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Washington, DC

Washington, DC

How we calculate the Washington, DC ParkScore® Ranking

The ranking for Washington, DC is based on how it compares nationally on five characteristics of an excellent park system: access, investment, acreage, amenities, and equity.

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Access

99 pts

Acreage

55 pts

Investment

100 pts

Amenities

85 pts

Equity

86 pts

99% of Washington, DC residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park.

Median City, 100 most populous U.S. cities: 74%
Median City, all urban cities and towns in U.S.: 55%

We’re working to ensure that every person, in every neighborhood, in every city across America has a quality park within a 10-minute walk of home.

See Our Work in District of Columbia

Washington, DC residents who live within a 10-minute walk of a park

By Age (%)

Children (0 - 19)

Adults (20 - 64)

Seniors (65+)

By Income (%)

High Income

Middle Income

Low Income

By Race/Ethnicity (%)

Native American*

Asian*

Black*

Hispanic

Pacific Islander*

White*

2 or More Races*

Other*

*Excludes those that report Hispanic origin (which is captured separately from race by the U.S. Census).

Comparing amount of park space between neighborhoods by race/ethnicity

Residents in neighborhoods of color* have access to 52% more park space per person than the city’s average neighborhood and 13% more than those in white neighborhoods. Additionally, we compared park space in the city’s average neighborhood with others by specific race and ethnicity:

*Neighborhoods of color are defined as those in Washington, DC with the highest concentrations of people who identify as Black, Hispanic, Indigenous and Native American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, multiple races, or other communities of color (more information).

Comparing amount of park space between neighborhoods by income

Residents in low-income neighborhoods have access to 45% more park space per person than those in the average Washington, DC neighborhood and 7% more than those in high-income neighborhoods.

24% of Washington, DC’s land is used for parks and recreation.

National median 15%

How do park amenities measure up?

These six amenities reflect activities popular among a diverse selection of user groups (kids, teenagers, adults, seniors). For each amenity, Washington, DC is awarded points based on their abundance relative to the other 99 cities.

Basketball Hoops

92/100pts

7.2 per 10,000 people

Playgrounds

22/100pts

2 per 10,000 people

Rec & Senior Centers

100/100pts

2 per 20,000 people

Dog Parks

100/100pts

2.7 per 100,000 people

Bathrooms

95/100pts

2.8 per 10,000 people

Splashpads

100/100pts

5.2 per 100,000 people

How much is Washington, DC investing in parks?

We compared Washington, DC with the other 100 most populous cities in the nation on total park investment per person, aggregating all public and private spending for any publicly accessible park in the city.

Park Investment (Three-Year Average)

City agency

$161 (62%)
Other public agencies

$71.02 (27%)
Private organizations

$12.52 (5%)
Monetized volunteer hours

$14.56 (6%)

$259

Total Spending Per Capita

National benchmark: Relative park spending by organization type
Average among 100 most populous cities
City agency: 85.5%
Other public agencies: 7%
Private organizations: 5.5%
Monetized volunteer hours: 2%
Total per capita spending: $108 per person

See the map

Where are the parks most needed?

Washington, DC has 683 parks.

Trust for Public Land has mapped park access for every urban area in the U.S., including Puerto Rico. Our ParkServe® mapping platform helps you pinpoint park investments to address park need, climate, equity, and health.

We’re Helping People Connect with Nature Near You