Washington County, Missouri Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Washington County, MO 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 averageLess healthy than 81% of counties in Missouri
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 88% of counties in Missouri
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 95% of counties in Missouri
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Washington County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,470 | 6,186,340 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 30.8 | 88.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.78% | 0.28% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.9 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,920 | 2,507,647 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Washington County declined by 3.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 23,470 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Washington County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.9% of residents. That is 2.3 points above Missouri as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,428 18.9% -2.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,758 20.3% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,134 21.9% +2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,449 19.0% +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 Missouri, 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 48.9% of the people living in Washington County and men 51.1%.
- Women 48.9% Missouri 50.7%
- Men 51.1% Missouri 49.3%
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 D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Washington County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,625 | $70,801 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.41% | 4.56% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Washington County is about 20% lower than in Missouri.
Housing
| Metric | Washington County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $229,237 | $145,462 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $683 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.4% | 68.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Washington County is about 28.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $683 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Washington County spend about 63 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 262 hours, about 10.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Washington County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 31.4 | 21.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 62.8 | 41.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 262 | 175 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $8,115 | $5,415 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.8% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,864 | 7,545 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 875 | 923 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Missouri:
Saline County (11.9 min), Adair County (12.0 min), Nodaway County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Bollinger County (33.1 min), Ray County (32.2 min), Maries County (31.9 min).
The average commute time in Washington County is 31 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Missouri.
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 F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Washington County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.4% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.52 | 2.40 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Louis County (0.4), Platte County (0.4), Boone County (0.4).
Lowest:
Bollinger County (0.2), Wayne County (0.2), Ripley County (0.2).
Health
Washington County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Washington County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.2 | 76.9 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.1% | 19.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.1% | 22.8% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Missouri:
St. Charles County (0.8), Platte County (0.8), Boone County (0.8).
Lowest:
Scotland County (0.7), Ripley County (0.7), Pemiscot County (0.8).
Washington County, MO Compared With Nearby Counties
Washington County, MO is the 4th largest of the 5 counties compared here, 23,470 residents against a local median of 86,476. The measure that sets Washington County, MO apart most is median home price: $229,237, 46% above the local median of $157,473.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 31.4 min against a local median of 22.0 min, 43% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 43% above the local median it puts Washington County, MO at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $161,924 on median home price, so Washington County, MO sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Washington County, MO has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, MO | 23,470 | $56,625 #5/5 | $229,237 #1/5 | 31.4 min #5/5 |
| Crawford County, MO | 22,797 | $58,081 | $47,758 | 21.3 min |
| St. Francois County, MO | 66,999 | $58,481 | $136,513 | 17.9 min |
| Jefferson County, MO | 229,447 | $82,868 | $178,434 | 30.7 min |
| Franklin County, MO | 105,953 | $73,054 | $209,682 | 22.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Washington County, Missouri.
How big is Washington County, Missouri by population?
About 23,470 people live in Washington County, Missouri, in 8,920 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.
Is Washington County, Missouri urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Washington County, Missouri has 31 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 36% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Washington County, Missouri?
The median home costs 4.0 times the median household income ($229,237 against $56,625), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $683 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Washington County, Missouri?
Unemployment in Washington County, Missouri is only 3.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Washington County, Missouri?
11.4% of adults in Washington County, Missouri hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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