Like most large, metropolitan cities, the people who live and work in Washington, D.C., are a diverse and growing mix. Since 2010, its population has increased 7.4 percent. The average age is 33.8 years and the average life expectancy is 77.5. On a daily basis, D.C. residents are exposed to a wide range of interconnected health concerns — from crime and hunger, to substance abuse and HIV.

1. DC Environmental Network http://www.dcen.net/
Clean Air Partners https://www.mwcog.org/environment/air/partners/
Anacostia Watershed Society http://www.anacostiaws.org/
Neighborhood Farm Initiative
http://www.neighborhoodfarminitiative.org/about-us/our-mission/
American Public Transit Association http://voicesforpublictransit.org/
Capital Bikeshare http://capitalbikeshare.com/
DC Department of Parks and Recreation http://dpr.dc.gov/
In 2010, 35,000 D.C. residents (12%) walked to work daily.
Walking and biking can lower obesity rates, helping to prevent chronic
health problems.
Access to parks and recreational spaces can help reduce obesity
and the risk of chronic diseases including heart disease and diabetes.
D.C. Demographics
from 2012
POPULATION
RACE
LIFE EXPECTANCY
According to the U.S.
Census Bureau, the
estimated population of
D.C. increased 7.4%
over its 2010 population
of 601,767.
Though the African
American population has
decreased in D.C., it still
comprises half of the
population. In the 1980s,
70% of the population was
African American. In 2000 it
dropped to 61%.
Life expectancy for D.C.
residents in 2012.
15% of deaths in the
District are related to
poor diet and obesity.
21% of D.C. residents
do not engage in
physical activity on a
monthly basis.
22% of D.C. residents
are obese.
35% of D.C. children
ages 10 to 17 are
obese or overweight
and are at risk for high
blood pressure, diabetes
and heart disease.
Low-income populations
are disproportionately
impacted by obesity. In
D.C., 41% of residents
are considered to be
“low-income."
Improving Health Through Parks/Green Spaces
D.C. is revamping its Master Plan for Parks.
The D.C. mayor designated $35 million to improve 32 playgrounds.
19.7% of the city’s 39,071 acres are parks, or 7,679 acres of parks.
Improving Health Through Active Commuting
2,300 bike racks have been installed since 2001.
In 2010, 9,300 D.C residents (3%) biked to work daily.
In 2013, air quality in
D.C. had a failing
grade, according to
the American Lung
Association.
Ozone: Grade F
(unhealthy)
Particle pollution:
Grade C (unhealthy for
sensitive populations)
Median age of
water main pipes in
D.C.: 78 years
old, including 9%
that were installed
in the 1900s and
2% as old as the
1860s, before the
Civil War
D.C. Water (utility)
serves more than
600,000 residents
and 17.8 million
visitors
every year.
1
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/11000.html
2
http://datatools.urban.org/features/changingcities/#race
3
http://datatools.urban.org/features/changingcities/#age
4
http://doh.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/doh/page_content/attachments/
2nd%20Draft%20CHNA%20%28v4%202%29%2006%2004%202013%20-%20Vol%201.pdf
5
http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/8335.pdf
6
http://washingtonexaminer.com/d.c.-tops-nation-in-drug-alcohol-abuse/article/116769
7
http://healthyamericans.org/reports/drugabuse2013/release.php?stateid=DC
8
http://www.dchunger.org/pdf/grocerygap.pdf
9
http://www.dchunger.org/fedfoodprogs/cacfp/cacfp_index.htm
10
http://www.dchunger.org/fedfoodprogs/summer/summer_index.htm
11
https://sphhs.gwu.edu/sbsrn2013/presentations/3_Castel.pdf
12
http://dpr.dc.gov/node/135652
13
http://www.dchunger.org/pdf/dcparks_rec_nutrition_strategies_2011.pdf
14
http://playdc.org/project
15
http://wamu.org/programs/metro_connection/13/05/24/building_better_playgrounds_for_dc_kids
16
http://parkscore.tpl.org/city.php?city=Washington
17
https://comp.ddot.dc.gov/Documents/Bicycle%20Program%20Fact%20Sheet%20Summer%202012.pdf
18
http://wamu.org/news/13/04/25/dc_area_gets_f_in_air_quality
19
http://www.stateoftheair.org/2013/states/district-of-columbia/district-of-columbia-11001.html
20
http://www.dcwater.com/news/publications/dcwater_2012_annual.pdf
21
http://green.dc.gov/air
22
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-number-of-homicides-falls-in-dc-and-prince-georges/
2012/12/27/25af9fde-5069-11e2-950a-7863a013264b_story.html
23
http://mpdc.dc.gov/node/197622
24
http://mpdc.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mpdc/publication/attachments/homicidereport_0.pdf
25
http://homicidewatch.org/2013/06/17/d-c-2012-murder-rate-ranked-8th-among-nations-
most-populated-cities/
26
http://doh.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/doh/publication/attachments/
Section%201.%20Diagnosed%20and%20Living%20HIV%20Cases.pdf
27
http://www.hubariatrics.com/files/ObesityinDCFactSheet.pdf
28
http://www.prepwatch.org
29
http://www.dchunger.org/press/dc_2014_summer_meals_report.htm
30
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2014/06/26/
nasa-showcases-major-decline-in-air-pollution-over-d-c-i-95-corridor-since-2005/?wpisrc=nl_buzz
31
http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/facts_issues/toll_us/dc
32
http://mpdc.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mpdc/publication/attachments/HomicideReduction
Strategy-USAO.pdf
33
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/11000.html
34
http://washingtonexaminer.com/dc-area-outpaces-nation-in-booming-asian-hispanic-growth/article/2531799
646,449
50%
77.5 YEARSMEDIAN AGE
D.C.’s population is getting younger.
Between 2000 and 2010, the 18- to
34-year-old age group grew by
37,000. Millennials (young adults
between the ages of 18 and 34)
represent 35% of the D.C. population,
compared to 23% nationally.
33.8 YEARS
Heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of
death among residents, accounting for 50% of the deaths in
the last five years, reported the Department of Health.
Solutions
Problems
Solutions
Problems
OBESITY AND
CHRONIC DISEASES
Obesity rates within
the District contribute
to an estimated $400
million in yearly health
care costs.
POLLUTION,
ENVIRONMENT AND WATER
Driving less, using public
transportation and
bike-sharing opportunities
Checking vehicle emissions
and keeping non-passing
vehicles off the road
Conserving electricity and energy
Not burning wood or trash
Asking legislators and government
officials to support measures that
cut air pollution
SOURCES
Key Organizations
Key Organizations
Since the 1990s, federal and city law enforcement agencies led several initiatives to
target violent crime including:
Between 1990 and
1995, 2,643 people
were murdered in
D.C. — an average
of more than 400
deaths per year.
In 2012, D.C.’s murder
rate ranked 8th
among the nation’s
most populated cities
with a count of 88.
In 1990, there were
474 homicides in the
District. In 2013, there
were 104.
The number of
victims under the
age of 18 has
declined: 20 in
2008 compared to
three in 2012.
National Crime Prevention Council http://www.ncpc.org/programs
DC Metro PD Safe City Project http://mpdc.dc.gov/node/214292
District of Columbia Crime Policy Institute http://www.dccrimepolicy.org/
Solutions
Problems Improvements
CRIME
Key Organizations
From substance abuse to hunger to violent crime, D.C. residents
experience a wide range of interrelated health concerns. These concerns are
best addressed by looking at prevention methods first. Through this graphic,
we explore a number of critical issues that public health practitioners are
working to address through a variety of on-the-ground initiatives.
Residents of Wards
5, 7 and 8 are more
likely to suffer from
chronic diseases
than residents of
other wards.
Problems
The top fifth of income
earners in D.C. earn on
average 29 times
more than the
bottom fifth.
29X MORE
INEQUALITY
DC Healthy Families http://dhcf.dc.gov/service/dc-healthy-families
National Health Equity Coalition
http://www.nationalhealthequitycoalition.org/main/default.aspx
Health Equity Initiative (HEI) http://www.healthequityinitiative.org/about
The District of Columbia covers 30% of residents through health
insurance programs, including Medicaid, Medicare, D.C. Healthcare
Alliance, SCHIP and Healthy D.C.
To counteract the low availability of providers, the District has
increased Medicaid and Alliance reimbursements.
Using a model public/private partnership called Medical Homes D.C., which has
worked with the D.C. Department of Health, the District is trying to improve
access to quality primary care in medically underserved neighborhoods.
Solutions
Key Organizations
created by
Health and Wellness
in the
District of Columbia
D.C. is ranked 21st
for the highest prescription
drug overdose mortality
rate in the United States.
This translates to 12.9
overdoses from
prescription drugs per
100,000 people, a 55%
increase since 1999.
11.3% of people 12 years
and older abused or were
dependent on alcohol
or drugs between
2010-2011, compared to
the national average of
8.9%, reported SAMHSA.
In October 2013, Trust For America’s Health (TFAH) gave Washington, D.C., a score of 6 out
of 10 for implementing strategies that could reduce prescription drug abuse, which include:
Doctor shopping laws
Good Samaritan laws
Support for substance abuse
treatment services
Rescue drug laws
Physical exam requirement
Lock-in programs
Addiction Prevention and Recovery Administration (APRA)
http://doh.dc.gov/service/doh-substance-abuse
Regional Addiction Prevention Inc. (RAP) http://www.rapinc.org/
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) http://www.samhsa.gov/
House of Ruth http://www.houseofruth.org/
Between 2010 and 2013,
12% of D.C. households
were food insecure,
compared to 12.9%
nationally. The U.S. Dept.
of Agriculture (USDA)
defines “food insecurity”
as a limited availability of,
or inability to acquire,
nutritionally adequate and
safe food for a household.
In 2008–2012, 30.5%
of households with
children in D.C. could
not afford enough
food, the second worst
rate in the nation. By
comparison, food
insecurity for
households without
children was 13.5%.
Wards 7 and 8, with the
highest poverty rates,
have the city’s highest
obesity rates.
Only 48% of
full-service grocery
stores accept WIC.
Grants for before-and-after-care
nutrition programs
Funding to promote physical activity
and nutrition in childcare programs
DC Central Kitchen http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/
DC Hunger Solutions http://www.dchunger.org/
DC Free Summer Meals Program (FSMP)
Miriam’s Kitchen http://www.miriamskitchen.org/cause
HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD and TB Administration (HAHSTA)
http://doh.dc.gov/page/hivaids-hepatitis-std-and-tb-administration-hahsta
Metro Teen Aids http://metroteenaids.org/site/
Men in D.C. are three
times more likely to be
diagnosed with HIV as
women (4,238.8 per
100,000 men vs. 1,422.4
per 100,000 women).
Reasons for the HIV/AIDS epidemic:
High poverty rate
Lack of awareness
of HIV status
Lack of access to health care
6.5 million male and female condoms
were distributed in 2013, 5.7 million in
2012 and 4.6 million in 2011.
In a D.C. needle-exchange
program, 648,000 syringes were
exchanged in 2013.
Routine HIV testing expanded. In
2011, 120,000 publicly supported HIV
rapid tests were distributed in D.C.
High percentage of HIV testing: 68%
of D.C. residents aged 18–64 report
ever having been tested for HIV
(which is higher than any other state.)
2.4% of the
population in the
District is living with
HIV.
Problems
Drug use
Solutions
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
AND DRUG USE
Problems
Solutions
Problems
Solutions
Key Organizations
HIV AND AIDS
HUNGER
Key Organizations
Key Organizations
High rates of other sexually
transmitted infections
Whitman-Walker Health http://www.whitman-walker.org/
*This list is in no particular order.
For the state-by-state scoring, each state received one point for achieving an indicator, or zero
points if it did not achieve the indicator. Zero is the lowest possible score, 10 is the highest.
*Look to the hunger section above for solutions connected to the
role food access plays in this issue.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP,
is an emerging HIV prevention
intervention in which HIV-negative
individuals take an antiretroviral to
reduce their individual risk of
acquiring HIV.
Washington D.C. ranks first in the
nation for reaching children with
summer meals through the D.C. Free
Summer Meals Program, administered
by the Office of the State
Superintendent of Education (OSSE).
Since 2005, the concentration of
nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant linked
to adverse effects on the respira-
tory system, has decreased,
which resulted in D.C. experienc-
ing a drop in the number of days
in which air quality falls below
federal health standards.
Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in the United States. In
Washington, D.C., 700 adults die each year from smoking, and 7,000 kids under the age
of 18 will ultimately die prematurely from smoking.
Unprotected sex
Federal Assistance Project: An
infusion of resources from 18 federal
agencies helped target violent crime and
enhance enforcement efforts.
Project Ceasefire: This initiative increased
the number of attorneys focused on gang
violence, created an Intelligence Unit and
launched a media campaign to raise
awareness of gun violence.
Homicide Prevention Project: By
facilitating coordination among detectives
and narcotics investigators, this project
closed over a dozen homicide cases.
Project Safe Neighborhoods:
This national anti-gun violence
campaign emphasized
collaboration among law
enforcement agencies.
The Hot Spot Initiative:
18 participating agencies
developed targeted work
plans to make an impact on
crime in 14 neighborhoods.
50.1%
.6%
3.8%.2%
2.4%
42.9%
White African
American
American Indian and
Alaska Native
AsianNative Hawaiian and
Other Pacific Islander
Mix of Two or
More Races
HIV Prevalence Rates per 100,000 by Sex
Race/Ethnicity, for Adults/Adolescents, 2010
593.6
106.4
6,344.1 Black men
Overall D.C. Rate: 2,739.0
Latino men
Black women
White men
Latinas
White women
2,996.7
2,601.5
2,374.1
D.C.’s Hispanic population has grown 14.6% from 2010 to
2012 — outpacing the national average of 5.1%.
Throughout the D.C.
metropolitan area —
which includes counties in
Virginia and Maryland —
the poverty rate was
8.4% in 2010 (compared to
6.8% in 2007).
In the District
specifically, the poverty
rate was 19%, more
than double that of the
D.C. metropolitan area.
The average poverty rate
across the U.S. is 15%.