State Profile

District of Columbia

Population (2019): 705,749 thousand

The District of Columbia’s public health outcomes stack up unevenly against those of the United States, but it has taken several steps that strengthened its preparedness for public health emergencies. Deaths owed to drug misuse, alcohol, or suicide outpace the country as a whole. Its rates of obesity and related conditions indicate a bright spot, with the percentage of adults with obesity lower than the U.S. median, as rates of diabetes and hypertension rank low. Finally, the state achieved a score of six out of a possible 10 measures of public health preparedness for diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism.