Brightly painted historic rowhouses reflected in the C&O Canal in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

Georgetown, Washington DC

Buying a home in Georgetown

Federal-era rowhouses and canal-side condos, and when a Georgetown loan becomes a jumbo.

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What it costs here
$2.0M
Median house price · 410 sales
$1,097
Median per square foot
+33%
Renovated over average condition

Recorded arm’s-length sales from DC’s assessment records, through August 12, 2026. Not an appraisal or a valuation of any particular home. Compare every DC neighborhood

Highlights

What's in Georgetown

Georgetown was a port town before Washington existed, on the Potomac at the start of the C&O Canal.

Brick Federal and Victorian storefronts with hanging flower baskets along M Street NW in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

M Street & Wisconsin Avenue

Shops, galleries and restaurants in Federal-era storefronts.

The Potomac River from Georgetown's waterfront, with Key Bridge and the Rosslyn skyline beyond, Washington, D.C.

The C&O Canal & the waterfront

The C&O Canal towpath runs through the middle of the neighborhood. Georgetown Waterfront Park is on the Potomac next to Key Bridge.

The spires of Healy Hall at Georgetown University above Key Bridge and the Potomac, Washington, D.C.

Georgetown University

The university's campus is on the hill at the west end of the neighborhood.

A quiet residential side street of historic houses in Washington, D.C.

Dumbarton Oaks & the side streets

Dumbarton Oaks' formal gardens, the Exorcist Steps, and cobblestone side streets of the oldest houses in Washington.

The riverfront promenade at Georgetown Waterfront Park with Key Bridge in the distance, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown Waterfront Park, ten acres on the Potomac River.

Transportation

Getting around Georgetown

Nearest Metro
Georgetown has no Metro station. Foggy Bottom (Blue, Orange, Silver) is a walk from the east end, and Rosslyn is across Key Bridge.
Moody rainy-day US downtown street with route-29 city bus approaching
Bus
Buses run on M Street, Wisconsin Avenue and Canal Road to downtown and upper Northwest.
Two cyclists on a shaded paved trail through lush green trees
Bike & trails
The Capital Crescent Trail and the C&O Canal towpath both start in Georgetown.
Quiet DC residential street in winter, classic Mercedes and trucks parked, DC plate visible
Parking
Residential permit parking with a two-hour limit for visitors. Some houses have a parking pad or garage off the rear alley, and paid garages are near M Street and Wisconsin Avenue.

Neighborhood

Living in Georgetown

Schools, restaurants, parks, and shopping in the neighborhood.

The white neoclassical facade of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts at 35th and R Streets NW, Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Schools
Hyde-Addison Elementary feeds Hardy Middle School and Jackson-Reed High School. Duke Ellington School of the Arts, DC's audition-based arts high school, is at 35th and R Streets, and Georgetown Visitation has been on 35th Street since 1799.
Red PIZZA neon and yellow neon signage in a moody industrial pizza bar at night
Dining & nights out
Martin's Tavern, where presidents from Truman to George W. Bush have eaten; Blues Alley, a jazz club since 1965; and Fiola Mare on the waterfront.
Leafy city park with winding path, flower beds, and people relaxing on the lawn
Parks & recreation
Volta Park's pool and ball field, Rose Park's courts and farmers market, Montrose Park, and the C&O Canal towpath.
Bright library reading room with wall of bookshelves, light-wood study tables and lounge seating
The library
The Georgetown Library on R Street holds the Peabody Room, the neighborhood's historical archive.
Colorful stocked produce wall: lettuce, radishes, beets, herbs with price tags
Groceries
Safeway on Wisconsin Avenue, Trader Joe's at the Foggy Bottom edge, and Whole Foods in Glover Park.
Georgetown M Street NW brick storefront row with flower baskets and pedestrians
On foot
Shops, restaurants and the river are within walking distance. The nearest Metro station, Foggy Bottom, is a longer walk from the east end.

Next steps

Next steps by buying stage

Pick the step that matches where you are in buying a home.

  1. 01 · Still running numbers

    Work out what you can afford

    Estimate the full monthly payment, including DC property tax, insurance and any condo fee. The condo fee counts in full in your debt-to-income ratio.

    See what you can afford →

  2. 02 · Saving up

    Plan the down payment

    At Georgetown prices, the down payment depends on the loan program and the property type. FHA needs 3.5% down, and the whole down payment can be a gift from family.

    See what you'd need →

  3. 03 · Writing offers

    Get a pre-qualification letter

    Attach a pre-qualification letter to your offer. Pre-qualification takes about two minutes and does not pull your credit.

    Get pre-qualified →

FAQ

Georgetown mortgage questions

At what point does a Georgetown purchase become a jumbo loan?
It depends on the loan amount, not the price. In DC for 2026, loan amounts up to $832,750 are standard conforming, amounts from $832,751 to $1,249,125 are high-balance conforming, and amounts above $1,249,125 are jumbo. Jumbo loans have their own down payment, credit and reserve rules.
What does the Old Georgetown Board mean for my renovation plans?
Georgetown is a federally protected historic district. Exterior work visible from public space is reviewed by the Old Georgetown Board under the Commission of Fine Arts. Lenders do not price historic designation, so the loan terms are the same, but a renovation loan's draw schedule has to follow the approval timeline. If you are buying a house to renovate, we build the review process into the plan before closing.
Do 200-year-old houses cause appraisal or underwriting problems?
They add items to check. Federal-era and Victorian houses appraise on the same principles as any other house, and the appraiser notes condition: foundation movement in old brick, knob-and-tube wiring, roof life, and shared party walls. FHA appraisals are stricter than conventional ones about peeling paint and safety items. Georgetown's housing stock is the oldest in the city, and these items are routine on a Georgetown appraisal.
Can I finance a Georgetown condo or co-op?
Condos, yes, including units in smaller converted buildings, where the lender reviews the association's budget and insurance along with your application. A co-op is a different loan: you finance shares in a corporation instead of real property, and only some lenders offer share loans. If a listing is a co-op, we tell you what that means for financing before you write the offer.
Do any DC buyer programs work at Georgetown prices?
Few do. An FHA loan needs 3.5% down, and the whole down payment can be a gift from family; for a condo, the building must be FHA-approved or pass FHA's single-unit review. The reduced first-time buyer recordation tax cap of $777,000 (tax year 2026) and the Tax Abatement cap of $576,000 are below nearly every Georgetown sale. DC Open Doors (through DCHFA's participating lenders) has no maximum sales price; its limits are borrower income of $275,400 and a first mortgage up to $1,249,125.
I've owned in Georgetown for decades. What are my options besides selling?
You can borrow against your equity and keep the house. A cash-out refinance replaces your mortgage with a larger one and pays you the difference. A home equity loan adds a second lien and leaves your existing first mortgage, and its rate, unchanged. Which one fits depends on your current rate and how much you need. We price both side by side.

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Local expertise

Financing a Georgetown home

Three things shape a Georgetown loan: the loan amount, historic district review, and, for owners, home equity.

Jumbo and high-balance loans

DC's 2026 conforming loan limit is $1,249,125. A loan at or below it is high-balance conventional; above it, the loan is a jumbo with its own down payment and reserve rules.

Old Georgetown Board review

Exterior work visible from the street goes through the Old Georgetown Board. On a renovation loan, we build that review time into the draw schedule.

Home equity for long-time owners

A cash-out refinance or home equity loan lets an owner borrow against the house without selling it.

Buy, refinance, or borrow against a Georgetown home

Send us the address and we will tell you which loan fits. Your assigned loan officer handles your file through closing.

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