DC would see a temporary boom followed by a bust once the Erie Canal is completed. DC, being built in a swamp, was not suited for immediate growth. Also the relatively narrow Potomac is a far inferior port compared to NY or even Philly. And there is always the problem of slavery. Immigrants preferred to enter the US by way of free ports because the jobs were in the North. It took time to build up enough wealth to gather supplies and purchase land. The opportunities to do so were far fewer in the slave states.
Perhaps due to the increase in immigrants, there is far more pressure to ban slavery in DC. This of course will open a whole different bag of worms.
Benjamin