vs $2,013. About 64% rent in Columbia Heights vs 63% in Adams Morgan. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Adams Morgan more walkable than Columbia Heights?
Columbia Heights wins the errand count (walk 21 vs 55). Groceries inside 800 meters: 15 vs 38. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Adams Morgan or Columbia Heights?
Adams Morgan is the calmer DC Code read (53 vs 47). Combined rate 29.5 vs 30.6 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Adams Morgan or Columbia Heights?
Adams Morgan leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 36.1 vs 32.6. Columbia Heights has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
16 minutes from Adams Morgan to Downtown, 18 from Columbia Heights. Adams Morgan is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood cluster that is not Adams Morgan or Columbia Heights: Dupont Circle. Cluster 6 is Dupont Circle and Connecticut Avenue/K Street. The circle is the lawn and the night. OSM counted 245 restaurants in or near the cluster — visitors write the property rate, 62.6 per 1,000. Logan Circle is east. Adams Morgan is north.
Adams Morgan vs Dupont CircleColumbia Heights vs Dupont Circle
Scores are relative among official Washington, DC neighborhood clusters with the same editorial weights. Read the method.