Washington County, Rhode Island

RI · FIPS 44009 Democrat

Located in Rhode Island, Washington County has a population of 130,344 residents and a median age of 45.5 years, making it the #501 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 $510,800, and the median household income is $106,638, which is 42% above the national median.

130,344
Population
#501 of 3,222
$106,638
Median Income
+41.9% #113 of 3,222
45.5 years
Median Age
+17.0% #672 of 3,222
8.2%
Poverty Rate
-35.0% #399 of 3,222

Demographics

Washington County has a population of 130,344, making it the #501 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.5 years, which is 17.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

95.0%
Native Born
5.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Washington County is $106,638, ranking #113 out of 3,222 counties — 41.9% above the national median. The poverty rate is 8.2% and unemployment stands at 4.4%.

Income#113
$106,638
+41.9%
vs nation
97th percentile
Per Capita#115
$56,069
+35.9%
vs nation
96th percentile
Poverty#399
8.2%
-35.0%
vs nation
88th percentile
Unemployment#1,581
4.4%
-17.3%
vs nation
51th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Washington County is $510,800 (+81.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,327/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.5%.

Home Value#134
$510,800
+81.2%
vs nation
96th percentile
Rent#390
$1,327
+14.1%
vs nation
88th percentile
Homeownership#1,041
77.5%
+20.4%
vs nation
68th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Washington County, 52.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 55.4% above the national average, ranking #72 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
52.4% +55.4% vs nation
Rank #72 of 3,222
98th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Washington County is 80.3 years. 11.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 3.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#184
80.3
+6.9%
vs nation
94th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#33
11.4%
-41.7%
vs nation
99th percentile
Diabetes#105
7.7%
-30.8%
vs nation
97th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#398
32.3%
-13.4%
vs nation
87th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#301
4.8
-14.2%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#325
3.6
-18.6%
vs nation
90th percentile
Uninsured Rate#21
3.7%
-65.0%
vs nation
99th percentile
Physical Inactivity#35
15.3%
-42.0%
vs nation
99th percentile
Food Insecurity#41
7.7%
-46.6%
vs nation
99th percentile

Substance Use

11.0% of adults in Washington County smoke , 25.0% are obese , and 24.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 25.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#110
11.0%
-38.7%
vs nation
97th percentile
Adult Obesity#37
25.0%
-34.1%
vs nation
99th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,870
24.1%
+21.2%
vs nation
9th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#913
25.3
-21.6%
vs nation
57th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 11.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 7.3 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#253
11.7
-40.6%
vs nation
90th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#76
5.8
-67.5%
vs nation
97th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#121
7.3
-64.0%
vs nation
96th percentile

Families & Children

11.1% of children in Washington County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 3.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 2.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#77
3.8
-44.1%
vs nation
94th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#8
2.4
-89.2%
vs nation
100th percentile
Child Poverty#473
11.1%
-41.6%
vs nation
85th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Washington County is 73.7%. The mean commute time is 28.5 min, which is 3.1% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
73.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.5 min +3.1% vs nation
Rank #1,170 of 3,222
64th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Washington County voted Democratic with a margin of 15.0%. The vote was 56.4% Dem / 41.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.4 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +15.0%
56.4% 41.4%
Dem 75,556 votes Rep
2020 DEM +19.4%
58.6% 39.2%
Dem 76,060 votes Rep
2016 DEM +10.0%
52.2% 42.2%
Dem 64,160 votes Rep
2012 DEM +16.8%
57.3% 40.5%
Dem 60,933 votes Rep
2008 DEM +39.4%
68.9% 29.5%
Dem 168,633 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Washington County, Rhode Island

Washington County, Rhode Island has a total population of 130,344, making it the 501st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Washington County is 45.5 years, which is 17.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Washington County is $106,638, which ranks #113 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 41.9% 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 4.4%.

The median home value in Washington County is $510,800, 81.2% above the national median. Renters in Washington County pay a median gross rent of $1,327 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Washington County, 52.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 55.4% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 98.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.5 min.

Washington County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).

All data for Washington County, Rhode Island 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.