Washington County, Arkansas

AR · FIPS 05143 Republican

Located in Arkansas, Washington County has a population of 256,765 residents and a median age of 32.5 years, making it the #281 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.6%. The median home value is $298,400, and the median household income is $70,639, which is 6% below the national median.

256,765
Population
#281 of 3,222
$70,639
Median Income
-6.0% #1,150 of 3,222
32.5 years
Median Age
-16.5% #3,101 of 3,222
14.6%
Poverty Rate
+15.8% #1,872 of 3,222

Demographics

Washington County has a population of 256,765, making it the #281 most populous county in the US. The median age is 32.5 years, which is 16.5% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

87.6%
Native Born
12.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Washington County is $70,639, ranking #1,150 out of 3,222 counties — 6.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.6% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.

Income#1,150
$70,639
-6.0%
vs nation
64th percentile
Per Capita#1,072
$38,150
-7.5%
vs nation
67th percentile
Poverty#1,872
14.6%
+15.8%
vs nation
42th percentile
Unemployment#935
3.4%
-35.4%
vs nation
71th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Washington County is $298,400 (+5.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,071/mo and the homeownership rate is 55.6%.

Home Value#638
$298,400
+5.9%
vs nation
80th percentile
Rent#783
$1,071
-7.9%
vs nation
76th percentile
Homeownership#3,093
55.6%
-13.6%
vs nation
4th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Washington County, 35.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 4.6% above the national average, ranking #455 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
35.2% +4.6% vs nation
Rank #455 of 3,222
86th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Washington County is 76.8 years. 22.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 14.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#966
76.8
+2.3%
vs nation
69th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,257
22.1%
+13.0%
vs nation
28th percentile
Diabetes#2,064
11.9%
+6.9%
vs nation
34th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#985
35.3%
-5.4%
vs nation
69th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,059
5.9
+4.0%
vs nation
35th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,511
5.0
+12.6%
vs nation
20th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,518
14.0%
+33.6%
vs nation
20th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,080
28.4%
+7.6%
vs nation
34th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,325
16.6%
+15.2%
vs nation
26th percentile

Substance Use

17.2% of adults in Washington County smoke , 33.5% are obese , and 21.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 11.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,343
17.2%
-4.2%
vs nation
57th percentile
Adult Obesity#504
33.5%
-11.6%
vs nation
84th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,128
21.3%
+7.2%
vs nation
32th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#87
11.2
-65.3%
vs nation
96th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Washington County is 2.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 13.5 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#239
2.9
-63.6%
vs nation
85th percentile
Suicide Rate#699
14.8
-25.1%
vs nation
73th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#445
10.5
-41.1%
vs nation
82th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#761
13.5
-33.5%
vs nation
73th percentile

Families & Children

13.5% of children in Washington County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 20.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#789
6.8
+0.7%
vs nation
42th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,553
20.7
-5.1%
vs nation
48th percentile
Child Poverty#852
13.5%
-28.9%
vs nation
73th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Washington County is 58.0%. The mean commute time is 23.2 min, which is 15.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
58.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.2 min −15.9% vs nation
Rank #2,307 of 3,222
28th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Washington County voted Republican with a margin of 6.6%. The vote was 45.1% Dem / 51.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +6.6%
45.1% 51.7%
Dem 97,158 votes Rep
2020 REP +3.9%
46.5% 50.4%
Dem 94,266 votes Rep
2016 REP +10.4%
41.3% 51.7%
Dem 78,153 votes Rep
2012 REP +16.2%
40.1% 56.3%
Dem 70,231 votes Rep
2008 REP +13.1%
42.4% 55.5%
Dem 68,380 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Washington County, Arkansas

Washington County, Arkansas has a total population of 256,765, making it the 281st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Washington County is 32.5 years, which is 16.5% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Washington County is $70,639, which ranks #1,150 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.

The median home value in Washington County is $298,400, 5.9% above the national median. Renters in Washington County pay a median gross rent of $1,071 per month. The homeownership rate is 55.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Washington County, 35.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 4.6% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.2 min.

Washington County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 59.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.6%) and Two or More Races (12.2%).

All data for Washington County, Arkansas comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.