Most Americans don't want to live in our nation's capital

Runaway crime, soaring taxes and incompetent governance describe the worst aspects of life in the nation’s capital, according to a recent survey. It’s why much of the public sees the District as the least desirable place to live in the country.

Rather than come up with its own scoring methodology for the rankings, the real estate firm Clever surveyed 1,000 Americans to ask which factors were most important to them. Topping the list were low crime, low cost of living, low taxes and good weather.

Washington has a lot going for it, including beautiful monuments, abundant things to do and weather that’s not so bad. Summers here are downright pleasant compared with the scorching heat you’d experience in, say, Dallas.

It’s also largely free from the natural disasters like earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes and tornadoes that plague other regions. Disasters here are entirely human-made, stemming from local government policies that drive crime and raise costs and taxes to record highs.

The Tax Foundation ranks Washington’s business tax climate as the worst in the nation, tied with California's. Naturally, that drives up the cost of goods and the cost of living. As for personal income tax, only California and New York have a higher top marginal rate than the District.

Washington’s murder rate is also excessive, with 274 homicides in 2023, placing it among the four deadliest major cities in the United States. Since this violent crime leaves a body behind, it’s one of the few reliable crime statistics left. Shoplifting tends to go unreported, thanks to the city’s revolving-door crime policy that encourages repeat offenders to continue plundering stores without consequence.

That’s why some brands are fleeing. Lululemon last month announced it was closing its 14th Street NW location. Whatever pharmacies remain have to lock up tubes of toothpaste as if they were highly valuable.

It’s so bad that federal employees no longer bother showing up to work. The Government Accountability Office last year reported agency headquarters are largely vacant, with most averaging about 25% of employees reporting for duty.

Those who do drive to the office face the wrath of the City Council, which installs bicycle lanes used by a handful of wealthy White liberals. The speed camera program will soon have 477 robotic highwaymen raiding commuters’ wallets to the tune of 1.4 million tickets a year. A single location, the Potomac River Freeway speed trap, generated a whopping $5.9 million in the first half of the year.

The largely Black residents of Wards 7 and 8 have incurred the greatest burden from the City Council’s predatory scheme. Remember that the next time the mayor prattles about “equity.” The rest of the burden falls on Maryland and Virginia commuters, who are free to throw the tickets away.

Democrats are the biggest fan of this state of affairs because, should they prevail in November, they will make the District of Columbia a state. Creating a pair of Senate seats in a jurisdiction that votes 92% for Democrats sets the party up for long-term control of Congress.

But one-party Democratic rule is what has made the District, in most Americans’ view, an undesirable place to be. Giving the same party full control of the White House, Senate and House would make the rest of the country start to look like the worst aspects of the District.

Vote accordingly.