- The fastest growing age group in Washington DC's roommate market is 55-64 year olds.
- Recent rent falls in DC aren't substantial enough to help under 25s fly the nest; in the roommate market this age group is now in decline, as are 25-34 year olds.
- The average roommate rent is now $1,122 per month, not far off the record high of $1,159 recorded at the end of 2024.
Sustained high rent in Washington DC is transforming roommate situations according to the latest rental index data from SpareRoom, which uniquely tracks roommate rents in shared households at the sharp end of America's housing affordability crisis.
Based on Q1 2026 data, the average roommate rent is now $1,122 month, slightly down (-0.4%) on the previous year. Following several years of rent increases due to unprecedented demand after the pandemic, rent in DC was on a slight downward trajectory throughout 2025 but, as shown in the table below, there have been no significant falls:
A knock-on effect of sustained high rent is that roommate households look different today, rather than being dominated by young professionals and graduates. In fact, the proportion of younger roommates under 25 has fallen by 15% in the past five years as the share of 25-34 year olds has dropped 20%.
Meanwhile, those aged 35+ are becoming ever more present in roommate situations. The fastest growing age group in the DC roommate market is 55-64 year olds. This cohort's share of the roommate market has increased by almost two thirds (+65%) in five years.
Adults aged 55 and over now represent almost 14% of the DC roommate market, up from 8.5% five years ago, as shown in the table below:
| Age group | % of users in 2025 | % of users in 2020 | 5-year change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 26% | 30.6% | -15% |
| 25-34 | 30.7% | 38.5% | -20% |
| 35-44 | 17.8% | 14% | 27% |
| 45-54 | 11.9% | 8.4% | 41% |
| 55-64 | 9.2% | 5.6% | 65% |
| 65+ | 4.5% | 2.9% | 53% |
Matt Hutchinson, director of roommate site SpareRoom, comments: "Many young people who'd like to be independent are being priced out of the rental market by the sky-high cost of living, and so they have little choice but to stay with their parents for longer. Of course that can severely limit career opportunities. Meanwhile, older renters who might prefer to live alone, are finding the premium for renting solo is simply unaffordable. This is the effect of years of steep rent rises since the pandemic. Although prices in DC are now flatlining, and even falling marginally, that still doesn't mean they're within reach.”