District of Columbia has a freedom score of 52.5/100 across 10 categories covering constitutional rights, economic freedom, and personal liberties. As a federal district, District of Columbia is tracked separately from the 50-state numeric ranking because its constitutional status under Article I § 8 and the DC Home Rule Act makes direct comparison with states misleading. The score is calculated using the FreedomRankings Hybrid multi-source index (Fraser Institute, EdChoice, Institute for Justice, Vera Institute, NORML, Mercatus RegData, Guns & Ammo).

District of Columbia scores highest in Drug Policy (8/10), Education Choice (8/10), and 1st Amendment (7.5/10). These are the categories where District of Columbia is most protective of individual liberty relative to other US jurisdictions.

District of Columbia scores lowest in 2nd Amendment (2/10), Regulatory Burden (3/10), and Economic Freedom (3/10). These are the categories where District of Columbia is most restrictive relative to other US jurisdictions.

District of Columbia scores 2/10 on Second Amendment / gun rights, which places it significantly restrictive on firearms. This score reflects carry laws, permit requirements, magazine and assault-weapon restrictions, red flag laws, and castle doctrine / stand-your-ground protections.

District of Columbia scores 3/10 on economic freedom, placing it among the most restrictive states for economic freedom. The score reflects state income-tax rates, sales and property taxes, business tax climate, right-to-work status, and the overall regulatory burden on economic activity.

District of Columbia scores 8/10 on drug policy, which makes it among the most permissive drug-policy regimes in the country. The score incorporates recreational and medical marijuana legality, decriminalization of possession, harm-reduction programs, and sentencing for drug offenses.

District of Columbia scores 8/10 on education choice, placing it among the top states for education freedom. The score reflects voucher programs, education savings accounts, charter-school access, homeschool regulations, and tax-credit scholarships.

Each of District of Columbia's 10 category scores (0–10) is a weighted average, then multiplied by 10 to produce the overall 0–100 freedom score. Categories are weighted equally by default, but visitors can adjust the weights on the rankings page to produce a personalised ranking. The default source is the FreedomRankings Hybrid multi-source index; the Cato Institute 2023 edition and an editorial assessment are also available as toggles. See the methodology page for per-category source attribution.