Washington County, Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Washington County, VA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Washington County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 53,901 | 8,702,460 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 95.3 | 203.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.23% | 0.57% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.4 | 37.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 22,114 | 3,364,625 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Washington County grew by 1.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 53,901 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Washington County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 24.4% of residents. That is 7.9 points above Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,815 18.2% -3.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 9,779 18.1% -4.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,904 22.1% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 13,170 24.4% +7.9 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 Virginia, 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 50.4% of the people living in Washington County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Virginia 50.6%
- Men 49.6% Virginia 49.4%
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 C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Washington County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,315 | $93,527 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.86% | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Washington County is about 31% lower than in Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Washington County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $174,865 | $256,082 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $853 | $1,579 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.8% | 67.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Washington County is about 17.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $853 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Washington County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 172 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Washington County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.7 | 23.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.4 | 46.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 172 | 193 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,342 | $5,986 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.5% | 18.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,365 | 10,059 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 778 | 1,531 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Virginia:
Lexington city (10.6 min), Covington city (12.2 min), Norton city (13.1 min).
Slowest:
Amelia County (43.7 min), Craig County (41.3 min), Buckingham County (41.3 min).
The average commute time in Washington County is 21 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in Virginia.
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 D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Washington County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.4% | 37.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 2.52 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.6), Arlington County (0.6), Alexandria city (0.5).
Lowest:
Greensville County (0.2), Lunenburg County (0.2), Buchanan County (0.2).
Health
Washington County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Washington County | Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 77.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.6% | 16.9% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.7% | 19.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Virginia:
Falls Church city (0.8), Arlington County (0.8), Fairfax County (0.8).
Lowest:
Emporia city (0.7), Petersburg city (0.8), Galax city (0.8).
Washington County, VA Compared With Nearby Counties
Washington County, VA is the 2nd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 53,901 residents against a local median of 29,374. Where Washington County, VA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting more than 4 times the local median of $37,374 at $174,865.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $64,315 against a local median of $50,007, 29% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 29% above the local median it puts Washington County, VA at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $191,051 on median home price, so Washington County, VA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Washington County, VA has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, VA | 53,901 | $64,315 #1/4 | $174,865 #2/4 | 20.7 min #3/4 |
| Russell County, VA | 25,530 | $50,007 | $37,374 | 26.1 min |
| Sullivan County, TN | 160,624 | $59,119 | $215,151 | 18.9 min |
| Smyth County, VA | 29,374 | $49,886 | $24,100 | 18.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Washington County, Virginia.
What is the population of Washington County, Virginia?
About 53,901 people live in Washington County, Virginia, in 22,114 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 48.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Washington County, Virginia mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Washington County, Virginia has 95 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Washington County, Virginia?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($174,865 against $64,315), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $853 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Washington County, Virginia?
Unemployment in Washington County, Virginia is only 3.0%, 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, Virginia?
23.4% of adults in Washington County, Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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