Car ownership does not equal car dependent. It is a proxy, but there is nuance.

For instance, DC has a much higher median income than NYC. More people can easily afford cars that they do not use.

Of course, if you compare Manhattan to all of DC, Manhattan is more transit friendly and less car dependent. However, if you compare all of NYC to DC, it is very comparable or DC even wins.cthere are giant portions of Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and especially Staten island that are fully car dependent. In DC it is just the very rich parts of NW and the low income areas EOTR that are car dependent.