Washington County, Oregon Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Washington County, OR 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 Oregon
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B
Income Around averageWealthiest county in Oregon
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A
Education Above averageAmong the top 3 best educated counties in Oregon
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Washington County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 603,920 | 4,252,306 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 831.8 | 43.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.85% | 0.82% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.7 | 40.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 235,396 | 1,717,698 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Washington County grew by 16.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 603,920 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Washington County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 25.9% of residents. That is 2.9 points above Oregon as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 129,333 21.4% +0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 156,566 25.9% +2.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 122,430 20.3% +0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 84,082 13.9% -4.1 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 Oregon, 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 50.2% of the people living in Washington County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Oregon 50.1%
- Men 49.8% Oregon 49.9%
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 | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $108,282 | $83,617 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.67% | 5.70% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Washington County is about 29% higher than in Oregon.
Housing
| Metric | Washington County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $472,684 | $406,603 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,848 | $1,525 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.8% | 63.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Washington County is about 21.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,848 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 | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.5 | 20.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.1 | 40.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 180 | 168 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,566 | $5,203 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 24.4% | 19.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 18,266 | 7,643 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,297 | 967 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Oregon:
Lake County (7.7 min), Harney County (8.6 min), Baker County (8.9 min).
Slowest:
Columbia County (31.7 min), Clackamas County (23.9 min), Polk County (22.2 min).
The average commute time in Washington County is 22 minutes, longer than the 20 minutes in Oregon.
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 | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.5% | 32.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 2.41 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Oregon:
Benton County (0.4), Multnomah County (0.4), Washington County (0.4).
Lowest:
Morrow County (0.2), Malheur County (0.2), Gilliam County (0.2).
Health
Washington County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Washington County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.1 | 78.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.8% | 15.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.8% | 17.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Oregon:
Benton County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Clackamas County (0.8).
Lowest:
Josephine County (0.8), Malheur County (0.8), Lake County (0.8).
Washington County, OR Compared With Nearby Counties
Washington County, OR is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 603,920 residents against a local median of 108,598. Where Washington County, OR breaks from the counties next to it is median household income, sitting 22% above the local median of $89,058 at $108,282. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread $29,444 on median household income, so Washington County, OR sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Washington County, OR has the highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, OR | 603,920 | $108,282 #1/6 | $472,684 #3/6 | 21.5 min #2/6 |
| Columbia County, OR | 53,499 | $86,781 | $238,667 | 31.7 min |
| Yamhill County, OR | 108,598 | $89,058 | $443,771 | 21.6 min |
| Clark County, WA | 516,710 | $98,079 | $477,323 | 21.7 min |
| Tillamook County, OR | 27,495 | $68,636 | $364,860 | 13.5 min |
| Multnomah County, OR | 801,042 | $89,512 | $474,481 | 22.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Washington County, Oregon.
What is the population of Washington County, Oregon?
About 603,920 people live in Washington County, Oregon, in 235,396 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 35.7, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Washington County, Oregon mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Washington County, Oregon has 832 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 9.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Washington County, Oregon an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.4 times the median household income ($472,684 against $108,282), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,848 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Washington County, Oregon?
42.5% of adults in Washington County, Oregon hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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