Washington, D.C., as the 51st State? What to Know Apr 23 2021, 1:07 AM April 22 2021, 9:30 AM April 23 2021, 1:07 AM (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. capital is home to more than 700,000 people -- bigger than the population of Wyoming or Vermont. It pays more federal taxes per capita than any state. But Washington, D.C., isnât a state, which means (among other things) that it doesnât have a vote in Congress. A decades-long movement to make D.C. the 51st state may have its best chance now, with Democrats in charge on Capitol Hill and the White House. Though ... (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. capital is home to more than 700,000 people -- bigger than the population of Wyoming or Vermont. It pays more federal taxes per capita than any state. But Washington, D.C., isnât a state, which means (among other things) that it doesnât have a vote in Congress. A decades-long movement to make D.C. the 51st state may have its best chance now, with Democrats in charge on Capitol Hill and the White House. Though the House approved statehood legislation on a party-line vote on April 22, Republican opposition to creating what would be a reliably Democratic new state means it probably will remain just an idea.