Moving to Washington, DC
New residents have 60 days to get a Washington, DC driver license and must register a car within 30 days. Prices are 9.9% above the U.S. average, and a single filer earning $100,000 pays about $5,532 in Washington, DC income tax. 32,848 households moved here from other states in 2022–2023, most often from Maryland and Virginia.
New resident checklist for Washington, DC
Driver license
Required once you have lived in DC 60+ days and drive; exceptions for students, military, diplomats, part-time residents, members of Congress and presidential appointees. Proof of identity, SSN, residency and ability to drive required. Bring proof of identity, your Social Security number and two proofs of your Washington, DC address.
Vehicle title and registration
DMV says residents staying more than 30 days must register (any vehicle parked in public space for 60 consecutive days must be registered). You need a DC license/ID first, the title, and a DC inspection (out-of-state stickers not accepted). Switch your auto insurance to a Washington, DC policy.
Taxes or fees on a car you bring: No excise tax if the title is already in your name; excise tax (by fair market value, weight and MPG) applies only if ownership changes.
Annual registration: By weight (from Mar 30, 2026): Class I under 3,500 lb $70, 3,500-4,999 lb $175, 5,000-5,999 lb $300, 6,000+ lb $550+; battery EVs pay a reduced Class V rate ($40); plus inspection fee.
Extra yearly fee for an electric vehicle: none.
Establishing residency
DC treats you as a resident once you live in the District (license required after 60 days; vehicles must be registered once you reside more than 30 days). Residency also decides where you pay income tax in the year you move; see taxes the year you move.
Your first-month checklist in Washington, DC
- Register to vote at your new address.
- Update your address with the IRS (Form 8822), your employer and your bank.
- Make sure your employer withholds Washington, DC income tax from your move date.
- Set up utilities and get renters or homeowners insurance. Owners with a mortgage here paid a median $1,168 a year for homeowners insurance in 2024 (Census ACS); premiums have risen in most states since, so get quotes.
- Keep your lease or closing papers and your license date as proof of when you became a resident.
Still planning the move itself? The moving out of state checklist covers the weeks before you go, and the moving timeline turns your move date into dated deadlines. Our guide to moving with pets covers vet records, travel and local pet rules. Shipping a car? See shipping a car to another state, or take the Where should I move? quiz.
Official site: dmv.dc.gov. Sources: dmv.dc.gov (2), dmv.dc.gov (3), dmv.dc.gov (4), dmv.dc.gov (5), dmv.dc.gov (6). Reviewed 2026-09-25. Rules and fees change; confirm with the Washington, DC motor vehicle agency before you go.
Compare your move to Washington, DC
Pick the state you're leaving and your salary to see your take-home pay, rent and the salary that keeps your buying power the same in Washington, DC.
Equal salary in DC: $107,700
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $107,700 in Washington, DC to match $105,000 in Maryland ($2,700 more), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary, standard deduction.
D.C. tax is provisional: the standard deduction follows the published estimated-payment worksheet while newer legislation is reconciled with final instructions. See tax assumptions.
These changes cover taxes, housing and electricity. Food, transport, healthcare, other spending and one-time moving costs are excluded. They are not total savings. State medians may differ from your neighborhood and current quotes.
| Tax on $105,000 | Maryland | Washington, DC |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $14,270 | $14,270 |
| Social Security + Medicare | $8,033 | $8,033 |
| State income tax | $7,802 | $5,957 |
| State payroll programs (UI, disability, paid leave, transit) | $0 | $0 |
| Take-home pay | $74,896 | $76,741 |
Full reports for the most common moves to Washington, DC: Maryland to Washington, DC, Virginia to Washington, DC, New York to Washington, DC, California to Washington, DC, Florida to Washington, DC and Pennsylvania to Washington, DC.
Living in Washington, DC: costs, taxes and risk
Of the 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), Washington, DC is in the best 10 for household income, and in the worst 10 for overall prices, rent, cost to own a home, natural hazard risk, state income tax and car insurance.
- Median rent
- $1,931/mo U.S. $1,487
- Cost to own the median home
- $4,364/mo U.S. $2,298
- Take-home on $100,000
- $73,649 $1,430 less than in the median state
- Property tax (effective)
- 0.63% median $4,594/yr
- FEMA risk score
- 97.6 of 100 Among the highest of U.S. counties
- Moved in from other states
- 32,848 households, IRS 2022–2023
Pros and cons of living in Washington, DC
How Washington, DC ranks among all 51 (the 50 states and D.C.) on 11 measures of costs, taxes, risk and income. Top 10 means among the 10 best for someone moving in, Bottom 10 among the 10 worst.
Where Washington, DC ranks best
- Top 5 Highest household incomes: $109,707 median household income (Census ACS 2024), the highest of 51.
Where Washington, DC ranks worst
- Bottom 5 Highest overall prices: price level 109.9 (U.S. = 100, BEA 2024), 3rd highest of 51.
- Bottom 5 Highest rent: $1,931 a month at the median (Census ACS 2024), 3rd highest of 51.
- Bottom 5 Highest cost to own a home: $4,364 a month for the median home with 20% down, 3rd highest of 51.
- Bottom 5 Highest natural hazard risk: FEMA risk score 97.6 of 100, 3rd highest of 51.
- Bottom 5 Highest state income tax: $5,532 on a $100,000 salary, 4th highest of 51.
- Bottom 5 Highest car insurance costs: $1,677 a year per car on average (NAIC 2023), 4th highest of 51.
Measures: state income tax, overall prices, rent, cost to own a home, property tax rate, homeowners insurance, electric bills, car insurance, health premiums, natural hazard risk, household income. State income tax is for a single filer earning $100,000 under 2026 rules, including the average county income tax in Indiana and Maryland. Ties share a rank.
Where new Washington, DC residents come from
In the latest IRS migration data (2022–2023), 32,848 households filed their taxes in Washington, DC after filing in another state the year before. Maryland sent the most, 7,688 households (23% of the total). Washington, DC gained a net 1,673 households from other states that year.
Five-year trend
Moves to Washington, DC from other states reached a five-year high in 2022–23: 32,848 households, up 14% from 2018–19. Washington, DC gained households from other states on net in one of the five years.
IRS SOI state-to-state migration files, tax years 2018–19 to 2022–23. Net gain or loss by year: 2018–19 −1,928, 2019–20 −8,002, 2020–21 −8,325, 2021–22 −2,111, 2022–23 +1,673.
Cost of living in Washington, DC vs the U.S.
Overall prices in Washington, DC are 9.9% above the U.S. average, 49th cheapest of 51. The widest gap is in housing (155.0), 55% above the U.S. level.
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100). BEA Regional Price Parities 2024.
- Average electric bill
- $113/mo U.S. $142
- Car insurance, per car
- $1,677/yr U.S. $1,282
- Health plan, age 40
- $610/mo U.S. $625
EIA 2024 average residential bills, NAIC 2023 average auto insurance expenditure, KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium before subsidies.
Taxes in Washington, DC: take-home pay at three incomes
Washington, DC taxes wages. Here is what a single filer keeps after 2026 federal and state taxes, compared with the middle of all 51.
| Salary | DC income tax | Take-home | vs. median state |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $1,834 | $40,521 | -$257 |
| $100,000 | $5,532 | $73,649 | -$1,430 |
| $150,000 | $9,782 | $104,010 | -$3,577 |
Single filer, 2026 tax rules, standard deduction. Take-home is after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Washington, DC income taxes. "vs. median state" is the difference from the median take-home of all 51 at the same salary. For married filing jointly, change the filing status in the calculator above.
The District's sales tax rate is 6%, with no local sales taxes on top. Homeowners pay a median $4,594 a year in property tax, 0.63% of the median home value (property tax by county). Retiring? See how Washington, DC taxes Social Security and pensions. Moving mid-year? Read about taxes the year you move.
Cities in Washington, DC: where a paycheck goes furthest
The Washington, D.C. metro area is the only one of the 149 U.S. metro areas we cover that is centered in Washington, DC. About $89,400 there buys what $75,000 buys in an average-priced area with no state income tax.
| Metro area | Salary to match $75k | Price level | Median rent | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, D.C. | $89,400 | 108.9 | $2,037 | $604,800 |
Salary to match $75k: the pay that leaves the same after-tax, price-adjusted income as $75,000 in an area at U.S. average prices with no state income tax, single filer, including the principal city's own income tax where it has one. BEA 2024 price levels (U.S. = 100) and Census ACS 2024 rent and home values for each metro area.
Housing and home insurance in Washington, DC
| Measure | Washington, DC | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Median rent (monthly) | $1,931 | $1,487 |
| Median home value | $733,400 | $360,600 |
| Monthly cost to own the median home (20% down) | $4,364 | $2,298 |
| Income needed to buy the median home | $187,026 | $98,486 |
| Median property tax (yearly) | $4,594 | $3,211 |
| Homeowners insurance (yearly median, homes with a mortgage) | $1,168 | $1,450 |
Census ACS 2024 rent, home value and property tax, and ACS 2024 homeowners insurance. Cost to own: principal and interest at the Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%) with 20% down, plus the median property tax and the median homeowners insurance paid by owners with a mortgage. Premiums have risen since 2024, especially in high-risk areas, so get quotes. See buying a home in Washington, DC for other down payments.
Natural disaster risk in Washington, DC
Washington, DC's population-weighted score on FEMA's National Risk Index is 97.6 of 100, among the highest of U.S. counties and 49th safest of 51. Expected losses from natural hazards average about $425 per resident a year, and about 100% of residents live in counties FEMA rates relatively high or very high.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
See disaster risk for every Washington, DC county and how to check a home's risk before you move.
Frequently asked questions
Where do people moving to Washington, DC come from?
In IRS migration data for 2022–2023, 32,848 households moved to Washington, DC from other states. The most came from Maryland (7,688 households), Virginia (5,130) and New York (2,410).
What are the pros and cons of living in Washington, DC?
Where Washington, DC ranks best among the 50 states and D.C.: highest household incomes, the highest of 51. Where it ranks worst: highest overall prices, 3rd highest of 51; highest rent, 3rd highest of 51; highest cost to own a home, 3rd highest of 51; highest natural hazard risk, 3rd highest of 51; highest state income tax, 4th highest of 51; highest car insurance costs, 4th highest of 51.
Is Washington, DC expensive to live in?
Overall prices in Washington, DC are 9.9% above the U.S. average (BEA price level 109.9, 2024), 49th cheapest of 51. Median rent is $1,931 a month and the median home is worth $733,400.
How long do I have to get a Washington, DC driver license after moving?
60 days after becoming a resident. Required once you have lived in DC 60+ days and drive; exceptions for students, military, diplomats, part-time residents, members of Congress and presidential appointees. Proof of identity, SSN, residency and ability to drive required.
How long do I have to register my car in Washington, DC?
30 days. DMV says residents staying more than 30 days must register (any vehicle parked in public space for 60 consecutive days must be registered). You need a DC license/ID first, the title, and a DC inspection (out-of-state stickers not accepted).
Do new residents pay tax on a car brought to Washington, DC?
No excise tax if the title is already in your name; excise tax (by fair market value, weight and MPG) applies only if ownership changes.
What makes me a Washington, DC resident?
DC treats you as a resident once you live in the District (license required after 60 days; vehicles must be registered once you reside more than 30 days).