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COUNTY

Washington County

Rhode Island · 129,795 residents (2025 est.) · 329 sq mi
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Part of the Providence metro area
The short version

Washington County is a county of 130,344 people in Rhode Island. This is an unusually credentialed place: 52% of adults have a four-year degree. The median age is 45.5, about 7 years above the US median. That puts it in the top 1% of US counties for household income. Owners hold 78% of the housing stock. 5% of people here were born outside the United States.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $106,638, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 45.5
US median: 38.9
More educated
52% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 78%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Washington County

What changed most since 1990

  • Median age32.8 → 45.5 (+12.7 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
  • White share95.9% → 88.9% (−7.0 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Adults with a bachelor's degree29.1% → 52.4% (+23.3 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts

Among the 5 counties in Rhode Island

  • 2nd in household income$106,638
  • 3rd in share with a bachelor's degree52.4%
  • 3rd in home value$510,800
  • 5th in diversity score25.8
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
130,344
+6%since 2000
from 123,546 in 2000
129,795 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
396 / sq mi
+6%since 2000
from 375 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
45.5
+22%since 2000
from 37.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
329 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
108K114K120K126K132K19902000201020202024Washington County
2024130K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 53.5%(4,584)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.5%(5,873)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.2%(5,498)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198%(10,404)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 249.2%(11,982)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3410.2%(13,255)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4410%(12,970)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.1%(14,490)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6416%(20,866)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7413.9%(18,077)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 847.3%(9,452)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.2%(2,893)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$106,638
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $53,103 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$56,069
+120%since 2000
from $25,530 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
65.8%
+19.1 ptssince 2009
from 46.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
8.2%
+0.9 ptssince 2000
from 7.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.440
+1%since 2010
from 0.437 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.3%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services7.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade6.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration5.6%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance3.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$510,800
+78%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $157,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,327
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $645 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
77.5%
+4.7 ptssince 2000
from 72.8% in 2000
22.5% rent
Vacancy rate
20.8%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 19.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.34 people
−6%since 2009
from 2.50 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
23.5%
−6.7 ptssince 2009
from 30.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
45.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 45.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.8
−5%since 2009
from 5.1 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
52
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic94%(116,134)
Black0.9%(1,074)
Hispanic / Latino1.4%(1,780)
Asian1.5%(1,850)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic88.9%(115,866)
Black1.2%(1,568)
Hispanic / Latino3.8%(4,968)
Asian2.1%(2,719)
Other4%(5,223)
Diversity Score
26
+49%since 2009
from 17 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
25
−17%since 2020
from 30 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican0.8%(1,040)
Mexican0.8%(999)
Dominican0.7%(863)
Panamanian0.2%(267)
Colombian0.2%(262)
Guatemalan0.2%(245)
Cuban0.2%(199)
Spaniard0.1%(115)
Costa Rican0.1%(89)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0%(51)
Peruvian0%(38)
Bolivian0%(35)
Honduran0%(11)
Chilean0%(9)
Asian origin
Chinese0.7%(928)
Asian Indian0.5%(631)
Korean0.4%(504)
Filipino0.3%(333)
Japanese0.1%(83)
Taiwanese0%(63)
Thai0%(63)
Cambodian0%(36)
Laotian0%(29)
Burmese0%(12)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(17)
Ancestry
Irish23.6%(30,807)
Italian19.7%(25,624)
English18.6%(24,289)
German8.2%(10,749)
French7%(9,083)
American5.1%(6,604)
Portuguese4.3%(5,604)
Polish3.8%(5,009)
French Canadian3.5%(4,564)
Scottish2.9%(3,749)
Swedish1.8%(2,330)
Russian1.1%(1,493)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.7%(926)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(910)
Dutch0.7%(879)
Arab0.6%(827)
Greek0.6%(724)
Hungarian0.5%(667)
Czech0.5%(666)
Lithuanian0.5%(635)
Ukrainian0.4%(491)
Austrian0.3%(452)
Finnish0.3%(446)
Welsh0.3%(426)
Canadian0.3%(411)
British0.3%(391)
Armenian0.3%(390)
Cape Verdean0.3%(381)
Lebanese0.2%(317)
Swiss0.2%(309)
Slovak0.2%(248)
West Indian0.2%(235)
Romanian0.2%(213)
Danish0.2%(205)
Syrian0.1%(135)
Latvian0.1%(116)
Turkish0.1%(79)
Haitian0.1%(73)
Brazilian0.1%(72)
Belgian0.1%(70)
Nigerian0%(58)
Israeli0%(54)
Iranian0%(53)
Jamaican0%(42)
Serbian0%(28)
Slovene0%(24)
Croatian0%(22)
Iraqi0%(16)
Egyptian0%(12)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
52.4%
+16.9 ptssince 2000
from 35.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
95.7%
+7.1 ptssince 2000
from 88.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
23.2%
+9.4 ptssince 2000
from 13.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.0 min
+54%since 2000
from 16.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
75.5%
−7.2 ptssince 2009
from 82.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
4.9%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
15.3%
+11.0 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.5%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.4%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.4%
−2.1 ptssince 2011
from 6.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
61.9%
−6.3 ptssince 2011
from 68.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.5%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 76.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
13.8%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 15.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
51.5%
+12.0 ptssince 2009
from 39.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Female
51.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Foreign born
5.0%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 4.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.1%
−5.3 ptssince 2009
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.8%
+1.1 ptssince 2012
from 9.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
2.0%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 6.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.4%
+8.8 ptssince 2017
from 85.6% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.9%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 93.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
91.8%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 90.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
93.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2016
from 93.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
1.8%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 1.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married35.9%(19,921)
Married54%(29,934)
Widowed2.6%(1,432)
Divorced7.5%(4,147)
Women 15+
Never married31%(18,280)
Married48.9%(28,811)
Widowed8.4%(4,979)
Divorced11.7%(6,885)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
2.0%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 6.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
63.5%
−1.8 ptssince 2020
from 65.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
17.6%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 17.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
24.1%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 21.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
13.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 12.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 2.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
79.3%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 80.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
34.9%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 32.3% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)21.1%(1,402)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.3%(1,281)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.2%(2,474)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6%(397)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.1%(71)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 6,653 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Washington County, decade by decade

Washington County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990110,006$88,678$366,73129.1%9.9
2000123,546$96,735$286,36435.5%14.4
2010126,979$101,110$505,08241.7%18.1
2020129,839$105,411$435,48646.0%26.5
2024130,344$106,638$510,80052.4%25.8

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Washington County

Napa County
Pop 132,949
Fayette County
Pop 125,156
Dallas County
Pop 118,457
Kendall County
Pop 145,470
Places similar to Washington County
Head to head

Compare Washington County to nearby counties

WASHINGTON COUNTY VS
Newport County
Income$103,514−3%
Home value$609,700+19%
Population83,051−36%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASHINGTON COUNTY VS
Kent County
Income$94,345−12%
Home value$366,100−28%
Population173,495+34%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASHINGTON COUNTY VS
Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
Income$86,586−19%
Home value$323,400−37%
Population284,015+119%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASHINGTON COUNTY VS
Bristol County
Income$114,490+7%
Home value$513,800+1%
Population50,001−61%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Washington County, Rhode Island?

Washington County, Rhode Island has about 130,344 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Washington County, Rhode Island?

The typical household in Washington County, Rhode Island earns about $106,638 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Washington County, Rhode Island expensive?

In Washington County, Rhode Island, the median home is worth about $510,800, and the typical rent is about $1,327 a month.

How educated are people in Washington County, Rhode Island?

About 52.4% of adults age 25 and over in Washington County, Rhode Island hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Washington County, Rhode Island?

About 8.2% of people in Washington County, Rhode Island live below the federal poverty line.

Has Washington County, Rhode Island grown since 1990?

Yes, Washington County, Rhode Island has grown since 1990. The population has added about 20,338 residents, a change of about 18 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →