For dual-career couples moving to Washington, D.C., the decision of where to live is increasingly driven by two jobs and two commutes rather than a single workplace, according to Daryl Judy, an Associate Broker with Washington Fine Properties. Because the region spans the District, Maryland, and Northern Virginia, buyers have more flexibility than in most markets to match one address to two careers and a shared lifestyle.
Judy, who helps buyers across D.C., Northern Virginia, and Montgomery County, said the region’s economy is deeper than its federal anchor. Lobbying, law, biotech, and technology are major employers in their own right, and that breadth matters when employers recruit. “I want my employee to come. I need a place for my spouse, my partner to also be employed,” Judy said, describing the dual-career challenge employers face. The region’s range of industries makes it easier to meet that need.
That dynamic is shaping where households choose to live. Judy describes parts of Northwest D.C., including AU Park, as functioning like a hub and spoke: one partner might commute to Bethesda while the other heads downtown or across the river to Virginia, all from the same address. These neighborhoods offer detached houses with yards, driveways, and garages while staying close to offices, ballgames, and concerts. “We call them city burbs,” Judy said, “because it’s in the city, but it feels like a suburb.”
The implications extend beyond individual buyers. When Amazon chose Arlington for its second headquarters, it did not move its entire workforce east, and Judy said large employers look closely at the talent already living in a region before committing. A region that can support the whole household, not just one worker, is better positioned to attract and retain employers. Buyers who find the right community often look for people who share their interests and way of life, which Judy calls PLU, for “people like us.” The size and variety of the region mean most interests already have a home somewhere within it. “It doesn’t make a difference whether knitting is your thing or mahjong or Mandarin classes,” he said. “All those things exist here.”
Lifestyle also keeps buyers in the region long after the job that brought them. Judy points to a city laid out by Pierre L’Enfant, a skyline without skyscrapers, extensive parkland, three airports, a working metro system, a strong food scene, and professional sports, with both the beach and the mountains within easy reach. “This is a great job,” he said, “and you get to live here.”
For buyers weighing D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia, Judy said the key considerations are where each adult works, how far each is willing to commute, and which community best fits the way they want to live. Each jurisdiction has its own character, and having three to choose from gives a household more ways to align one address with two careers. As employers continue to weigh where talent wants to live, that flexibility remains the region’s strongest draw.
