Census Bureau data show the population of D.C. grew from 687,324 people in July 2023 to 702,250 people in July 2024, marking the first time since 2019 that the city had a population of over 700,000 people. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser celebrated the achievement as a testament to everything the city has to offer.

“People from across the nation and the world are choosing Washington, D.C. because of our vibrant communities, world-class schools, dynamic job market and strong talent pool, and rich cultural opportunities,” Bowser said in a statement Thursday.

“D.C. is a strong, well-run city and people want to be here, and we’re happy about that. We’ll continue to support our residents, attract great employers, and invest in schools, public safety, and economic opportunity — the pillars of our comeback,” she added.

The city had an estimated population of 705,749 people in July 2019, meaning that while it has not fully replicated that peak, it is higher than the estimated population of 689,545 people in April 2020 and the estimated population of 701,547 people in 2018.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, scores of federal and non-federal workers have been able to move further outside the city, but as some workers have returned to in-office work, numbers have rebounded. The incoming Trump administration has said it wants to make a significant return-to-office push for federal workers, which could also help grow D.C.’s population in the coming years.

Another concern that has scared residents away from D.C. in recent years is crime, which spiked in 2023 and has gone down year-over-year.

The mayor’s office touted the mix of new births in D.C., along with strong migration numbers for the growth between 2023 and 2024. There was a net 2,761 more births than deaths in D.C. over the year, and a net 12,165 people moved into the city versus those who moved out.