Washington County, Nebraska Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Washington County, NE 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 top 5 healthiest counties in Nebraska
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B
Income Around averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in Nebraska
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 93% of counties in Nebraska
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Washington County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,106 | 1,978,686 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 53.6 | 25.6 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.47% | 0.63% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.6 | 38.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,425 | 797,835 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Washington County grew by 7.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 21,106 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 3.4 points above Nebraska as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,183 19.8% -2.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,998 18.9% -2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,591 21.8% +3.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,974 18.8% +2.6 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 Nebraska, 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% Nebraska 49.9%
- Men 49.7% Nebraska 50.1%
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 B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Washington County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $94,639 | $76,615 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.53% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.8% | 3.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Washington County is about 24% higher than in Nebraska.
Housing
| Metric | Washington County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $66,052 | $175,282 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $964 | $1,071 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.2% | 66.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Washington County is about 5.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $964 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 181 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Washington County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.7 | 17.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.4 | 34.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 181 | 142 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,608 | $4,390 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.3% | 11.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,949 | 5,179 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,540 | 691 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Nebraska:
Hooker County (7.4 min), Cherry County (8.0 min), Box Butte County (8.0 min).
Slowest:
Cass County (28.0 min), Banner County (27.2 min), Saunders County (26.9 min).
The average commute time in Washington County is 22 minutes, longer than the 17 minutes in Nebraska.
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 C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Washington County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.0% | 30.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.48 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Nebraska:
Sarpy County (0.3), Lancaster County (0.3), Douglas County (0.3).
Lowest:
Dakota County (0.2), Colfax County (0.2), Dawson County (0.2).
Health
Washington County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Washington County | Nebraska Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.3 | 79.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.9% | 12.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.3% | 16.6% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Nebraska:
Wayne County (0.8), Sarpy County (0.8), Lancaster County (0.8).
Lowest:
Thurston County (0.8), Pawnee County (0.8), Dundy County (0.8).
Washington County, NE Compared With Nearby Counties
Washington County, NE is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 21,106 residents against a local median of 197,392. Where Washington County, NE breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 71% below the local median of $224,218 at $66,052.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 21.7 min against a local median of 18.4 min, 18% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: median household income runs ahead of the neighbourhood while commute runs behind it, so Washington County, NE is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread $127,568 on median home price, so Washington County, NE sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Washington County, NE has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, NE | 21,106 | $94,639 #2/4 | $66,052 #4/4 | 21.7 min #4/4 |
| Douglas County, NE | 590,696 | $80,916 | $284,147 | 18.4 min |
| Sarpy County, NE | 197,392 | $103,176 | $224,218 | 20.7 min |
| Dodge County, NE | 37,351 | $74,698 | $156,579 | 13.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Washington County, Nebraska.
How many people live in Washington County, Nebraska?
About 21,106 people live in Washington County, Nebraska, in 8,425 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 43.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Washington County, Nebraska urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Washington County, Nebraska has 54 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 62% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Washington County, Nebraska an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.7 times the median household income ($66,052 against $94,639), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $964 a month takes about 12% 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, Nebraska?
Unemployment in Washington County, Nebraska is only 1.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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