How gentrified are D.C.’s neighborhoods?

Gentrification is a constant hot topic in Washington, D.C., and this shouldn’t be of any surprise to anyone. Affordability is a pressing issue in the city, and the mayor often tries to fix this.

NeighborhoodX has crunched some numbers in order to explore just how far along seven D.C. neighborhoods are in their gentrification cycle. To do this, NeighborhoodX Chief Constantine Valhouli looked at the relationship of each neighborhood’s purchase price and rent price per square foot.

"Purchase price per square foot can be seen as an indicator not just of a current market, but of the expectation of future upside potential," said Valhouli. "Buyers may be willing to pay a premium on the expectation that a neighborhood will improve and prices will increase. Meanwhile, annual rent per square foot gives a sense of what someone is willing to pay for the current amenities and lifestyle than can be enjoyed now, during the term of the lease."

Below, check out a NeighborhoodX-created graph of seven neighborhoods in D.C. and how gentrified they currently are. The lower the ratio between purchase price and annual rent, the more under the radar the neighborhood is.

One one end of the range, the purchase prices in Anacostia were only 9.42 times the annual rent, while purchase prices in NoMa were 21.85 times the annual rent.

Be sure to hover over the chart for further information. Can’t see the chart? Check it out over on NeighborhoodX here.

• Price/rent ratio (Mar. 2017) [NeighborhoodX]