Washington County, Iowa

IA · FIPS 19183 Republican

Located in Iowa, Washington County has a population of 22,561 residents and a median age of 40.7 years, making it the #1,743 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.2%. The median home value is $203,900, and the median household income is $75,647, which is 1% above the national median.

22,561
Population
#1,743 of 3,222
$75,647
Median Income
+0.7% #801 of 3,222
40.7 years
Median Age
+4.6% #1,890 of 3,222
8.2%
Poverty Rate
-34.9% #405 of 3,222

Demographics

Washington County has a population of 22,561, making it the #1,743 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.7 years, which is 4.6% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.8%
Native Born
3.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Washington County is $75,647, ranking #801 out of 3,222 counties — 0.7% above the national median. The poverty rate is 8.2% and unemployment stands at 2.2%.

Income#801
$75,647
+0.7%
vs nation
75th percentile
Per Capita#946
$39,046
-5.4%
vs nation
71th percentile
Poverty#405
8.2%
-34.9%
vs nation
87th percentile
Unemployment#343
2.2%
-58.4%
vs nation
89th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Washington County is $203,900 (-27.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $879/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.0%.

Home Value#1,364
$203,900
-27.7%
vs nation
58th percentile
Rent#1,554
$879
-24.4%
vs nation
52th percentile
Homeownership#1,706
74.0%
+14.9%
vs nation
47th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Washington County, 26.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 22.1% below the national average, ranking #1,079 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
26.2% −22.1% vs nation
Rank #1,079 of 3,222
67th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Washington County is 78.5 years. 14.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#525
78.5
+4.4%
vs nation
83th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#408
14.5%
-25.9%
vs nation
87th percentile
Diabetes#627
9.2%
-17.4%
vs nation
80th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#293
31.7%
-15.0%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#293
4.8
-14.4%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#327
3.6
-18.3%
vs nation
90th percentile
Uninsured Rate#804
7.0%
-33.2%
vs nation
74th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,338
25.0%
-5.2%
vs nation
58th percentile
Food Insecurity#295
10.0%
-30.6%
vs nation
91th percentile

Substance Use

15.1% of adults in Washington County smoke , 40.7% are obese , and 24.3% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#674
15.1%
-15.9%
vs nation
79th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,272
40.7%
+7.4%
vs nation
28th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,906
24.3%
+22.2%
vs nation
8th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 16.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.6 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#981
16.4
-17.1%
vs nation
62th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#463
10.8
-39.6%
vs nation
81th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#524
11.6
-42.9%
vs nation
82th percentile

Families & Children

12.9% of children in Washington County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 10.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#479
10.6
-51.3%
vs nation
84th percentile
Child Poverty#746
12.9%
-32.1%
vs nation
76th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Washington County is 73.0%. The mean commute time is 25.1 min, which is 9.2% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
73.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.1 min −9.2% vs nation
Rank #1,931 of 3,222
40th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Washington County voted Republican with a margin of 24.4%. The vote was 37.2% Dem / 61.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +24.4%
37.2% 61.6%
Dem 11,551 votes Rep
2020 REP +20.5%
38.8% 59.3%
Dem 11,765 votes Rep
2016 REP +20.6%
36.4% 57%
Dem 10,824 votes Rep
2012 REP +4.2%
46.7% 50.9%
Dem 10,880 votes Rep
2008 REP +0.7%
48.7% 49.4%
Dem 10,626 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Washington County, Iowa

Washington County, Iowa has a total population of 22,561, making it the 1,743rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Washington County is 40.7 years, which is 4.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Washington County is $75,647, which ranks #801 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 0.7% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.2%.

The median home value in Washington County is $203,900, 27.7% below the national median. Renters in Washington County pay a median gross rent of $879 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Washington County, 26.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 22.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.1 min.

Washington County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.7% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.8%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).

All data for Washington County, Iowa 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.