Miami ($78/sqft, 11.8% vacancy) and Washington DC ($58/sqft, 19.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Miami on rent and tax and Washington DC on talent depth.
Miami ($78/sqft, 11.8% vacancy) and Washington DC ($58/sqft, 19.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Miami on rent and tax and Washington DC on talent depth.
| Metric | Miami | Washington DC |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Americas | Americas |
| Country | United States | United States |
| Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $78 | $58 |
| Class A rent (local) | 78 USD | 58 USD |
| Vacancy | 11.8% | 19.4% |
| Trend | rising | flat |
| Prime yield | 5.4% | 6.3% |
| Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $920 | $880 |
| Submarkets covered | 5 | 6 |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 27.1% |
| Metric | Miami | Washington DC |
|---|---|---|
| Typical term | 7 yrs | 10 yrs |
| Typical rent-free | 9 mos | 14 mos |
| Lease norms | Modified-gross structures dominate; 7-10 year terms are common. Free rent of 6-12 months and TI of $80-$140/sqft typical on a 10-year deal. Personal guarantees common for sub-investment-grade tenants. | Modified-gross structures with operating-expense pass-throughs over a base year. Federal GSA leases are typically full-service with cap on operating-expense growth. Free rent of 14-18 months and TI allowances of $130-$150/sqft are typical on 10-year private-sector deals. |
| Tax note | 21% federal corporate income tax; no Florida state corporate income tax for most pass-through structures. Florida assesses a 5.5% corporate income tax on C-corps. No personal income tax. | Federal corporate income tax of 21% plus DC franchise tax of 8.25% drives a combined effective rate of about 27%. Class A office tenants are also subject to DC personal property tax on FF&E. |
| Metric | Miami | Washington DC |
|---|---|---|
| Talent index (0–100) | 78 | 92 |
| Talent note | Strong bilingual (Spanish-English) finance and legal talent. Deep Latin American banking, asset management, and family-office concentrations. Tech talent is shallower than NY/SF but growing rapidly. | Deepest federal-services and policy talent pool in the world. Strong legal, lobbying, defense, and consulting concentrations. Tech talent has grown rapidly post-2020 driven by AWS, Amazon HQ2, and federal cloud contracts. |
Miami: Metromover (free downtown), Metrorail to Brickell and Government Center, Brightline regional rail, MIA Mover from Miami International Airport. Brickell and Downtown are walkable; Wynwood and Coral Gables remain car-dependent.
Washington DC: WMATA Metro (six lines) plus VRE and MARC commuter rail. Union Station anchors regional rail. Trophy office clusters all sit within a 5-minute walk of a Metro station.
Washington DC is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis.
Washington DC has the deeper talent index (92/100 vs 78/100).
Miami has the lower headline corporate tax (21% vs 27.1%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially.
Miami typical term is 7 years with 9 months free; Washington DC runs 10 years with 14 months free.
Miami: Metromover (free downtown), Metrorail to Brickell and Government Center, Brightline regional rail, MIA Mover from Miami International Airport. Brickell and Downtown are walkable; Wynwood and Coral Gables remain car-dependent. Washington DC: WMATA Metro (six lines) plus VRE and MARC commuter rail. Union Station anchors regional rail. Trophy office clusters all sit within a 5-minute walk of a Metro station.
Score Miami, Washington DC and up to two more markets side-by-side on Class A rent, vacancy, talent, corporate tax, and premium flex pricing — all in USD.
Reviewed by Miriam Hollander — Lead market analyst. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our methodology and editorial standards.