Washington, DC/Compare
Columbia Heights vs LeDroit Park
Columbia Heights and LeDroit Park are two official neighborhood clusters in Washington, DC. Columbia Heights is the calmer DC Code map (47 vs 11). 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 | Columbia Heights | LeDroit Park |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | 47 | 11 |
| Schools | 50 | 50 |
| Walk | 55 | 28 |
| Cost fit | 100 | 91 |
| Vibe | 30 | 32 |
| Median rent | $2,013 | $2,752 |
| Median home | $856,391 | $952,800 |
| Population | 51,000 | 15,236 |
| Commute to Downtown | 18 min | 14 min |
| Commute to Capitol | 22 min | 18 min |
| Commute to Navy Yard | 30 min | 26 min |
Living numbers
Who rents, how old, how much crime, how many shops — beside the scores.
| Fact | Columbia Heights | LeDroit Park |
|---|---|---|
| Renters | 64% | 61% |
| Median age | 32.6 | 30.9 |
| Median income | $123K | $159K |
| DC Code per 1k | 30.6 | 65.7 |
| Groceries / 800m | 38 | 17 |
| Transit stops / 800m | 100 | 71 |
| Parks / 800m | 48 | 32 |
| 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. LeDroit is 41% 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 11. ACS median rent is $2,013 vs $2,752. Walk is 55 vs 28. Read both pages before you decide.
Pick LeDroit Park if you want the cafes and the night. Vibe is 32 vs 30. 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
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.
$2,752 median rent · safety 11 · walk 28
Common questions
Same pair, said in questions. The numbers are in the tables.
Which is cheaper, Columbia Heights or LeDroit Park?
Columbia Heights is the lower ACS median: $2,013 vs $2,752. About 64% rent in Columbia Heights vs 61% in LeDroit Park. Survey medians, not a listing you can message tonight.
Is Columbia Heights more walkable than LeDroit Park?
Columbia Heights wins the errand count (walk 55 vs 28). Groceries inside 800 meters: 38 vs 17. Not a Walk Score license.
Which is safer on this map, Columbia Heights or LeDroit Park?
Columbia Heights is the calmer DC Code read (47 vs 11). Combined rate 30.6 vs 65.7 per 1,000. Visitors count in those numbers.
Which scores higher for families, Columbia Heights or LeDroit Park?
Columbia Heights leads the school axis (50 vs 50). Nearby rating is thin vs thin. Median age 32.6 vs 30.9. LeDroit Park 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, 14 from LeDroit Park. LeDroit Park is the shorter weekday. Not this hour's traffic.
If you drop both
Closest official neighborhood cluster that is not Columbia Heights or LeDroit Park: 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.
Columbia Heights vs Adams MorganLeDroit Park vs Adams Morgan
Scores are relative among official Washington, DC neighborhood clusters with the same editorial weights. Read the method.