Washington, D.C
Washington DC gets 'Trump Bump' in luxury home market
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The Washington, D.C.-area has been enjoying a “Trump Bump” in its luxury home market.
That so-called “Trump Bump” started around November, when the nation’s capital saw a major increase in demand for luxury homes worth at least $5 million, and has continued into the new year, according to The Agency DC managing partner Nurit Coombe.
“Usually, houses above $5 million in November, for example, a year ago, there were eight sales or so,” she told FOX Business in an interview this week. “Between November, December, we had 20 sales above $5 million, a huge jump, and a lot of cash buyers.”
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 19: The U.S. Capitol is shown at sunrise the day before President-elect Donald Trump’s 2nd term inauguration January 19, 2025 in Washington, DC. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)
“That’s a lot of sales,” Coombe noted, because the D.C. luxury market “doesn’t have that much inventory.”
BOZEMAN, MONTANA HOME TO A BOOMING REAL ESTATE MARKET
There are less than 30 single-family homes above $5 million – and even less in the ultra-luxury category – on the market in the D.C. area, according to The Agency DC managing partner. She said several luxury homes that had been up for sale for a long time quickly went under contract in November.
More than 60 luxury homes, generally considered those above the $5 million-mark, have sold in the D.C. market since the November election, according to The Agency DC.
“The market right now in DC is very, very strong, very hot, especially in the luxury market, for sure, because as you go up to the top of the price, you don’t have as many buyers, but we actually have more than usual, much more than usual,” Coombe told FOX Business.
Trump’s administration has been a big contributor to the D.C.-area luxury market’s recent surge.
“The administration is a very wealthy administration, and they’re all going to be moving to the area to work from here. You’ve seen in the prior administration, it was not as wealthy, much less wealthy administration people who moved in, and some did not move in really full-time … So here you see a complete shift where we move in the whole family, we’re going to be here full-time, and very wealthy people are moving into the area, so there’s a lot of demand,” she said.
However, they aren’t the only ones providing fuel.
“It’s also the big companies, the attorneys, they’re moving as well. There are people that are more aligned with the new administration, so a lot of that is happening,” Coombe added. “CEOs of companies, their support staff, the attorneys, a lot of consultants for big companies.”
The skyline of Washington, DC, including the US Capitol building, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and National Mall, is seen from the air, January 29, 2010. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Kalorama, Foxhall, Georgetown and Kent are among some of the neighborhoods in the nation’s capital benefiting from the “Trump Bump.”
Some recent sales include a $25 million transaction in Foxhall and a $10.5 million deal in Georgetown, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Demand in the D.C. luxury market has gone up 18% year-over year, according to Coombe.
She also said parts of the broader D.C., Maryland and Virginia area, known as the DMV, have “definitely” seen more luxury demand in recent months as well, such as neighborhoods in Bethesda, North Bethesda and McLean.
Aside from luxury homes, townhouses and condos have been in high-demand.
THESE WERE THE MOST EXPENSIVE HOMES SOLD IN 2024, ACCORDING TO REDFIN
The “government employee situation” is also making the D.C.-area real estate market more dynamic, according to Coombe.
Trump issued an order to bring federal workers back into the office full-time in late January. His administration has offered buyouts to many federal workers to leave their jobs or start doing in-person work, Fox News Digital reported.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – AUGUST 26: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump during the National Guard Association of the United States’ 146th General Conference & Exhibition at Huntington Place Convention Center on Augu (Emily Elconin/Getty Images / Getty Images)
“This is an interesting shift to watch, because when you’re looking at government employees, it’s not necessarily the upper echelon, it’s not necessarily the high luxury, it’s the more mid,” Coombe said. “There’s a lot of people who took the incentive the government offered to leave the government and when you see that, a lot of them are not staying in the area.”
Meanwhile, others are moving back to the area because they have to work in the office full-time again, she said.
It “depends on the policies” whether the D.C. market’s “Trump Bump” will continue, according to Coombe.
“Everybody’s watching what’s going to happen with the government employees, what’s going to happen with the international tax that we have, what’s going to happen in the stock market and obviously the mortgage,” she posited. “I think the lenders are sitting tight and watching.”
The nationwide 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.87% on average the week of Feb. 13, according to Freddie Mac. That marked a 0.02 percentage-point decline from the prior week.
BENTONVILLE, AR IS GROWING RAPIDLY, WHICH HAS FUELED A HOT REAL ESTATE MARKET
She said that homebuyers in the D.C. area have become accustomed to the current level of rates and that the rates have not really affected D.C.’s luxury market in particular, noting more than 60% of buyers in that category since November have paid “all cash” or “heavy cash.”
D.C. had 5 sales of ultra-luxury homes worth at least $10 million in 2024, according to a recent Compass report. Those sales amounted to $67.85 million combined.
In January, homes in the D.C. and Montgomery County real estate market sold for a median of $552,500, according to the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors.
Washington, D.C
11 hurt after work vehicle collides with Silver Line train at Metro Center
WASHINGTON (7News) — An early Wednesday morning incident at D.C.’s Metro Center left multiple riders injured after a work vehicle made contact with a Silver Line train just before the end of service.
According to Metro officials, the train was holding at the station when the work vehicle struck the rear car shortly after midnight. Officials said there were 27 customers on board at the time.
Officials say 11 people reported non-life-threatening injuries and that Metro personnel were not seriously injured.
SEE ALSO | Metro’s board to vote on budget that calls for fully automated trains on the Red Line
Passengers who did not report injuries were transferred to another train and continued toward Downtown Largo.
The train involved was the final Silver Line run of the night.
Metro said the incident remains under investigation as crews work to determine the cause.
As of 3:30 a.m., it’s not clear what the potential impacts to the morning service may be.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Washington, D.C
How much you need to earn to be middle class in DC, MD and Virginia
Cost of living calculators aren’t always reliable. Try this instead.
Here are a few ways to give you a better idea of how much it may cost you if you’re considering moving to a new city.
Problem Solved
Earning enough to be considered middle class has gotten more expensive, with rising housing and everyday costs pushing the income bar higher, according to a recent report from GOBankingRates.
The median range for middle-class income across the country is between $59,000 and $104,000 in 2026, depending on which state you live in. GOBanking Rates used Pew Research Center’s definition of middle class — income ranging from two-thirds to twice a state’s median household income — and added data from the U.S. Census Bureau to report lowest middle-income, highest middle-class income and median income for each state, including Maryland and Virginia, and Washington D.C.
The current national middle-class minimum of $59,000 would have declared you middle class a decade ago in the U.S. In 2016, earning $39,000 placed a household at the lower edge of the middle class — and in regions like DC, MD and VA, median incomes were already far higher than the national median, so the “middle-class floor” was much higher than $39,000 even then.
In the DC region, the income required to be considered middle class is significantly higher than nationally, with the threshold starting around $61,000 in Virginia and nearly $69,000 in Maryland — compared with about $47,000 nationwide, GOBankingRates data shows. To be considered middle class in Washington DC, you’d have to earn at least $70,200. GoBankingRates omitted DC from their report; however, using the same formula and same US Census data cited, USA TODAY Network was able to calculate the low, high and median middle class income ranges. Here’s what the report shows and what we found for middle-class consideration in 2026.
What is middle class in Washington DC?
The middle class is a socioeconomic group in the U.S. that falls between the working class and upper class, earning around the middle of the income distribution for where they live. Middle class households often are able to cover their bills, rely on loans to buy homes or cars, and occasionally eat out or vacation, but not without careful budgeting, according to Investopedia.
Washington DC’s middle-class income in 2024 (the most recent year available from Census data) was between $70,200 and $209,600. GoBankingRates omitted DC middle-class data; however, USA TODAY Network used the same calculation, using the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) and the Pew Research Center’s benchmark definition of middle class. Here is the breakdown for middle-class in Washington DC:
- Median household income: $104,800
- Lowest end of middle-class income: $70,200
- Highest end of middle-class income: $209,600
Due to the region’s high cost of living, Washington DC’s middle-class median income surpasses not only the U.S. median, but it’s neighbors in Delaware, Virginia and Maryland. It also slightly surpasses the median middle-class income of New Jersey.
What is middle class in Virginia?
In Virginia, the income needed to be considered middle class starts at about $61,400 and can range up to roughly $184,200, according to GOBankingRates. That is based on Pew Research Center’s definition — two-thirds to twice the median household income. Here’s the breakdown of Virginia’s middle-class income as reported in 2026 using the latest Census data available from 2024:
- Median household income: $92,090
- Lowest end of middle-class income: $61,393
- Highest end of middle-class income: $184,180
What is middle class in Maryland?
To be considered middle-class in Maryland, the income required starts at about $68,600 and can extend up to roughly $205,800, according to GOBankingRates, which used the latest 2024 U.S. Census Bureau data available in their 2026 report.
For many Maryland households, especially in the DC suburbs, earning what sounds like a solid income does not always translate into financial comfort once housing, childcare and community costs are factored in: Maryland housing costs (rent and home prices) are well above national averages, according to Zillow market trends, and commuting costs for DC-area workers are among the longest and costliest, Census data shows. Maryland also consistently ranks among the most expensive states for childcare, often surpassing $15,000 per year per child, according to a Care.com 2024 Cost of Care report.
Highest middle-class incomes in the US
- Massachusetts income range: $69,885 to $209,656
- Maryland income range: $68,603 to $205,810
- New Jersey income range: $69,529 to $208,588
- Hawaii income range: $67,163 to $201,490
- California income range: $66,766 to $200,298
- New Hampshire income range: $66,521 to $199,564
- Washington income range: $66,259 to $198,778
- Colorado income range: $64,742 to $194,226
- Connecticut income range: $64,033 to $192,098
- Virginia income range: $61,393 to $184,180
Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based news reporter covering trending news with USA TODAY Network’s Mid-Atlantic Connect Team. She covers news in the Northeast, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Reach her at LComstock@usatodayco.com.
Washington, D.C
US industry leaders take sport fishing issues to Washington DC – Angling International
The impact of tariffs on the US fishing tackle industry and the need for sound fisheries management were among the topics discussed by attendees of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA)’s first ever Keep America Fishing in DC Fly-In.
It included industry leaders who last week joined together in Washington DC and all walked hundreds of miles across the US Capital Complex to advocate for the interests of the US trade and the entire recreational fishing community.
The group also enjoyed conversations with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Director, Dr Neil Jacobs, Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Brian Nesvik, Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Representative Blake Moore (R-UT).
ASA President and CEO, Glenn Hughes, said: “We look forward to continuing the conversation with legislators throughout the rest of this Congress and to an even bigger Keep America Fishing Fly-In in 2027.”
Above: From left: ASA President Glenn Hughes and Vice President of Government Affairs, Mike Leonard, with Senator Martin Heinrich (centre).
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