This is true even in the city's northwestern neighborhoods, which tend to be more affluent and have more entertainment options. As in many major cities, crime remains a notable problem in D.C. īy the mid-2000s, crime rates in Washington dropped to their lowest levels in over 20 years, to less than a fifth of record highs. Neighborhood improvement efforts and new business investment have also started to transform neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River, leading to the first rise in the District's population in 60 years.

The crime rate started to fall in the mid-1990s as the crack cocaine epidemic gave way to economic revitalization projects.

The number of homicides in Washington peaked in 1991 at 482, a rate of 80.6 homicides per 100,000 residents, and the city eventually became known as the 'murder capital' of the United States. The population loss to the suburbs also created a new demographic pattern, which divided affluent neighborhoods west of Rock Creek Park from the less well-off neighborhoods to the east.ĭespite being the headquarters of multiple federal law enforcement agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the nationwide crack epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s greatly affected the city and led to large increases in crime. Shortly after that, the city began losing residents, and by 1980 Washington had lost one-quarter of its population. The District's population reached a peak of 802,178 in 1950. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Crime in the United StatesĬrime in Washington, D.C., is directly related to the city's demographics, geography, and unique criminal justice system.

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