Where is your money going? We asked dozens of D.C. residents.

You don’t need us to tell you this — but life in D.C. is expensive. 

When I saw complaints about high Pepco bills peppering group chats, Facebook, and Nextdoor, I knew our team had to dig in. 51st contributor Sam Delgado found that rising rates, data centers, and a frigid winter produced dramatic increases — and many residents said they couldn’t keep up.

We felt like there was a bigger story on how difficult it feels to afford well, everything, right now — so we’re launching a series on affordability. And since listening to our community is a key part of how we work, we started by asking readers: Where is your money going?

The results of this survey will help shape our priorities for this series. We heard from readers in every ward, with more responses coming from Wards 1 and 5. The most common jobs were in the federal and local governments, as well as policy, advocacy, and nonprofit work. About half are renters and half are homeowners; a couple live with family and friends.

We told respondents to chose up to three of their most significant expenses. Housing topped the list, selected by 74% of respondents, followed by food (65%), utilities (62%), health care (30%), and debt (20%).

It’s worth noting that more than three-quarters of respondents live in smaller households of 1 or 2 people, so we think childcare is likely underrepresented. We heard about it frequently in the short-answer section:

“Two kids at nearly $4k a month, basically a mortgage.”

“We're about to have a baby (within a week) and right now childcare is the scariest expense we have to think about.”

“Childcare. It costs as much as renting another apartment each month. I’m really not sure how people have multiple children without being independently wealthy or making serious sacrifices in other areas.”

“Childcare is our family's number one expense outside of our mortgage … DC's free pre-K program is what makes it worth it for us to stay in D.C., but we worry there will be cuts to this funding in light of the city's current budget situation.”

“Our daughter's daycare costs $3,000 a month — and that's considered a good deal in D.C. It has strained our finances and constrained my career choices.” 

Most people live in households making more than $75,000 per year, with 43% making more than $150k. We know our readership isn't yet representative of the city, which is why our community connectors are working hard to reach people often underrepresented in local news coverage. But what I’m taking from these responses is that even people with a stable income are feeling the squeeze.

Thank you so much to those who filled out the survey. We may reach out to talk more, and welcome additional input here.

Here are more standout responses: 

"My Pepco bill jumped from $160 per month to $424 these last few months. I'm disabled and live off of SS Disability and have had to ask family for help and sign up for food bank deliveries ... after rent and utilities there isn't much for essential items and [I] have to decrease my physical therapy and medical appointments due to lack of copay money."

"Last year I paid $15,000 or so out of pocket for various medical costs ... I'm in pretty serious pain, discomfort, loss of sleep, and it feels ridiculous that my insurance is essentially useless."

"I was let go from USAID in February, one month after I bought my first house. The reactivation of student loan payments saw my monthly payment increase from $341.67 to $929.73. I've gone from finally feeling financially stable to micromanaging my budget again."

“We are swamped in debt and I am under immense pressure to get out before we need to pay for childcare starting in December. It keeps me up at night, takes up whole therapy sessions, makes me feel like all my effort to get out of poverty was nearly useless. The debt comes from IVF, my chronic illness related medical expenses, and reducing my work hours by 20% because of chronic illness. Our son was born in November. He's a miracle, but expensive. I hate feeling that way about such a wonderful little man who deserves the best from me.” 

"My healthcare premium almost tripled from Dec. 2025 and Jan. 2026, both because the federal tax subsidy program ended and because insurers raise rates every year without consequence. Rent is $1,600, health insurance premium is now more than $700/mo. It feels unjust."

"The reactivation of my student loan payments following the end of COVID-era forbearance combined with the elimination of Biden repayment plan saw my monthly payment increase from $341.67 to $929.73. I've gone from finally feeling financially stable to micromanaging my budget again and it feels so uncertain."

"Currently utilities — my Pepco bill for my 750-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment was $650 last month ... I have since not turned my heat on once this month despite cold temperatures and I feel really anxious about the summer. I feel like I have to completely change the rest of my life/spending for Pepco and it's frustrating to have to live like that."

"I live in a shared group house with 3 roommates, and still pay $1,200. I'm paying roughly 45% of my income on rent now ... I have a dog, so I'm not able to snag one of the (rare) far cheaper rooms in other Petworth group homes. I'm one of the lucky ones that hasn't been squeezed out of NW yet, but it's only a matter of time."

“My partner’s student debt feels like it will never go away. Their interest rate is fixed, but the minimum monthly payment barely puts a dent in the overall debt. It’s just a beast that we have to keep feeding. We only go out to eat once a month for a monthly “special date night,” but even that little luxury feels like it will need to go away for us if the costs at restaurants (not to mention the fees) keep going up. I would not want to be a restaurant owner right now.”