District of Columbia Small Business Sales Statistics

Updated October 13, 2026

Small businesses sold in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area for a median of $299,750 in 2025, at an average of 2.45 times cash flow, after a median of 197 days on the market. The figures cover 177 sales reported to the BizBuySell marketplace.

$299,750Median sale price, Washington area, 2025
2.45xAverage cash flow multiple, 2025
197Median days on market, 2025
177Reported closed sales, Washington area, 2025

Washington: closed sales in full-year 2025

Every column uses the same period and the same source, so the columns can be compared directly.

MetricWashington
Closed sales reported177
Median sale price$299,750
Median asking price$320,000
Sale price as share of asking (average)0.92
Median revenue$771,117
Revenue multiple (average)0.58
Median cash flow$150,000
Cash flow multiple (average)2.45
Median days on market197

Source: BizBuySell Insight Report data tables.

Businesses for sale, Q2 2026

These are asking figures for businesses currently listed, not sale results. Do not mix them with the closed-sale table above.

MetricWashington
Listings652
Median asking price$375,000
Median revenue$801,073
Median cash flow$180,000
Average asking price to cash flow2.91

Source: BizBuySell Insight Report data tables.

United States, Q2 2026

National figures for a different period from the tables above. Do not set a figure from the tables above against a US Q2 2026 figure as if they covered the same period.

MetricUnited States, Q2 2026Change noted by the source
Closed sales2,117Down 10% from the prior quarter and from a year earlier
Median sale price$349,250Down 1% year over year
Median revenue$692,087Down 3% year over year
Median cash flow$155,921Down 3% year over year
Average cash flow multiple2.7Up 2% year over year
Median days on marketNot published nationallyService businesses: 155 days

Source: BizBuySell Insight Report, Q2 2026.

District of Columbia small business context

District of Columbia had 82,666 small businesses in 2022, which is 98.2% of all businesses in the state.

MeasureFigureData year
Small businesses82,666 (98.2% of all businesses)2022
Small businesses without employees65,1302022
Employers with 1 to 19 employees13,8062022
Employers with 20 to 499 employees3,7302022
Small business employees259,181 (49.1% of state employees)2022
Establishments opened, all businesses6,348March 2023 to March 2024
Establishments closed, all businesses5,177March 2023 to March 2024
Openings by small businesses5,817March 2023 to March 2024
Closings by small businesses4,724March 2023 to March 2024
Net job change, all businesses+1,075March 2023 to March 2024
Net job change, small businesses+2,678March 2023 to March 2024
Female-owned businesses36,047 (50.0%)2022
Veteran-owned businesses2,430 (3.5%)2022

Source: SBA Office of Advocacy, District of Columbia 2025 Small Business Profile. Business counts and owner demographics are Census data. Opening, closing, and job figures are Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Small businesses are firms with fewer than 500 employees.

About this data and its limits

  • All sale price, multiple, and days-on-market figures come from one provider, the BizBuySell marketplace. Sales made by brokers who do not report there, and private sales, are not included.
  • BizBuySell publishes metro-area figures, not statewide totals: for District of Columbia it lists Washington-Arlington-Alexandria. Metro areas that cross state lines include figures for parts of other states.
  • The tables use different periods: sales are full-year 2025, listings are Q2 2026, SBA business counts are 2022, and SBA job and openings figures run March 2023 to March 2024. Each period is labeled where it appears.
  • Reported sales are a subset of all business sales in the state. Do not divide business counts by the number of reported sales.

To see what drives these numbers for your own business, read our valuation guides or browse industries.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median sale price of a small business in the Washington area?

In full-year 2025, the median sale price of a small business reported in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area was $299,750, based on 177 reported sales, according to the BizBuySell Insight Report data tables.

How long does it take to sell a small business in the Washington area?

The median days on market for reported Washington-area sales in full-year 2025 was 197.

How does the sale price of a small business in the Washington area compare with its cash flow?

Reported Washington-area sales in full-year 2025 averaged 2.45 times cash flow. Active listings in Q2 2026 were asking an average of 2.91 times cash flow. What any one business is worth depends on its own financials.

How many small businesses are there in District of Columbia?

The SBA Office of Advocacy counted 82,666 small businesses in District of Columbia in 2022, which is 98.2% of all businesses in the state. Of these, 17,536 had employees.

Sources

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This page is informational. It is not an appraisal, an offer, or a prediction of what any business will sell for. Figures come from the sources listed and may change when those sources are updated.

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