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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Washington County

Rhode Island · 129,839 residents · 329 sq mi
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The short version

Washington County is home to 129,839 people in Rhode Island. The median age is 46.9, about 8 years above the US median. This is an unusually credentialed place: 46% of adults have a four-year degree. Owners hold 75% of the housing stock. That is roughly 24% ahead of the Rhode Island median. 5% of people here were born outside the United States.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 46.9
US median: 38.8
More educated
46% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 52%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
129,839
+5%since 2000
from 123,546 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
46.9
+25%since 2000
from 37.4 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
329 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
108K114K120K126K132K19902000201020202024Washington County
2024130K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 53.6%(4,698)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.2%(5,446)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 145.1%(6,571)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 198.1%(10,551)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 248.1%(10,476)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 349.4%(12,210)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 449.7%(12,593)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.2%(15,808)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6416.9%(21,969)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7413.8%(17,887)
US avg: 10%
75 to 846.4%(8,306)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.6%(3,324)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$86,970
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $53,103 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$44,325
+74%since 2000
from $25,530 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
57.4%
+10.8 ptssince 2009
from 46.7% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
8.2%
+0.9 ptssince 2000
from 7.3% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information10.8%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade10.4%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade6.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services6.3%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration4.8%
US avg: 4.7%
Finance & insurance3.2%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical2.6%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2%
US avg: 2.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.5%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$359,300
+52%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $157,200 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,115
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $645 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
74.6%
+1.7 ptssince 2000
from 72.8% in 2000
25.4% rent
Persons per household
2.39 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.50 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
4.1
−18%since 2009
from 5.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic94%(116,134)
Black0.9%(1,074)
Hispanic / Latino1.4%(1,780)
Asian1.5%(1,850)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic88.6%(115,089)
Black1.1%(1,468)
Hispanic / Latino3.5%(4,578)
Asian2%(2,605)
Other2.7%(3,472)
Segregation Score
30
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 Rican0.7%(909)
Mexican0.7%(875)
Dominican0.3%(422)
Cuban0.2%(236)
Chilean0.2%(214)
Panamanian0.2%(199)
Spaniard0.1%(186)
Bolivian0.1%(161)
Guatemalan0.1%(155)
Costa Rican0.1%(133)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Colombian0.1%(117)
Honduran0.1%(69)
Peruvian0%(28)
Asian origin
Chinese1.1%(1,372)
Asian Indian0.4%(493)
Japanese0.2%(212)
Filipino0.2%(206)
Korean0.1%(189)
Cambodian0.1%(89)
Pakistani0%(19)
Laotian0%(10)
Thai0%(6)
Pacific Islander origin
Fijian0.1%(67)
Ancestry
Irish25.5%(32,169)
Italian19.7%(24,905)
English18.9%(23,888)
German8.3%(10,481)
French8.1%(10,161)
Polish4.7%(5,985)
French Canadian4.3%(5,379)
Portuguese3.9%(4,901)
American3.6%(4,563)
Scottish3.1%(3,939)
Swedish2%(2,547)
Russian1.4%(1,749)
+ 40 more ancestry groups with data
Greek0.9%(1,137)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(917)
British0.7%(901)
Ukrainian0.6%(787)
Dutch0.6%(786)
Norwegian0.6%(770)
Armenian0.6%(701)
Hungarian0.5%(601)
Czech0.5%(587)
Lithuanian0.4%(527)
Welsh0.4%(451)
Finnish0.3%(441)
Canadian0.3%(437)
Austrian0.3%(389)
Danish0.3%(367)
Cape Verdean0.3%(362)
Lebanese0.3%(332)
Swiss0.2%(296)
Syrian0.2%(253)
West Indian0.2%(231)
Slovak0.2%(201)
Romanian0.1%(172)
Belgian0.1%(139)
Latvian0.1%(138)
Haitian0.1%(116)
Egyptian0.1%(92)
Croatian0%(61)
Jamaican0%(60)
Brazilian0%(56)
Arab0%(44)
Israeli0%(38)
Slovene0%(24)
Bulgarian0%(23)
Nigerian0%(20)
Iranian0%(16)
Serbian0%(16)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
46.0%
+10.5 ptssince 2000
from 35.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
94.7%
+6.1 ptssince 2000
from 88.6% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
20.1%
+6.4 ptssince 2000
from 13.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
27.3 min
+62%since 2000
from 16.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
82.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 82.7% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
4.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.9%
−0.6 ptssince 2011
from 6.5% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
64.1%
−4.0 ptssince 2011
from 68.2% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.9%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
44.8%
+5.3 ptssince 2009
from 39.6% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Female
51.7%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Foreign born
4.9%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.1% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
2.4%
−4.5 ptssince 2013
from 6.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
93.7%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
90.3%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
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
2.4%
−4.5 ptssince 2013
from 6.9% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
65.3%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
17.0%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
21.5%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
12.4%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.7%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
80.7%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
32.3%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)15.8%(1,228)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)13%(1,007)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era41.8%(3,244)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War10%(774)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II3.9%(302)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 7,757 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Washington County to nearby counties

WASHINGTON COUNTY VS
Newport County
Income$103,514+19%
Home value$609,700+70%
Population83,051−36%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASHINGTON COUNTY VS
Kent County
Income$94,345+8%
Home value$366,100+2%
Population173,495+34%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASHINGTON COUNTY VS
Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
Income$86,586same
Home value$323,400−10%
Population284,015+119%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASHINGTON COUNTY VS
Bristol County
Income$114,490+32%
Home value$513,800+43%
Population50,001−61%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Washington County, Rhode Island?

Washington County, Rhode Island has about 129,839 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Washington County, Rhode Island earns about $86,970 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 $359,300, and the typical rent is about $1,115 a month.

How educated are people in Washington County, Rhode Island?

About 46.0% 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 19,833 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 →