Washington County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Washington County, MN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
A
Health Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in Minnesota
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A
Income Above averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in Minnesota
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A
Education Above averageAmong the top 5 best educated counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Washington County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 276,224 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 653.1 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.31% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.6 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 105,570 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Washington County grew by 22.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 276,224 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Washington County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.8% of residents. That is 2.1 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 55,442 20.1% -1.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 59,700 21.6% -0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 60,341 21.8% +2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 43,056 15.6% -1.0 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 Minnesota, 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 50.1% of the people living in Washington County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 49.9% Minnesota 50.0%
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 A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Washington County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $115,522 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.68% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Washington County is about 29% higher than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Washington County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $209,293 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,710 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.3% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Washington County is about 10.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,710 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 189 hours, about 7.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Washington County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.6 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.3 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 189 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,848 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 23.6% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,734 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,477 | 854 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Minnesota:
Brown County (10.6 min), Pennington County (10.8 min), Cottonwood County (10.9 min).
Slowest:
Chisago County (30.9 min), Wright County (28.8 min), Sherburne County (28.8 min).
The average commute time in Washington County is 23 minutes, longer than the 20 minutes in Minnesota.
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 A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Washington County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.7% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.58 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Minnesota:
Hennepin County (0.4), Olmsted County (0.4), Carver County (0.4).
Lowest:
Nobles County (0.2), Mahnomen County (0.2), Watonwan County (0.2).
Health
Washington County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Washington County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.8 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.0% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.4% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Minnesota:
Carver County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Stevens County (0.8).
Lowest:
Mahnomen County (0.8), Clearwater County (0.8), Beltrami County (0.8).
Washington County, MN Compared With Nearby Counties
Washington County, MN is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 276,224 residents against a local median of 370,272. The measure that sets Washington County, MN apart most is median home price: $209,293, 35% below the local median of $320,984.
The counties themselves spread $177,847 on median home price, so Washington County, MN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Washington County, MN has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, MN | 276,224 | $115,522 #1/6 | $209,293 #6/6 | 22.6 min #3/6 |
| Ramsey County, MN | 542,690 | $82,398 | $320,984 | 20.4 min |
| Dakota County, MN | 445,396 | $106,144 | $412,524 | 22.0 min |
| St. Croix County, WI | 96,041 | $103,525 | $234,911 | 25.3 min |
| Anoka County, MN | 370,272 | $101,615 | $324,200 | 23.6 min |
| Chisago County, MN | 57,989 | $99,358 | $234,677 | 30.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Washington County, Minnesota.
How big is Washington County, Minnesota by population?
About 276,224 people live in Washington County, Minnesota, in 105,570 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 38.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Washington County, Minnesota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Washington County, Minnesota has 653 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 7.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Washington County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($209,293 against $115,522), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,710 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Washington County, Minnesota?
Unemployment in Washington County, Minnesota 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, Minnesota have a college degree?
44.7% of adults in Washington County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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