District of Columbia City Foot Traffic

The average monthly foot traffic for District of Columbia in the last 12 months was 3,067, this is a 2.5% increase from the previous 12 months. Though foot traffic in District of Columbia is increasing overall, zip code 20002 has seen a steady decrease. Ivy City, Spring Valley and Mt Vernon Square neighborhoods experienced the highest total foot traffic for District of Columbia. These 3 neighborhoods constitute over 31% of the total foot traffic experienced from 06/01-2020-05/31/022. Conversely, the Southwest, Woodland, and Downtown neighborhoods experienced the lowest total foot traffic for the same period of time.

Methodology – District of Columbia foot traffic data was pulled from the Foot Traffic Trend Value module on a monthly basis. The metric Person Count was averaged by zip code by month and simple linear regression was applied to generate trend lines for Foot Traffic. When visualizing the data, the total foot traffic by zip code was plotted on a map and colored by total foot traffic. To analyze specific points of interest, data is aggregated at the Census Block Group geographic level. Additionally, Census Track level data can be used to investigate the surrounding area to any point(s) of interest.

District of Columbia saw the highest average monthly foot traffic (3,347) January 2021 through May 2021 with November 2020 having the lowest average foot traffic of 2,442 average visitors. May 2021 had the highest total foot traffic (3,888) for the total time frame analyzed (06/01-2020-05/31/022). When considering only the past 12 months, the foot traffic pattern holds displaying similar seasonality. Further analysis would provide insights into this change in visitor behavior.

Methodology - The metric Person Count was summed by zip code by month to generate Foot Traffic. To analyze change in foot traffic by quarter, Person Count was summed by zip code by quarter and the percent change was calculated between quarters.

Utilizing the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes available in the foot traffic trend value module, consumers can gain valuable insights on 75 unique industry sectors found in District of Columbia. The top industries include: Fast Food Restaurants, Supermarkets, Pharmacies, Hotels, and General Merchandise. While the industry specific foot traffic patterns generally mirror the overall foot traffic pattern of District of Columbia, there is a notable difference in the general merchandise industry. While the foot traffic trend in District of Columbia is increasing, the general merchandise industry is experiencing an decrease in average monthly foot traffic. Additionally, there was a larger than expected decrease in foot traffic in the general merchandise industry in February 2022. Deeper analysis of foot traffic data for specific brands in the general merchandise industry could illuminate potential causes for this downturn.

Methodology – The NAICS codes were grouped to create broader Industry level classifications. The Person Count metric was then averaged by industry by month to calculate foot traffic. The data was then visualized for individual industries.

Foot Traffic data is available for 530 unique brands in District of Columbia allowing consumers to create detailed brand analysis as well as head-to-head comparisons between two or more brands. The most highly trafficked brands in District of Columbia include: Safeway, CVS, Giant Food, McDonald’s, and Starbucks.Taking a deeper dive into the foot traffic data available for the 56 Starbucks locations in District of Columbia, we find that 59% or 33 locations are experiencing an increase in foot traffic. For the time period 06/01-2020-05/31/022, North Michigan Park has the highest average foot traffic pattern with 23,042 visits per month. The Spring Valley area had the highest total foot traffic for District of Columbia Starbucks locations with 824,096 visits. This can be explained by the zip code 20016 being home to 7 Starbucks locations in total. While the total foot traffic at the 620 Michigan Ave NE location is increasing, it is the most visited Starbucks boasting approximately 12.92% of all Starbucks foot traffic in District of Columbia. Conversely, the 775 12th St. NW location accounts for only 0.04% of the total District of Columbia Starbucks foot traffic.

Methodology – The District of Columbia data was filtered to only consider the brand Starbucks. The metric Person Count was summed by zip code by month to calculate Foot Traffic. To analyze change in Foot Traffic by quarter, Person Count was summed by zip code by quarter and the percent change was calculated between quarters. For location level data, Person Count was summed by Street Address. Foot Traffic Percentage was calculated by taking the sum of foot traffic for street address and dividing the resulting value by the total Foot Traffic for District of Columbia in the selected date range.