Washington County, Mississippi Income Statistics

Washington County Wealth Score

The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.

  • D
    Washington County Well below average
    Less wealthy than 80% of counties in Mississippi

Source: Map AI Methodology

Washington County
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Wealth grade

Income Statistics Overview

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Metric Washington County Mississippi Avg US Average
Median Household Income $41,953 $56,669 $80,455
Median Personal Income $42,478 $48,086 $60,758
Average Yearly Income Growth 5.0% 4.3% 4.8%
Six-Figure Earners 5.1% 7.4% 13.9%
$200k+ Households 4.0% 5.8% 13.2%

The median household income in Washington County is about 26% lower than in Mississippi. Income has been growing faster in Washington County (5.0%/yr) than in Mississippi (4.3%/yr).

About 5% of adults in Washington County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Mississippi average of 7%.

Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend

Median Household Income Over Time

Washington County
United States

Median household income in Washington County, Mississippi grew by 52.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $41,953 in 2024. That's an average of about 5.0% per year.

Washington County has been far below the U.S. median household income in every year from 2009 to 2024. Even at its closest, in 2011, its income was 45% lower. The gap has held fairly steady over the period.

Year Washington County United States

Income Distribution in Washington County

How incomes are spread across brackets, compared with the U.S. Pick a range to count who falls in it.

Households by income, 2024

Washington County
United States

Income range calculator

About 2,725 households (15.9% of all households) have an income of $100,000 or more.

Across the U.S.: 40.2% of all households.

In 2024, 44.2% of households in Washington County had an income under $35,000 and 8.8% had $150,000 or more. Across the U.S., those shares were 21.6% and 22.8%.

Compared with the U.S., Washington County has a larger share of households earning $15,000 to $24,999 (13.6% vs 6.4%) and a smaller share earning $100,000 to $149,999 (7.1% vs 17.4%).

Household income Households Share U.S. share
Under $10,000 1,488 8.7% 5.1%
$10,000 to $14,999 1,760 10.3% 3.5%
$15,000 to $24,999 2,326 13.6% 6.4%
$25,000 to $34,999 1,981 11.6% 6.7%
$35,000 to $49,999 2,206 12.9% 10.1%
$50,000 to $74,999 2,985 17.5% 15.5%
$75,000 to $99,999 1,620 9.5% 12.6%
$100,000 to $149,999 1,213 7.1% 17.4%
$150,000 to $199,999 821 4.8% 9.5%
$200,000 or more 691 4.0% 13.2%

Shares are of all 17,090 households, one per occupied home whatever its size. Households with zero or negative income are counted in the lowest bracket. Source: ACS 5-year estimates ending 2024 (table B19001).

Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Washington County

Metric Washington County Mississippi Avg US Average
Gini Coefficient 0.578 0.566 0.552
Male Median Income $52,283 $56,525 $69,667
Female Median Income $38,143 $43,645 $56,850
Gender Pay Gap 27.0% 22.8% 18.4%

The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Washington County, it is 0.578, higher than Mississippi's 0.566, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.

Men's income is about 37% more than women's income in Washington County, Mississippi. Over a 35-year career, a 37% wage gap accumulates to roughly $494,900 in unearned income for female workers in the area.

Income by Sex Over Time

Male
Female

Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Washington County, Mississippi has widened from about 20% to 27% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 30% in 2019, and was narrowest at 20% in 2012. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $7,262 since 2009.

Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Washington County widened by 6.6 points while Mississippi's narrowed by 2.5 points.

Year Male Income Female Income Gap %

Employment

Metric Washington County Mississippi Avg US Average
Unemployment Rate 6.3% 5.7% 5.2%
Working from Home 3.7% 5.9% 15.0%
Commute time (minutes) 16 21 22

Approximately 1,092 people are unemployed in Washington County, Mississippi.

The average commute time in Washington County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Mississippi.

Unemployment Rate Over Time

Washington County
United States

Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Washington County, Mississippi has fallen from 20.0% to 6.3% in 2024.

Washington County has stayed well above the U.S. unemployment rate in every year from 2011 to 2024 and has never dropped below it. The gap has narrowed from 11.3 points in 2011 to 1.0 point in 2024, the closest it has been.

Year Washington County United States

Washington County, MS Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties

Washington County, MS is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 42,708 residents against a local median of 9,757. The measure that sets Washington County, MS apart most is unemployment: 6.3%, 31% below the local median of 9.1%. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.

The counties themselves spread 5.4% on unemployment, so Washington County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Washington County, MS has the lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.

Area Population Median household income Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. Unemployment Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here.
Washington County, MS 42,708 $41,953 #1/6 5.0%/yr #1/6 6.3% #1/6 0.578 #1/6
Chicot County, AR 9,757 $39,123 3.7%/yr 9.0% 0.594
Sharkey County, MS 3,872 $40,000 4.6%/yr 9.1% 0.603
Humphreys County, MS 7,395 $33,899 4.4%/yr 12.5% 0.598
Sunflower County, MS 24,333 $39,946 4.8%/yr 11.2% 0.608
Bolivar County, MS 29,520 $39,667 4.6%/yr 7.1% 0.595

Conclusion

Considering all these factors, Washington County, Mississippi has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Mississippi, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about income and wealth in Washington County, Mississippi.

How Rich Is Washington County, Mississippi?

Washington County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $41,953, about 26% lower than the Mississippi average of $56,669.

How fast is household income rising in Washington County, Mississippi?

Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Washington County, Mississippi rose 53%, from $27,449 to $41,953. Over the same years, income here kept pace with Mississippi as a whole: +53% against +54%.

What was the median household income in Washington County in 2023?

In 2023, the median household income in Washington County, Mississippi was $40,093, up 3% from $39,092 in 2022. The Mississippi median that year was $55,083.

What was the median household income in Washington County in 2020?

In 2020, the median household income in Washington County, Mississippi was $32,565. By 2024 it had risen 29% to $41,953.

What is the Gini coefficient in Washington County, Mississippi?

The Gini coefficient in Washington County is 0.578. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.

How has the income gap between men and women changed in Washington County, Mississippi?

Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Washington County, Mississippi has widened from about 20% to 27% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 30% in 2019, and was narrowest at 20% in 2012. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $7,262 since 2009.

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