Washington, DC/Compare
Columbia Heights vs Dupont Circle
Columbia Heights and Dupont Circle are two official neighborhood clusters in Washington, DC. Columbia Heights is the calmer DC Code map (47 vs 5). Dupont Circle 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 | Columbia Heights | Dupont Circle |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 47 | 5 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 55 | 67 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 100 |
| Vibe | 30 | 79 |
| Median rent | $2,013 | $2,255 |
| Median home | $856,391 | $547,867 |
| Population | 51,000 | 14,998 |
| Commute to Downtown | 18 min | 10 min |
| Commute to Capitol | 22 min | 16 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 30 min | 24 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Columbia Heights | Dupont Circle |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 64% | 66% |
| Median age | 32.6 | 33.6 |
| Median income | $123K | $116K |
| DC Code per 1k | 30.6 | 67.0 |
| Groceries / 800m | 38 | 12 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 100 | 122 |
| Parks / 800m | 48 | 54 |
| 311 last 14 days | — | — |
Rent
Rent since 2014
ACS 5-year median gross rent for Washington city. Up 50% since 2014. Col. Hts is 3% above the 2024 city median. Dupont is 15% 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 Columbia Heights if the quieter map matters more than the scene and the rent gap is the point. Safety is 47 vs 5. ACS median rent is $2,013 vs $2,255. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick Dupont Circle if you want the cafes and the night and you want the errands on foot. Vibe is 79 vs 30. Walk is 67 vs 55. 10 vs 18 minutes to Downtown. Read both pages before you decide.
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
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.
$2,255 median rent · safety 5 · walk 67
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Columbia Heights or Dupont Circle?
Columbia Heights is the lower ACS median: $2,013 vs $2,255. About 64% rent in Columbia Heights vs 66% in Dupont Circle. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Columbia Heights more walkable than Dupont Circle?
Dupont Circle wins the errand count (walk 55 vs 67). Groceries inside 800 meters: 38 vs 12. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Columbia Heights or Dupont Circle?
Columbia Heights is the calmer DC Code read (47 vs 5). Combined rate 30.6 vs 67.0 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Columbia Heights or Dupont Circle?
Columbia Heights leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 32.6 vs 33.6. Dupont Circle has more of the night. Neither number is a school assignment.
Which has the shorter commute to Downtown?
18 minutes from Columbia Heights to Downtown, 10 from Dupont Circle. Dupont Circle is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood cluster that is not Columbia Heights or Dupont Circle: LeDroit Park. Cluster 3 is Howard University, LeDroit Park, and Cardozo. The name on this row is LeDroit. The 14th Street strip belongs on Logan Circle, Cluster 7 — not this polygon. ACS rent is $2,752. The property rate is 57.8 per 1,000 because that edge is busy.
Columbia Heights vs LeDroit ParkDupont Circle vs LeDroit Park
Scores are relative among official Washington, DC neighborhood clusters with the same editorial weights. Read the method.