Washington County, Minnesota

MN · FIPS 27163 Democrat

Located in Minnesota, Washington County has a population of 276,238 residents and a median age of 39.8 years, making it the #261 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $422,000, and the median household income is $115,345, which is 53% above the national median.

276,238
Population
#261 of 3,222
$115,345
Median Income
+53.5% #68 of 3,222
39.8 years
Median Age
+2.3% #2,175 of 3,222
5.1%
Poverty Rate
-59.3% #50 of 3,222

Demographics

Washington County has a population of 276,238, making it the #261 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.8 years, which is 2.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

91.5%
Native Born
8.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Washington County is $115,345, ranking #68 out of 3,222 counties — 53.5% above the national median. The poverty rate is 5.1% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.

Income#68
$115,345
+53.5%
vs nation
98th percentile
Per Capita#104
$56,954
+38.0%
vs nation
97th percentile
Poverty#50
5.1%
-59.3%
vs nation
98th percentile
Unemployment#897
3.4%
-36.4%
vs nation
72th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Washington County is $422,000 (+49.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,710/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.3%.

Home Value#247
$422,000
+49.7%
vs nation
92th percentile
Rent#137
$1,710
+47.0%
vs nation
96th percentile
Homeownership#447
81.3%
+26.2%
vs nation
86th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Washington County, 49.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.6% above the national average, ranking #110 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
49.1% +45.6% vs nation
Rank #110 of 3,222
97th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Washington County is 81.3 years. 9.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#97
81.3
+8.2%
vs nation
97th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2
9.3%
-52.5%
vs nation
100th percentile
Diabetes#35
7.1%
-36.2%
vs nation
99th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#3
25.7%
-31.1%
vs nation
100th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#51
4.4
-22.7%
vs nation
98th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#6
2.9
-34.7%
vs nation
100th percentile
Uninsured Rate#37
4.0%
-62.3%
vs nation
99th percentile
Physical Inactivity#18
14.6%
-44.7%
vs nation
100th percentile
Food Insecurity#7
6.5%
-54.9%
vs nation
100th percentile

Substance Use

9.1% of adults in Washington County smoke , 30.9% are obese , and 24.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 13.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#29
9.1%
-49.3%
vs nation
99th percentile
Adult Obesity#237
30.9%
-18.5%
vs nation
93th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,861
24.0%
+20.7%
vs nation
9th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#159
13.3
-59.0%
vs nation
93th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Washington County is 1.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 12.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 5.1 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#38
1.5
-81.8%
vs nation
98th percentile
Suicide Rate#340
12.4
-36.9%
vs nation
87th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#102
6.4
-64.0%
vs nation
96th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#31
5.1
-74.8%
vs nation
99th percentile

Families & Children

5.2% of children in Washington County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 3.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 4.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#84
3.9
-43.1%
vs nation
94th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#48
4.3
-80.2%
vs nation
98th percentile
Child Poverty#23
5.2%
-72.6%
vs nation
99th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Washington County is 87.6%. The mean commute time is 26.3 min, which is 4.8% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
87.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.3 min −4.8% vs nation
Rank #1,631 of 3,222
49th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Washington County voted Democratic with a margin of 8.9%. The vote was 53.5% Dem / 44.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.4 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +8.9%
53.5% 44.6%
Dem 168,743 votes Rep
2020 DEM +9.3%
53.5% 44.2%
Dem 166,786 votes Rep
2016 DEM +1.9%
47% 45.1%
Dem 142,843 votes Rep
2012 DEM +0.7%
49.5% 48.8%
Dem 141,711 votes Rep
2008 DEM +4.4%
51.3% 46.9%
Dem 137,059 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Washington County, Minnesota

Washington County, Minnesota has a total population of 276,238, making it the 261st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Washington County is 39.8 years, which is 2.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Washington County is $115,345, which ranks #68 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 53.5% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 5.1%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.

The median home value in Washington County is $422,000, 49.7% above the national median. Renters in Washington County pay a median gross rent of $1,710 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Washington County, 49.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.6% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.3 min.

Washington County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 77.2% of the population, followed by Asian (non-Hispanic) (7.7%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (5.5%).

All data for Washington County, Minnesota 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.