District of Columbia

SNAPSHOT OF DC’s BLACK REsidentsTo commemorate and celebrate the contributions to our nation made by people of African descent, American historian Carter G. Woodson estab-lished Black History Week. The first celebration occurred on Feb. 12, 1926. For many years, the second week of February was set aside for this cele-bration to coincide with the birthdays of abolitionist/editor Frederick Doug-lass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, as part of the nation’s bicentennial, the week was expanded to a month. Since then, U.S. presidents have proclaimed February as National African-American History Month.

319,777Black Residents, or:

45,193Median Household Income

0

DC’s Black Population (1930-2018)

1930 20181940 2010200019901980197019601950

100

200

300

400

500

600

132K 187K 281K 412K 538K 449K 399K 343K 305K 320K

11K55%

Women

Veterans

45%

51%Householders Living Alone

Family Households

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2018 and Decennial CensusesNote: References to the black population in this publication are to single-race black people (”black alone”) unless otherwise noted.

DC Office of Planning • State Data Center • 1100 4th Street, SW, Suite E650 • Washington, DC 20024 • ph 202.442.7600 • fax 202.442.7638 • planning.dc.gov

Median Age

36Bachelors Degree

or higher

29%Home Owners

36%Renters

64%Public Transportation

Users

37%7

8

Most black residents live in Wards 7 & 8

46%

tagram page, y Images, 1987.

Work in management, business, science and art occupations

40%

of DC’s Population

dcdataviz.dc.gov

47%