Washington County, Maryland Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Washington County, MD 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 averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Maryland
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 78% of counties in Maryland
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 78% of counties in Maryland
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Washington County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 155,706 | 6,204,886 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 332.9 | 500.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.50% | 0.51% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.9 | 38.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 59,817 | 2,362,551 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Washington County grew by 8.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 155,706 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Washington County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.6% of residents. That is 0.5 points above Maryland as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 30,941 19.9% -0.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 32,981 21.2% -1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 33,624 21.6% +0.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 27,067 17.4% +0.9 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 Maryland, 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 49.4% of the people living in Washington County and men 50.6%.
- Women 49.4% Maryland 51.5%
- Men 50.6% Maryland 48.5%
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 | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,373 | $103,916 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.17% | 3.98% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Washington County is about 25% lower than in Maryland.
Housing
| Metric | Washington County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $148,959 | $267,101 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,146 | $1,704 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.8% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Washington County is about 10.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,146 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Washington County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 180 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Washington County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.6 | 28.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.3 | 56.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 180 | 236 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,593 | $7,301 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.4% | 19.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,257 | 16,437 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,432 | 2,353 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Maryland:
Talbot County (17.8 min), Allegany County (17.8 min), Wicomico County (18.1 min).
Slowest:
Charles County (40.0 min), Calvert County (33.6 min), Prince George's County (32.5 min).
The average commute time in Washington County is 22 minutes, shorter than the 28 minutes in Maryland.
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 | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.4% | 39.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.48 | 2.57 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Maryland:
Howard County (0.5), Montgomery County (0.5), Talbot County (0.4).
Lowest:
Somerset County (0.2), Caroline County (0.2), Allegany County (0.2).
Health
Washington County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Washington County | Maryland Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.1 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.9% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.9% | 15.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Maryland:
Montgomery County (0.8), Howard County (0.8), Frederick County (0.8).
Lowest:
Baltimore city (0.8), Somerset County (0.8), Dorchester County (0.8).
Washington County, MD Compared With Nearby Counties
Washington County, MD is typical in size for this group, 155,706 residents against a local median of 143,447, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Washington County, MD's median home price, at $148,959, runs 52% below the $310,810 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $337,411 on median home price, so Washington County, MD sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Washington County, MD has the 4th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, MD | 155,706 | $78,373 #4/5 | $148,959 #4/5 | 21.6 min #2/5 |
| Berkeley County, WV | 129,514 | $81,771 | $267,272 | 23.6 min |
| Jefferson County, WV | 59,260 | $98,855 | $354,347 | 32.1 min |
| Franklin County, PA | 157,379 | $77,330 | $92,300 | 21.1 min |
| Frederick County, MD | 287,011 | $122,719 | $429,711 | 27.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Washington County, Maryland.
How big is Washington County, Maryland by population?
About 155,706 people live in Washington County, Maryland, in 59,817 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Washington County, Maryland?
Averaged over its land area, Washington County, Maryland has 333 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 3.9 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Washington County, Maryland?
The median home costs 1.9 times the median household income ($148,959 against $78,373), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,146 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Washington County, Maryland have a college degree?
21.4% of adults in Washington County, Maryland hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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