Washington County, Kentucky

KY · FIPS 21229 Republican

Located in Kentucky, Washington County has a population of 12,140 residents and a median age of 42.3 years, making it the #2,344 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.7%. The median home value is $179,200, and the median household income is $61,616, which is 18% below the national median.

12,140
Population
#2,344 of 3,222
$61,616
Median Income
-18.0% #1,927 of 3,222
42.3 years
Median Age
+8.7% #1,409 of 3,222
12.7%
Poverty Rate
+1.2% #1,460 of 3,222

Demographics

Washington County has a population of 12,140, making it the #2,344 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.2%
Native Born
0.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Washington County is $61,616, ranking #1,927 out of 3,222 counties — 18.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.7% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.

Income#1,927
$61,616
-18.0%
vs nation
40th percentile
Per Capita#2,094
$32,046
-22.3%
vs nation
35th percentile
Poverty#1,460
12.7%
+1.2%
vs nation
55th percentile
Unemployment#907
3.4%
-36.2%
vs nation
72th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Washington County is $179,200 (-36.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $744/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.6%.

Home Value#1,650
$179,200
-36.4%
vs nation
49th percentile
Rent#2,509
$744
-36.0%
vs nation
22th percentile
Homeownership#1,018
77.6%
+20.6%
vs nation
68th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Washington County, 19.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 41.9% below the national average, ranking #2,077 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
19.6% −41.9% vs nation
Rank #2,077 of 3,222
36th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Washington County is 74.2 years. 20.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,867
74.2
-1.3%
vs nation
39th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,919
20.4%
+4.3%
vs nation
39th percentile
Diabetes#2,029
11.8%
+6.0%
vs nation
36th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,038
39.1%
+4.8%
vs nation
35th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#796
5.3
-7.0%
vs nation
75th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,037
4.7
+4.8%
vs nation
35th percentile
Uninsured Rate#697
6.7%
-36.2%
vs nation
78th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,480
25.6%
-3.0%
vs nation
53th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,728
14.7%
+2.0%
vs nation
45th percentile

Substance Use

17.9% of adults in Washington County smoke , 37.4% are obese , and 15.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 33.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,618
17.9%
-0.3%
vs nation
49th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,256
37.4%
-1.3%
vs nation
60th percentile
Excessive Drinking#337
15.9%
-19.9%
vs nation
89th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,314
33.1
+2.3%
vs nation
38th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 22.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 24.8 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,872
22.6
+14.5%
vs nation
27th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,218
16.5
-7.5%
vs nation
51th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,075
24.8
+22.3%
vs nation
27th percentile

Families & Children

16.5% of children in Washington County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 20.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,558
20.8
-4.9%
vs nation
48th percentile
Child Poverty#1,347
16.5%
-13.1%
vs nation
57th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Washington County is 68.3%. The mean commute time is 25.5 min, which is 7.7% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
68.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.5 min −7.7% vs nation
Rank #1,833 of 3,222
43th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Washington County voted Republican with a margin of 50.3%. The vote was 24.2% Dem / 74.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +50.3%
24.2% 74.5%
Dem 6,338 votes Rep
2020 REP +45.6%
26.4% 72%
Dem 6,225 votes Rep
2016 REP +46.1%
25.3% 71.4%
Dem 5,621 votes Rep
2012 REP +35.0%
32% 67%
Dem 5,218 votes Rep
2008 REP +26.9%
35.8% 62.7%
Dem 5,275 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Washington County, Kentucky

Washington County, Kentucky has a total population of 12,140, making it the 2,344th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Washington County is 42.3 years, which is 8.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Washington County is $61,616, which ranks #1,927 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 18.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.

The median home value in Washington County is $179,200, 36.4% below the national median. Renters in Washington County pay a median gross rent of $744 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Washington County, 19.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 41.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.5 min.

Washington County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 87.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (7.2%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (4.6%).

All data for Washington County, Kentucky 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.