Washington County, IA

County

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2024 Population

22,561

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

40.7

0.993% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.2%

3.34% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$75,647

6.04% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$203,900

2.15% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

11,715

0.272% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Washington County, IA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.2% of the residents in Washington County, IA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Washington County, IA are Shiloh University (5 degrees awarded in 2020).

In 2024, the median property value in Washington County, IA was $203,900, and the homeownership rate was 74%.

Most people in Washington County, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Washington County, IA was 2 cars per household.

Washington County, IA borders Henry County, IA, Iowa County, IA, Jefferson County, IA, Johnson County, IA, Keokuk County, IA, and Louisa County, IA.

United States Iowa Iowa City, IA

Population & Diversity

Washington County, IA is home to a population of 22.6k people, from which 98.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.24% of Washington County, IA residents were born outside of the country (730 people).

In 2024, there were 29.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (20k people) in Washington County, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 684 Other (Hispanic) and 489 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.2%

2024 Citizenship

97.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.2% of Washington County, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Washington County, IA was 97.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Washington County, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Washington County, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
20k ± 70
Other (Hispanic)
684 ± 211
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
489 ± 190

7.75%

Hispanic Population

1.75k people

7.75% of the people in Washington County, IA are hispanic (1.75k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Washington County, IA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Iowa.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
42,808 ± 5,046 people
India
12,283 ± 2,716 people
China
7,889 ± 2,178 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 42,808 Iowa residents, followed by India with 12,283 and China with 7,889.

Foreign-Born Population

3.24%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

730 people

3.66%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

824 people

As of 2024, 3.24% of Washington County, IA residents (730 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Washington County, IA was 3.66%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Washington County, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
252 ± 85
Gulf War (2001-)
213 ± 76
Gulf War (1990s)
122 ± 73

Washington County, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.18 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Washington County, IA.

Economy

The economy of Washington County, IA employs 11.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Washington County, IA were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,863 people), Retail Trade (1,417 people), and Educational Services (1,194 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($74,393), Public Administration ($67,727), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($59,333).

Employment

Occupations

11.7k

2024 Value

± 637

−0.272%

1 Year decline

± 7.64%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Washington County, IA declined at a rate of −0.272%, from 11.7k employees to 11.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Washington County, IA, are Management Occupations (1,701 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,290 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (844 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Washington County, IA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

11.7k

2024 Value

± 637

−0.272%

1 Year decline

± 7.64%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Washington County, IA declined at a rate of −0.272%, from 11.7k employees to 11.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Washington County, IA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,863 people), Retail Trade (1,417 people), and Educational Services (1,194 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Washington County, IA, though some of these residents may live in Washington County, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,668

Median earning men ± $2,485

$37,007

Median earning women ± $3,196

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($77,083), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($61,354), and Manufacturing ($60,929).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($54,000), Public Administration ($51,932), and Construction ($47,885).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Y-Axis

1.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.57M people employed in Iowa. This represents a 1.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Iowa.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

86
Construction
55
Other Services (except Public Administration)
42
Transportation and Warehousing

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$48.4k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$48.2k
Construction
$36.1k
Manufacturing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing the state of Iowa. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Washington County, IA. Showing the available data for Iowa.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (55.7%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (42.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.789%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Iowa for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Chuck Grassley

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 1981

Joni Ernst

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing Iowa.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Iowa over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2020, universities in Washington County, IA awarded 5 degrees. The student population of Washington County, IA in 2020 is skewed towards men, with 33 male students and 16 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Washington County, IA are White (4 and 80%) and Hispanic or Latino (1 and 20%).

The largest universities in Washington County, IA by number of degrees awarded are Shiloh University (5 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Washington County, IA are Theological Studies (3 and 60%), Divinity & Ministry (2 and 40%), and Other Theological & Ministerial Studies (0 and 0%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $5,250.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2020 in Washington County, IA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 33.3%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 40%. The number of students enrolled in 2020 was 49 (67.3% men and 32.7% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2020 there were 49 students enrolled in Washington County, IA, 67.3% men and 32.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 33 records, of which 42.4% were women and 57.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Theological Studies

Most Common

3 degrees awarded

In 2020, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Washington County, IA was Theological Studies with 3 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Masters Degree from schools in Washington County, IA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Shiloh University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

5 degrees awarded

In 2020, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Shiloh University with 5 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2020, 1 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Washington County, IA, which is 0.25 times less than the 4 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2020, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 4 degrees mean that there were 4 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 1 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($5,250) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2020.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,000) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Washington County, IA was $203,900 in 2024, which is 0.613 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $199,600 to $203,900, a 2.15% increase. The homeownership rate in Washington County, IA is 74%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Washington County, IA have an average commute time of 23.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Washington County, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 7.81% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Washington County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.89%.

Housing

Property

$203,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$13,093

$6,641

Median Property Taxes

±$400

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Washington County, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Washington County, IA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

74%

Homeownership

2024

67.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 74% of the housing units in Washington County, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 72.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Washington County, IA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$75,647

Median Household Income

± $2,941

8.97k

Number of Households

± 526

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.97k households in Washington County, IA grew to $75,647 from the previous year's value of $71,339.

The following chart displays the households in Washington County, IA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Washington County, IA is from Iowa.

0.441

2023 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.442

2022 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2023, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.441 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.304% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Iowa in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Iowa across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (76.8%)
Worked At Home (9.77%)
Carpooled (8.9%)

In 2024, 76.8% of workers in Washington County, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.77%) and those who carpooled to work (8.9%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

23.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Washington County, IA have a shorter commute time (23.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.69% of the workforce in Washington County, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Washington County, IA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Washington County, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Washington County, IA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 7.81% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Washington County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.89%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

8.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Washington County, IA (1.82k out of 22.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Washington County, IA is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 12.9% of the children was living in poverty in Washington County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 322 in Washington County, IA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 8.86 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

92.4% of the population of Washington County, IA has health coverage, with 46.7% on employee plans, 17.1% on Medicaid, 16% on Medicare, 11.2% on non-group plans, and 1.5% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Washington County, IA see 1,250 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,250 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2508 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1327 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.1% were men and 49.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,250 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Washington County, IA

Primary care physicians in Washington County, IA see an average of 1,250 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,250 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Washington County, IA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.3% under 18 years, 17.3% between 18 and 34 years, 37.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.1% were men and 49.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

7.59%

Uninsured

46.7%

Employer Coverage

17.1%

Medicaid

16%

Medicare

11.2%

Non-Group

1.5%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Washington County, IA grew by 5.18% from 7.22% to 7.59%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Washington County, IA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 46.2 in Washington County, IA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Washington County, IA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 40.7% in Washington County, IA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Washington County, IA.