2020 Best Places to Raise a Family in District of ColumbiaAbout this List

American University Park

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 12 reviews

Niche User: I'd live here forever if it's possible
Read 12 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A+

• 5,090 Population

Wesley Heights

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.

• A+

• A-

• A+

• 1,086 Population

Foxhall Crescents

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 4 reviews

Niche User: A great place to live but a little expensive
Read 4 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A+

• 1,743 Population

Barnaby Woods

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 2 reviews

Current Resident: The neighborhood is very tranquil and family-friendly and which gives it a great atmosphere. Although it is not walking distance from the metro or many shops/restaurants, the commute to Bethesda and Friendship Heights is short and traveling to downtown DC is not very far either. Its location next to Rock Creek Park is unique and convenient, with nature right in your backyard.
Read 2 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A+

• 1,784 Population

Shepherd Park

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 1 review

Current Resident: I like that it's not directly in the city, but it's easily accessible by car, bike or public transportation!
Read 1 Review

• A+

• A-

• A+

• 2,522 Population

North Cleveland Park

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 5 reviews

Niche User: As a woman I feel safe walking up to my apartment from the metro at any time of day/evening. There are sometimes reports of burglaries in my apartment complex but otherwise it seems safe.
Read 5 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A+

• 4,981 Population

Mount Pleasant

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 14 reviews

Former Resident: I loved the diversity of this neighborhood -- hearing all of the Spanish being spoken and walking past all of the shops on Mt. Pleasant Rd was really nostalgic for me. Although the surrounding homes are beautiful, I lament how expensive it's become to live in the area -- many folks are getting pushed out because of gentrification.
Read 14 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A+

• 9,422 Population

McLean Gardens

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 1 review

Niche User: I love this neighborhood. I feel it's the perfect suburban safehaven.
Read 1 Review

• A+

• A-

• A+

• 1,444 Population

Tenleytown

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 4 reviews

Niche User: Tenleytown is a great place to live! It is close to the metro making it an easy access to downtown DC! Tenleytown has a great selection of dining and useful library! I've never had any issues with Tenleytown besides getting my bike stolen earlier this fall. Around 2:30 Tenley can become a little crowded due to its proximity to a high school. The crowds don't bother me, and they have little impact on my commute to my job or internship! What I love most about Tenley is that it has everything you need, and great study spots! Overall, Tenleytown is a great place to live and has everything you need from a grocery store, library, phone repair shop, best buy, and a Chick-Fil-A!
Read 4 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A+

• 1,664 Population

Chevy Chase

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 10 reviews

Current Resident: Overall, great place to live! The neighborhood is very quiet and peaceful and the people are very friendly. Very nice atmosphere with the greenery that surrounds the streets and sidewalks, and since it is farther away from the main street, there is rarely any noise.
Read 10 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A+

• 13,182 Population

Glover Park

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 7 reviews

Current Resident: Would like more reliable transportation access, but other than that I love this neighborhood! Everyone is friendly. It is safe. There are parks, community gardens, and a mini-downtown area with almost everything you could need. All in all, a great area to live.
Read 7 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A+

• 8,129 Population

Cathedral Heights

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 28 reviews

Current Resident: I like how safe it is and how accesible restaurants, supermarkets, and banks are. I do agree that there could be a metro station (tenleytown and cleveland park ate both too far to walk to). Also, living is a bit expensive and there are so many college students, like me, that would benefit from living in this area (close to AU and GW). But due to high rents, it is very dificult. The restaurants here, although good, are very pricey too. Lastly, it would be more beneficial to us if there was a better bike trail.
Read 28 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A

• 9,370 Population

Burleith/Hillandale

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 1 review

Current Resident: Safe, clean neighborhood. Close to Glober park restaurants & amenities (Town Hall, Surfside, Madfox, Whole Foods, Ace Handware, Safeway, FedEx, etc). Friendly, well-established neighbors. One would feel welcomed here.
Read 1 Review

• A+

• A-

• A

• 2,134 Population

Foxhall Village

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 2 reviews

Former Resident: I enjoyed living here a lot. Beautiful streets, homes, and parks. Georgetown and the Potomac are right there too. Convenient bus lines.
Read 2 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A

• 2,549 Population

Friendship Heights

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 4 reviews

Current Resident: Friendship Heights is just on the edge of DC, almost into Maryland. Easy access to Rock Creek Park and other great outdoors/trails/bike paths. Its has lots of shopping, restaurants, public transportation and you're not far from downtown DC. The homes are in nice little neighborhoods so it feels like being in the suburbs, but with the convenience of the city.
Read 4 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A

• 2,608 Population

Palisades

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.

• A

• A-

• A

• 3,533 Population

Georgetown

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 18 reviews

Current Resident: Cute area with lots of great restaurants and shops! A lot of young people live here, and there are many opportunities to stay active such as trails, gyms, and yoga studios.
Read 18 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A

• 14,172 Population

Cleveland Park

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 2 reviews

Current Resident: I love the feel of the neighborhood, many of the sidewalks are redbrick and there are three green spaces within half a mile to my house one being the National Cathedral. There are trails nearby that lead to Georgetown and good supermarkets nearby.
Read 2 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A

• 6,782 Population

Woodley Park

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 6 reviews

Current Resident: I wish that the foot traffic and car traffic was smoother. However, all in all good neighborhood highly accessible. I live near the Smithsonian Zoo so it's nice that it's right there and free!
Read 6 Reviews

• A+

• A-

• A

• 6,140 Population

Adams Morgan

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 13 reviews

Current Resident: Adams Morgan is a great neighborhood in the center of DC. So many restaurants, shops and interesting events in walking distance.
Read 13 Reviews

• A+

• B

• A

• 11,180 Population

Spring Valley

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 9 reviews

• A+

• A-

• A

• 5,566 Population

Forest Hills

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 6 reviews

Current Resident: I moved to the Forest Hills neighborhood roughly two years ago and it has been one of the best decisions my family has ever made. The move has allowed us to connect with much more affluent crowd and has opened up incredible opportunities for my family. An example of this was in my junior year of high school when I interned with world renowned architect, Travis Price, which was easy since he lived right down the block.
Read 6 Reviews

• A

• A-

• A

• 6,687 Population

Crestwood

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.

• A

• B-

• A

• 1,754 Population

Foggy Bottom

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 16 reviews

Current Resident: Foggy Bottom is a wonderful place to go to school! It has a metro stop, it's not far from shopping at Georgetown/M street, it's extremely close to DC landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial, and its a cute neighborhood overall.
Read 16 Reviews

• A+

• B-

• A

• 8,512 Population

Lanier Heights

• Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
• 19 reviews

Niche User: Very fun area with plenty to do, see, and eat. Always new places popping up which makes visiting the same area a fun new experience.
Read 19 Reviews

• A+

• B-

• A

• 4,491 Population