To understand what it looks like
to grow up in DC we start with
Demographics.
Population by Age
The population of children is growing at a faster rate than the overall DC population.
- DC’s population of children increased 3% from roughly 121,600 in 2016 to 125,800 in 2021 (single-year estimates).
- DC’s population of young adults ages 18-24 shrank during the same period, from roughly 80,230 to 65,550.
194,569 Children and Young Adults Reside in DC

Race & Equity
Children Under 5
Black
White
Latinx
Population by Race
Children continue to reflect the “Chocolate City” moniker, but just barely.
- While a majority of children are Black, the share of Black children has declined in DC over the last five years to 54%.
- One in four DC children have at least one parent who was born abroad.
- DC’s population of 18- to 24-year-olds has similar demographics to the overall population. DC’s young adult population is whiter than DC’s children: 42% are Black, 10% are Latinx, and 39% are white.
DC Children’s Black Majority is Shrinking
Population by Ward
Where DC’s children live.
- Wards 7 and 8 are home to more than one-third of DC’s children.
- DC’s Latinx child population has grown in every ward but wards 1 and 3. Latinx children are clustered, with over half living in wards 1 and 4 and almost two-thirds living in wards 1, 4, and 5.
DC Children Living in Each Ward
Find more information about all the demographic measures in our data references section and visit our appendix to download a table with the full DC Kids Count 2022 data set.

Kim Perry
Executive Director, DC Action