Washington County, Illinois Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Washington County, IL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 85% of counties in Illinois
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 88% of counties in Illinois
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Washington County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,623 | 12,692,444 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 24.2 | 219.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.69% | -0.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.6 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,793 | 5,035,584 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Washington County declined by 7.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 13,623 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Washington County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.0% of residents. That is 1.6 points above Illinois as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,471 18.1% -3.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,624 19.3% -2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,996 22.0% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,832 20.8% +3.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Illinois, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.7% of the people living in Washington County and men 50.3%.
- Women 49.7% Illinois 50.6%
- Men 50.3% Illinois 49.4%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Washington County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Washington County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Washington County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,775 | $84,042 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.19% | 4.46% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Washington County is about 9% lower than in Illinois.
Housing
| Metric | Washington County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $39,129 | $149,936 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $817 | $1,274 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.1% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Washington County is about 4.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $817 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Washington County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 186 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Washington County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.3 | 23.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.7 | 47.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 186 | 197 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,772 | $6,104 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.4% | 15.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,321 | 7,977 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 894 | 1,547 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Illinois:
Edgar County (12.0 min), Brown County (12.7 min), Morgan County (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Calhoun County (43.8 min), Pulaski County (31.2 min), Pope County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Washington County is 22 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Illinois.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Washington County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Washington County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.5% | 34.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.31 | 2.46 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Illinois:
DuPage County (0.4), Champaign County (0.4), Lake County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hardin County (0.2), Fayette County (0.2), Perry County (0.2).
Health
Washington County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Washington County | Illinois Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.7 | 77.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.1% | 15.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.6% | 19.2% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Illinois:
DuPage County (0.8), Champaign County (0.8), Monroe County (0.8).
Lowest:
Alexander County (0.8), Pulaski County (0.8), Gallatin County (0.8).
Washington County, IL Compared With Nearby Counties
Washington County, IL is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 13,623 residents against a local median of 36,549. The measure that sets Washington County, IL apart most is median home price: $39,129, 43% below the local median of $69,053.
The counties themselves spread $175,469 on median home price, so Washington County, IL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Washington County, IL has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, IL | 13,623 | $76,775 #2/6 | $39,129 #6/6 | 22.3 min #6/6 |
| Clinton County, IL | 36,954 | $86,530 | $64,999 | 21.8 min |
| Perry County, IL | 20,638 | $63,094 | $69,053 | 20.6 min |
| Jefferson County, IL | 36,549 | $62,660 | $225,000 | 16.7 min |
| Randolph County, IL | 30,051 | $69,106 | $49,530 | 18.3 min |
| St. Clair County, IL | 253,661 | $73,876 | $121,433 | 21.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Washington County, Illinois.
How big is Washington County, Illinois by population?
About 13,623 people live in Washington County, Illinois, in 5,793 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Washington County, Illinois urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Washington County, Illinois has 24 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 28% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Washington County, Illinois an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.5 times the median household income ($39,129 against $76,775), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $817 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Washington County, Illinois have a college degree?
21.5% of adults in Washington County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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