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Living in Hillcrest

A hilltop Southeast DC neighborhood between Pennsylvania Avenue and Southern Avenue. Detached brick Colonials, Tudors and bungalows from the 1920s through the 1940s sit on wide lots, with Skyland Town Center for groceries and errands.
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Living in Hillcrest

An overview of Hillcrest’s hilltop streets, detached housing, parks, shopping and commuting options.
Hillcrest occupies high ground in Southeast Washington DC, east of the Anacostia River along the Maryland line. The civic association describes it as the area between Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Avenue, Naylor Road and 30th Street SE. The area on this page follows the DC tax office’s Hillcrest assessment neighborhood, which is somewhat wider: it also takes in Penn Branch and nearby blocks north of Pennsylvania Avenue and the Fairfax Village area near 38th Street. Detached houses on sizeable lots are the main product here. Brick Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival houses and Craftsman bungalows, most built from the 1920s through the 1940s, line curving streets such as Highview Terrace, Camden Street and 34th Street, many with driveways, garages and deep rear yards. Toward Southern Avenue the stock shifts to attached homes and garden buildings, which trade at much lower prices than the detached houses. These include the garden condominiums and townhouses of Fairfax Village and Naylor Gardens, a 1943 garden apartment complex run largely as a cooperative. Hillcrest Park, on the west side, holds the Hillcrest Recreation Center and a public tennis center. Skyland Town Center, at Marion Barry Avenue (formerly Good Hope Road), Naylor Road and Alabama Avenue, is the main shopping stop, anchored by a Lidl grocery store with banks, a pharmacy and quick-service restaurants, and more stores line Alabama Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. Fort Dupont Park and the Fort Circle trail corridor are just to the north. There is no Metrorail station inside the neighborhood. Naylor Road station on the Green Line is just across Southern Avenue in Maryland, and buses run on Pennsylvania Avenue, Alabama Avenue and Branch Avenue. Pennsylvania Avenue leads over the Sousa Bridge to Capitol Hill, and Branch Avenue and Suitland Parkway connect to the Beltway and Joint Base Andrews. I’m glad to walk you through how lot size, renovation level and the split between detached houses and attached homes shape values in Hillcrest.

Key Highlights:

  • Housing character — detached Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and bungalow houses from the 1920s to 1940s; attached homes and condominiums toward Southern Avenue
  • Green space — Hillcrest Park and recreation center; Fort Dupont Park just north
  • Daily essentials — Skyland Town Center, anchored by a Lidl grocery; shops on Alabama and Pennsylvania avenues
  • Transit — Naylor Road station on the Green Line just across Southern Avenue; buses on Pennsylvania, Alabama and Branch avenues
  • Schools — DC Public Schools; assignments vary by address, confirm with the DCPS boundary locator
  • Market character — 93 closed sales, overall median about $447,000; detached houses near $585,000
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Hillcrest Real Estate FAQs

Insight into the nuances of buying and selling in one of the country’s most complex urban markets.

Hillcrest is known for detached houses on sizeable lots. Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival houses and bungalows from the 1920s through the 1940s set its character.
It sits on high ground in Southeast DC between Pennsylvania Avenue, Southern Avenue and Naylor Road. This page uses the tax assessment neighborhood, which also includes Penn Branch and the Fairfax Village area.
There is no station inside the neighborhood. Naylor Road on the Green Line is just across Southern Avenue in Maryland, and buses on Pennsylvania Avenue run toward Capitol Hill and downtown.
About half of recent sales were detached houses, mostly brick Colonials, Tudors and bungalows. The rest were townhouse-style and semi-detached homes and garden condominiums, concentrated toward Southern Avenue, Fairfax Village and Naylor Gardens.
The overall median over the twelve months ending September 30, 2026 was about $447,000 across 93 sales. Detached houses had a median near $585,000 and reached $1,250,000, while condominiums had a median near $159,000.
The median was 29 days on market. Detached houses took a median of 30 days, and sellers overall received about 94 percent of the original list price.
Skyland Town Center at Marion Barry Avenue, Naylor Road and Alabama Avenue is anchored by a Lidl grocery, with banks and quick-service restaurants. More shops and services line Alabama Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue.
Hillcrest is served by DC Public Schools, and several attendance boundaries cross the area. Confirm the assigned schools for any address with the DCPS school boundary locator.

Location & Neighborhood

On the Southeast DC ridge between Pennsylvania Avenue and Southern Avenue, along the Maryland line.

The area on this page follows the DC tax office’s Hillcrest assessment neighborhood, which is wider than the civic association’s lines. Southern Avenue and the Maryland line form the southeast edge, Naylor Road the southwest edge, and the western side runs near 30th Street and Hillcrest Park. To the north the boundary crosses Pennsylvania Avenue to take in Penn Branch and adjoining blocks below Fort Dupont Park. Alabama Avenue and Branch Avenue carry through traffic and buses, Skyland Town Center sits at the western corner, and the interior streets such as Highview Terrace, Camden Street and 34th Street hold the detached houses.

Hilltop Streets, Three Main Avenues

Pennsylvania Avenue is the direct route west, crossing the Sousa Bridge to Capitol Hill and the Southeast Freeway. Branch Avenue and Suitland Parkway lead to the Beltway and Joint Base Andrews. Naylor Road station on the Green Line is just across Southern Avenue in Maryland, and buses on Pennsylvania, Alabama and Branch avenues connect to Metrorail stations on both sides of the river.

Skyland Town Center, where Marion Barry Avenue, Naylor Road and Alabama Avenue meet, covers most weekly errands with a Lidl grocery, banks, a pharmacy and quick-service restaurants. Smaller shopping strips sit along Alabama Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. Hillcrest Recreation Center in Hillcrest Park adds indoor and outdoor recreation, and Fort Dupont Park’s trails are a short drive north.

Neighboring Area:

  • Penn Branch — north, along Pennsylvania Avenue (partly inside this page’s boundary)
  • Fort Dupont Park — north, the park and its trails
  • Randle Heights — west, across Naylor Road
  • Fort Davis — east, toward Alabama Avenue and Southern Avenue
  • Hillcrest Heights, Maryland — southeast, across Southern Avenue

A Day In The Life - Snapshot

The quick details buyers ask about most.

Metro Access
No Metrorail station inside Hillcrest. Naylor Road station on the Green Line is just across Southern Avenue in Maryland; buses on Pennsylvania and Alabama avenues link to other stations.
Walkability
Sidewalks and low traffic make the interior streets pleasant to walk, but hills and distance mean most errands to Skyland Town Center or Pennsylvania Avenue are made by car or bus.
Typical Home Types
Detached brick Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival houses and bungalows from the 1920s through the 1940s, with townhouse-style homes, semi-detached houses and garden condominiums near Southern Avenue and Fairfax Village.
Parking
Most detached houses have driveways, and many have garages. Street parking is generally easy on interior blocks; attached homes and condominiums rely more on street or shared lot parking.
Vibe
Curving, tree-lined hilltop streets with houses set back on lawns, little through traffic away from the avenues, and long views toward downtown from the western slopes.
Best For
Buyers who want a detached house with a yard and driveway inside the District, and who accept driving or taking a bus to reach Metrorail and most shopping.

Hillcrest Market Snapshot

A high-level look at current pricing, demand, and sales activity in the Hillcrest real estate market.
$447,000

Median Sales Price

$248

Median Price Per Sq Ft

29

Median Days On Market

93

Annual Closed Sales

-5.9%

YoY Median Price Change

Hillcrest is primarily a detached-house market, with townhouse-style and semi-detached homes and a garden condominium segment concentrated toward Southern Avenue and Fairfax Village. The snapshot covers every closed sale inside the neighborhood boundary over the trailing twelve months through September 2026 — 47 detached houses, 31 rowhouses and semi-detached homes, and 15 condominiums. Price per square foot uses interior living area.

Across all home types the median sale was $447,000 at about $248 per square foot, with a median of 29 days on market and sales averaging 94% of original list price. The median fell about 6% from the prior twelve months. Within segments, the detached median fell about 8% to $585,000 and the rowhouse median fell about 3% to $250,000.

Market data reflects recent 12-month activity. Individual buildings may vary.

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Recently Sold

Recently Sold in Hillcrest

Closed sales from the past 12 months — the comps that set today’s pricing.

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In-Depth Market Analysis

Hillcrest Market Insights

How pricing trends, absorption rates, and inventory levels are shaping buying and selling

Inventory & Absorption

There were 93 closed sales in the twelve months ending September 30, 2026, nearly level with 91 in the prior period. Detached houses accounted for 47, townhouse-style and semi-detached homes for 31 and condominiums for 15. The median time on market was 29 days, close to last year’s 31. Attached-home volume rose from 18 to 31 sales while condominium sales fell from 24 to 15, so the mix shifted within a steady total.

Pricing Dynamics

The overall median was about $447,000, roughly 6 percent below the prior period’s $475,000, with a median price per square foot of $248. Part of that movement reflects mix, since more lower-priced attached homes sold this year. Detached houses had a median near $585,000, compared with $635,000 a year earlier. Sellers typically received about 94 percent of the original list price, and 29 of 93 sales closed at or above it.

Buyer Profile

Detached houses remain the core of demand: 47 sold at a median near $585,000 in a median of 30 days, and 16 closed at or above the original list price. Attached homes sold quickly, with a median of 17 days at a median price near $250,000. Condominiums were slower, with a median of 54 days and a median price near $159,000, and closed at about 90 percent of the original list price.

Strategic Outlook

Detached houses that are renovated and priced in line with recent closings should continue to find buyers within about a month, though the lower detached median this year suggests less room for ambitious list prices. The attached and condominium segments near Southern Avenue behave as a separate, lower-priced market and should be compared only with each other. Direction over the next year will depend heavily on mortgage rates and listing volume.

Market Position Overview:

Inventory Level: Balanced with selective competition

Negotiation Environment: Moderate flexibility

Typical Days on Market: 25-45 (well-priced units)

Rental Demand: Consistent due to transit proximity

Long- Term Outlook: Stable, walkability-driven value

Hillcrest Housing & Architecture

Detached Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and bungalow houses on wide hilltop lots, with attached homes and garden condominiums toward the Maryland line.
Colonial Revival Houses
Two-story brick Colonial Revival houses from the 1930s and 1940s are a common detached type, typically with a center or side hall, a driveway and a rear yard. The 1940s account for the largest share of recent sales by year built.
Tudor Revival and Bungalows
Tudor Revival houses with steep gables and Craftsman bungalows from the 1920s and 1930s add variety on the older streets. Most houses near Highview Terrace and 34th Street were built in late 1937 and early 1938, first marketed as Fairfield.
Larger Lots and Top Sales
Many detached houses sit on sizeable lots, and the top of the market reflects that. Detached sales reached $1,250,000 in the past twelve months, against a detached median near $585,000 across 47 closings.
Townhouse-Style and Semi-Detached Homes
Attached homes cluster toward Southern Avenue and around Fairfax Village near 38th Street. Thirty-one sold in the past twelve months at a median near $250,000, a much lower price point than the detached streets, in a median of 17 days.
Garden Condominiums and Co-ops
Low-rise garden buildings are the lowest-priced ownership option, including Naylor Gardens, a 750-unit complex built in 1943 and now largely a cooperative. Fifteen condominium sales had a median near $159,000; review fees, reserves and financing for any building.
Penn Branch Blocks
The boundary used here extends north of Pennsylvania Avenue into Penn Branch, between Pope Branch Park and Fort Davis Park. Its hilly streets hold detached Craftsman, Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival houses below Fort Dupont Park.

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