When you’re the capital of the United States, the country with the largest economy still in the world, then it is somewhat expected that you will be home to some of the wealthiest areas in the country. And this is indeed true of the District of Columbia.

Harnessing the Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey, we’ve decided to take a closer look at the wealth of the ZIP codes that make up Washington, D.C. According to the Census, there are 58 ZIP codes in Washington, D.C. Interestingly, only 22 of these ZIP codes have complete data for the factors we’re assessing: 1) median household income, 2) mean (average) household income, 3) median home value, and 4) median property taxes paid. The reason: Many ZIP codes in D.C. cover tracts that are comprised solely of government buildings — hence, no information on households.

Read on to find out what the richest ZIP Code in Washington, D.C.

What Are the Richest ZIP Codes in D.C.?

In order to compile this list of the richest ZIP codes in Washington, D.C., we sourced key financial data from the Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey. Wielding these datasets, we put together a four-factor scoring system to help identify the wealthiest ZIP codes in D.C.:

• Median household income
• Mean (average) household income
• Median home value
• Median property taxes paid

There are a few peculiarities that the Census Bureau does with its data. For a number of factors, the Census figures have upper limits, so there’s no exact value for certain factors. For example, for median household income, the Census Bureau has an upper limit of “$250,000+”. For median home value, the upper limit is “$2,000,000+”. For median property taxes paid, the upper limit is “$10,000+”. So, if a ZIP code has a median income higher than $250,000, the Census Bureau will say “$250,000+” for that area. For these reasons, the mean household income (which is the same as average household income) dataset is crucial because the Census Bureau has exact figures for it. All four of these metrics were scored, summed up, and then ranked by the ZIP codes’ combined scores.

You’ll find a table detailing the top 5 richest ZIP codes in Washington, D.C., and their respective dollar figures for each metric, below:

The No. 1 richest ZIP code in D.C. in this ranking is ZIP code 20015. This ZIP code covers a sizable chunk of northwestern Washington, D.C., right along the border with some of the richest cities in Maryland. Neighborhoods and Census-designated places (CDPs) like Chevy Chase and Barnaby Woods are covered by this ZIP code. There are over 6,000 total households in 20015, with the median household income being $235,511, which is the highest out of the ZIP codes in D.C. Its average household income is also the highest in Washington, D.C., at $299,348 a year. Homes are expensive, with Zillow reporting a median home value of over $1.33 million. Unsurprisingly, the property taxes homeowners pay is high, at a median of $8,157 per year.

The No. 2 richest ZIP code in D.C. is 20007, which is in the capital’s western reaches. Places like Berkley, Foxhill Village, and Georgetown (but not the university) are located in 20007. It lies along the Potomac River, with the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge being the one way a across. This part of D.C. has a reported median household income of $145,048. While this is noticeably less than the $235,511 for ZIP code 20015, the average household income in 20007 is $240,888, which is comparable to $299,348. In terms of home value, the median home value is almost $1.2 million. Consequently, the median property taxes paid per household is $9,070 per year.

Coming in at No. 3 on the list of the wealthiest ZIP codes in the District of Columbia is 20016. This is located in the far west of Washington, D.C., and covers places such as the Palisades, Spring Valley, Tenleytown, and Cathedral Heights. The Palisades sits astride the Potomac, across from Chain Bridge Forest and Bellevue Forest in Virginia. ZIP code 20016 is fairly large, home to 14,235 households. Here, the median household income is $169,489, while the average household income is almost $100,000 more, at $268,683 a year. The median home value in 20016 is only $100 more than the median home value in 20007. And the median property taxes paid by household is $7,755 per year.

The fourth richest ZIP code in D.C. is 20003. This ZIP code covers the middle-south of D.C., specifically the southeastern part of the city that abuts the Anacostia River right before it meets the Potomac. ZIP code 20003 covers areas like Capitol Hill, Lincoln Park, and Hill East. It is a large ZIP code, with 17,291 total households. The median household income in 20003 is $155,054. The average household income is almost $40,000 higher, at $191,871. According to the Census, the reported median home value is $925,800. Property taxes are hefty, costing a median of $5,961 per year.

The fifth richest ZIP code in Washington, D.C., is 20008, just south of the No. 1 wealthiest ZIP code, 20015. ZIP code 20008 covers places like Forest Hills, Woodley Park, and part of Cleveland Park; it is also the home of the Washington International School. With approximately 16,913 total households, 20008 is a fairly big ZIP code. The median home value is $905,900, with households paying a median of $5,060 a year in property taxes. The median household income is $123,134, but the $193,521 mean household income more than makes up for that.

Frustration is growing for residents of one Northwest D.C. apartment complex after a series of car break-ins.

At around 4 a.m. Sunday, police say someone smashed the windows of at least two cars and damaged a motorcycle inside the garage of The Berkshire Apartments on Massachusetts Avenue.

One woman tells News4 she had more than $4000 worth of personal items stolen from her car.

It wasn’t just the driver-side windshield that was shattered. Resident Gabriela Frederick says her sense of security was too. She and her husband were set to go to church this morning when they realized their car had been broken into.

“I was in tears,” Frederick said. “I’m not a crier, but I was in shock. I just felt so violated.”

Frederick says most of the stolen personal items were expensive gear and tools that her husband was planning on taking to an upcoming trip.

Frederick says her biggest frustration is that the garage door has been broken for the past two weeks and claims residents have been urging management to fix it.

When News4 was there Sunday afternoon, the garage door was open the whole time.

“We pay nearly $200 a month for the garage to have an extra layer of security – and it’s not,” Frederick said.

News4 reached out to Gables Residential – the property management company for The Berkshire – to ask about the break-ins, and have yet to hear back as of Sunday night.

News4 did obtain an email that was sent to residents Sunday afternoon that reads in-part, “We want to inform you about a recent incident involving vehicle break-ins within our community’s parking areas. We are currently working with local law enforcement to address the situation… We understand this situation is concerning, and we will continue to keep you updated as we receive more information.”

“What if I was coming to the car?” Frederick said. “There’s so many things that could have happened – it could have been so much worse.”

Frederick says she’s thankful no one was hurt, but now she’s unsure if she feels comfortable continuing to live there.

“It’s really unfortunate that this has become a norm,” she said. “This cannot be a norm. This is not okay.”

The victims in this case say they’re still figuring out how much it’ll cost to repair everything. At this point, police are still searching for whoever is responsible.

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said a man was stabbed in Southwest D.C. overnight on Sunday.

Man shot in Gainesville, Prince William County police respond

MPD said it was investigating after a man walked into a local hospital with a stab wound. The stabbing possibly happened in the 4700 block of 1^st Street, according to MPD.

The man stabbed was conscious and breathing.

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