Washington County, North Carolina

NC · FIPS 37187 Democrat

Located in North Carolina, Washington County has a population of 10,812 residents and a median age of 48.8 years, making it the #2,430 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 24.1%. The median home value is $125,900, and the median household income is $41,813, which is 44% below the national median.

10,812
Population
#2,430 of 3,222
$41,813
Median Income
-44.4% #3,037 of 3,222
48.8 years
Median Age
+25.4% #298 of 3,222
24.1%
Poverty Rate
+91.0% #2,949 of 3,222

Demographics

Washington County has a population of 10,812, making it the #2,430 most populous county in the US. The median age is 48.8 years, which is 25.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.9%
Native Born
1.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Washington County is $41,813, ranking #3,037 out of 3,222 counties — 44.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 24.1% and unemployment stands at 12.9%.

Income#3,037
$41,813
-44.4%
vs nation
6th percentile
Per Capita#2,674
$28,281
-31.5%
vs nation
17th percentile
Poverty#2,949
24.1%
+91.0%
vs nation
8th percentile
Unemployment#3,170
12.9%
+142.9%
vs nation
2th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Washington County is $125,900 (-55.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $743/mo and the homeownership rate is 68.0%.

Home Value#2,563
$125,900
-55.3%
vs nation
20th percentile
Rent#2,514
$743
-36.1%
vs nation
22th percentile
Homeownership#2,489
68.0%
+5.6%
vs nation
23th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Washington County, 14.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 56.0% below the national average, ranking #2,841 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
14.8% −56.0% vs nation
Rank #2,841 of 3,222
12th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Washington County is 71.2 years. 24.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,677
71.2
-5.3%
vs nation
13th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,643
24.4%
+24.7%
vs nation
16th percentile
Diabetes#2,755
13.8%
+24.0%
vs nation
12th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,413
40.4%
+8.3%
vs nation
23th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,060
5.4
-4.3%
vs nation
66th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,043
4.7
+4.8%
vs nation
35th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,167
12.2%
+16.7%
vs nation
31th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,383
30.0%
+13.7%
vs nation
24th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,615
17.7%
+22.9%
vs nation
17th percentile

Substance Use

20.1% of adults in Washington County smoke , 41.0% are obese , and 16.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 29.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,300
20.1%
+11.9%
vs nation
27th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,363
41.0%
+8.2%
vs nation
25th percentile
Excessive Drinking#419
16.3%
-18.0%
vs nation
87th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,142
29.4
-8.9%
vs nation
46th percentile

Safety

. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 24.7 per 100,000.

Firearm Fatalities#1,769
21.2
+18.5%
vs nation
28th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#2,072
24.7
+22.2%
vs nation
27th percentile

Families & Children

35.8% of children in Washington County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 35.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,630
35.2
+61.0%
vs nation
12th percentile
Child Poverty#3,022
35.8%
+88.5%
vs nation
4th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Washington County is 67.1%. The mean commute time is 33.1 min, which is 19.8% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
67.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
33.1 min +19.8% vs nation
Rank #464 of 3,222
86th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Washington County voted Democratic with a margin of 6.2%. The vote was 52.8% Dem / 46.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.7 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +6.2%
52.8% 46.6%
Dem 5,939 votes Rep
2020 DEM +9.9%
54.7% 44.8%
Dem 6,205 votes Rep
2016 DEM +15.2%
57.1% 41.9%
Dem 6,115 votes Rep
2012 DEM +18.5%
59% 40.5%
Dem 6,456 votes Rep
2008 DEM +16.7%
58.1% 41.4%
Dem 6,454 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Washington County, North Carolina

Washington County, North Carolina has a total population of 10,812, making it the 2,430th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Washington County is 48.8 years, which is 25.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Washington County is $41,813, which ranks #3,037 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 44.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 24.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 12.9%.

The median home value in Washington County is $125,900, 55.3% below the national median. Renters in Washington County pay a median gross rent of $743 per month. The homeownership rate is 68.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Washington County, 14.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 56.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 90.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 33.1 min.

Washington County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is Black (non-Hispanic) at 47.7% of the population, followed by White (non-Hispanic) (44.5%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.0%).

All data for Washington County, North Carolina 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.