Whitman County, Washington

WA · FIPS 53075 Democrat

Located in Washington, Whitman County has a population of 47,003 residents and a median age of 26.4 years, making it the #1,059 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 22.7%. The median home value is $359,600, and the median household income is $55,406, which is 26% below the national median.

47,003
Population
#1,059 of 3,222
$55,406
Median Income
-26.3% #2,442 of 3,222
26.4 years
Median Age
-32.1% #3,207 of 3,222
22.7%
Poverty Rate
+79.9% #2,881 of 3,222

Demographics

Whitman County has a population of 47,003, making it the #1,059 most populous county in the US. The median age is 26.4 years, which is 32.1% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

92.5%
Native Born
7.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Whitman County is $55,406, ranking #2,442 out of 3,222 counties — 26.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 22.7% and unemployment stands at 6.9%.

Income#2,442
$55,406
-26.3%
vs nation
24th percentile
Per Capita#1,706
$34,326
-16.8%
vs nation
47th percentile
Poverty#2,881
22.7%
+79.9%
vs nation
11th percentile
Unemployment#2,789
6.9%
+31.0%
vs nation
13th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Whitman County is $359,600 (+27.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,049/mo and the homeownership rate is 46.8%.

Home Value#386
$359,600
+27.6%
vs nation
88th percentile
Rent#847
$1,049
-9.8%
vs nation
74th percentile
Homeownership#3,188
46.8%
-27.3%
vs nation
1th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Whitman County, 49.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 47.7% above the national average, ranking #101 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
49.8% +47.7% vs nation
Rank #101 of 3,222
97th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Whitman County is 78.1 years. 18.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#624
78.1
+3.9%
vs nation
80th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,512
18.6%
-4.9%
vs nation
52th percentile
Diabetes#1,655
10.9%
-2.1%
vs nation
47th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#230
31.1%
-16.6%
vs nation
93th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,267
6.0
+5.8%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,065
4.7
+5.0%
vs nation
34th percentile
Uninsured Rate#688
6.7%
-36.4%
vs nation
78th percentile
Physical Inactivity#415
20.7%
-21.5%
vs nation
87th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,454
13.8%
-4.2%
vs nation
54th percentile

Substance Use

14.7% of adults in Whitman County smoke , 31.2% are obese , and 20.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 11.0 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#588
14.7%
-18.1%
vs nation
81th percentile
Adult Obesity#264
31.2%
-17.7%
vs nation
92th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,600
20.1%
+0.9%
vs nation
49th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#81
11.0
-65.9%
vs nation
96th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 16.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 5.5 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#976
16.3
-17.2%
vs nation
62th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#215
8.2
-54.3%
vs nation
91th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#39
5.5
-72.6%
vs nation
99th percentile

Families & Children

15.1% of children in Whitman County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 2.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#11
2.6
-87.9%
vs nation
100th percentile
Child Poverty#1,126
15.1%
-20.5%
vs nation
64th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Whitman County is 54.6%. The mean commute time is 18.6 min, which is 32.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
54.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
18.6 min −32.6% vs nation
Rank #2,954 of 3,222
8th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Whitman County voted Democratic with a margin of 9.0%. The vote was 52.8% Dem / 43.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.0 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +9.0%
52.8% 43.8%
Dem 19,845 votes Rep
2020 DEM +10.0%
52.9% 42.9%
Dem 21,126 votes Rep
2016 DEM +2.0%
47% 45%
Dem 8,300 votes Rep
2012 REP +3.7%
46.5% 50.2%
Dem 14,851 votes Rep
2008 DEM +5.5%
51.6% 46.1%
Dem 17,589 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Whitman County, Washington

Whitman County, Washington has a total population of 47,003, making it the 1,059th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Whitman County is 26.4 years, which is 32.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Whitman County is $55,406, which ranks #2,442 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 26.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 22.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.9%.

The median home value in Whitman County is $359,600, 27.6% above the national median. Renters in Whitman County pay a median gross rent of $1,049 per month. The homeownership rate is 46.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Whitman County, 49.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 47.7% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 18.6 min.

Whitman County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 73.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (8.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (8.1%).

All data for Whitman County, Washington 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.