Between 2006 and 2010, 169 District households (remember that only a sample of households were surveyed) told the Census Bureau they pay an amount equal to at least $3,000, in 2010 dollars, in gross rent every month. The demographic that these households represent likely captures a diverse range of people, from high-income loft dwelling bachelors like John Wall, to bands of 4-plus entry level nonprofit staffers united by Craigslist.
While the sample size behind these statistics is too small to make any concrete conclusions, the relative figures below give a sense of who's paying $3k:
DC should abolish sales tax and replace it with a land value tax. It would decrease the cost of land and give the incentive to build more multi-unit apartments so the rent would fall, too.
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