Washington County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Washington County, KY 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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C
Health Below averageHealthier than 71% of counties in Kentucky
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 87% of counties in Kentucky
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 74% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Washington County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,140 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 40.3 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.13% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.9 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,852 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Washington County grew by 6.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 12,140 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Washington County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.2% of residents. That is 2.1 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,434 20.0% -1.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,237 18.4% -2.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,700 22.2% +2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,176 17.9% +0.1 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 Kentucky, 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 50.3% of the people living in Washington County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.7% Kentucky 49.5%
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 C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Washington County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,907 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.80% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Washington County is about 4% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Washington County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $19,124 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $743 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.6% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Washington County is about 2.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $743 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Washington County spend about 38 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 158 hours, about 6.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Washington County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 19.0 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.9 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 158 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,899 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.8% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,148 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 655 | 832 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kentucky:
Calloway County (13.9 min), Owsley County (15.0 min), Taylor County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Owen County (37.7 min), Spencer County (33.3 min), Bracken County (33.2 min).
The average commute time in Washington County is 19 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Kentucky.
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 | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.7% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kentucky:
Fayette County (0.4), Oldham County (0.4), Campbell County (0.3).
Lowest:
Leslie County (0.1), Lee County (0.1), Elliott County (0.1).
Health
Washington County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Washington County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.8 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.9% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.9% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kentucky:
Oldham County (0.8), Boone County (0.8), Scott County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.7), Bell County (0.7), McCreary County (0.7).
Washington County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
Washington County, KY is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 12,140 residents against a local median of 23,690. The measure that sets Washington County, KY apart most is median home price: $19,124, 92% below the local median of $233,978.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 19.0 min against a local median of 25.6 min, 26% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 26% below the local median it puts Washington County, KY at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $402,434 on median home price, so Washington County, KY sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Washington County, KY has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, KY | 12,140 | $61,907 #5/5 | $19,124 #5/5 | 19.0 min #1/5 |
| Nelson County, KY | 47,606 | $69,485 | $277,840 | 22.2 min |
| Mercer County, KY | 23,027 | $66,328 | $190,116 | 21.5 min |
| Anderson County, KY | 24,353 | $74,458 | $41,316 | 29.0 min |
| Spencer County, KY | 20,193 | $100,880 | $443,750 | 33.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Washington County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Washington County, Kentucky?
About 12,140 people live in Washington County, Kentucky, in 4,852 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Washington County, Kentucky urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Washington County, Kentucky has 40 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 47% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Washington County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 0.3 times the median household income ($19,124 against $61,907), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $743 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Washington County, Kentucky?
Unemployment in Washington County, Kentucky is only 3.4%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Washington County, Kentucky have a college degree?
18.7% of adults in Washington County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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