State by plan year
District of Columbia retirement plan filings, 2020
Plan years beginning in 2020, as filed with the Department of Labor.
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances.
For plan years beginning in 2020, 873 pension plans based in District of Columbia filed the full Form 5500, 629 of them with 100 or more participants (552 defined contribution, 77 defined benefit).
Those filings reported 2,146,809 participant records and $129.5B in net assets, 1.2% of the national total. Employers contributed $3.84B, participants $2.02B, and $8.90B was paid in benefits.
13 filings were marked as a plan's first return and 16 as its final return. A further 3,985 small plans filed the short Form 5500-SF, with 96,738 participants and $9.30B in net assets.
Against 2019: large plans up 1%, participant records down 1%, net assets up 11%.
District of Columbia and the United States, 2020
| Measure | District of Columbia | United States | District of Columbia share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pension plans on Form 5500 | 873 | 147,203 | 0.6% |
| Plans with 100+ participants | 629 | 81,107 | 0.8% |
| Participant records | 2,146,809 | 129,893,383 | 1.7% |
| Net assets | $129.5B | $10.71T | 1.2% |
| Employer contributions | $3.84B | $258.6B | 1.5% |
| Participant contributions | $2.02B | $284.6B | 0.7% |
| Benefits paid | $8.90B | $858.4B | 1.0% |
| First returns | 13 | 4,555 | 0.3% |
| Final returns | 16 | 5,609 | 0.3% |
| Small plans on Form 5500-SF | 3,985 | 602,576 | 0.7% |
Median plan, 2020
| Plans with 100+ participants | DC: DC | US: DC | DC: DB | US: DB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $72,878 | $40,411 | $156,898 | $82,896 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | $3,599 | $1,407 | $21,682 | $9,607 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $94.50 | $92.15 | $393 | $285 |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $79.17 | $80.12 | $593 | $472 |
Change from 2019
| Measure | 2019 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans with 100+ participants | 621 | 629 | up 1% |
| Participant records | 2,167,047 | 2,146,809 | down 1% |
| Net assets | $116.2B | $129.5B | up 11% |
| Employer contributions | $4.34B | $3.84B | down 12% |
| Median DC assets per participant | $63,667 | $72,878 | up 14% |
All District of Columbia plans, providers and the largest plans
Questions and answers
How many retirement plans filed in District of Columbia for 2020?
873 pension plans on the full Form 5500 (629 with 100 or more participants) and 3,985 small plans on Form 5500-SF.
How many new and terminated plans were there?
13 full-form filings were marked as a first return and 16 as a final return. A final return is filed when a plan terminates or merges into another plan.
What was the median plan like?
The median defined contribution plan with 100 or more participants held $72,878 per participant, and the median employer contribution was $3,599 per active participant.
Why is the state the sponsor's state?
Form 5500 records the plan sponsor's address, not where participants live. A national employer's plan is counted once, in the state of its headquarters filing address.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 and Form 5500-SF research files for 2020, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. First and final returns are the filer's own check-boxes on the form. See the methodology.