Dc is probably the least big city of all the big cities in America. It’s very spead out and a lot of the population commutes, meaning outside of “rush hour”, you’ll notice significant drops in people around you, depending on where you live. The neighborhoods here are very different then one another, so it’s worth doing research into what you are looking for in a location. Grocery store? Metro stop? General city advice I’d give is when your out and about, just mind your business and you won’t really have any problems with ppl on the street. I’ll sometimes have some cash on me for unhoused folk though since your bound to be approached