Housing Costs After Divorce in District of Columbia

Last reviewed: March 2026

Monthly carrying costs in District of Columbia

Here is what it costs to keep the median-priced home in District of Columbia ($640,000) on a single income. These figures assume a 20% down payment and a 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.09%.

Can you afford to keep it?

Financial advisors generally recommend keeping housing costs below 28–35% of gross income. Here is what you would need to earn to keep the median District of Columbia home:

District of Columbia insurance costs

Homeowners insurance in District of Columbia averages $1,289/year ($107/month). This is well below the national average of $3,548/year, making insurance one of the cheaper components of housing costs in District of Columbia.

Keep vs. sell: the numbers

Renting a comparable home in District of Columbia costs approximately $1,240,310/month (based on a price-to-rent ratio of 0.0). Owning is actually cheaper than renting by about $1,236,271/month in District of Columbia.

If you sell, closing costs in District of Columbia average 4.30% of the sale price ($27,520 on a $640,000 home). This includes transfer taxes, title insurance, recording fees, and agent commissions. District of Columbia has some of the highest closing costs in the country.

Property division in District of Columbia

District of Columbia is a community property state. This means marital property is generally divided 50/50. If one spouse keeps the house, they typically need to compensate the other for half the equity — through refinancing, a cash buyout, or offsetting with other assets.