Population 20,800 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Adams County
Household size in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.21 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.29 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.33 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.34 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.13 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Adams County are large by national standards, averaging 3.34 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 3.21, even as the national average fell. Adams County has the largest households of any Washington county.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.6 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 30.2 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 29.7 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 29.5 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.2 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 29.5, Adams County is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 31.6, even as the national median rose. No other Washington county is younger.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.9% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 20.0% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.0% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Adams County than nationally: 13.0%, against 11.6%. Adams County has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Washington counties.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Adams County
Renters in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.1% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.2% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.9% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.7% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.4 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in Adams County rent their homes (30.7%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. About half of owners (49.7%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the northeast. The renter share is down 5.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.2% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.6% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.6% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Adams County is close to the national rate: 8.6% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged down 1.4 points, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1970 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1970 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1976 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +6 | +6 |
The typical home in Adams County was built around 1976, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in Washington as a whole, where the median home dates to 1984. The median year built has moved up from 1970 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the northeast has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $555 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $693 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $825 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $933 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$378 | +$858 | +$606 |
The median renter in Adams County pays $933 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $378 a month from 2006–10, a 68% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 24.7% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Adams County
Bachelor's degrees in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.0% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.8% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Adams County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 14.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has edged up 1.5 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. No other Washington county has a lower share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 65.7% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 64.3% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 66.5% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 64.4% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over a third of adults in Adams County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 64.4% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has edged down 1.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate rose. No other Washington county has a lower share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Adams County
| Period | Adams County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.9% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.2 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Adams County than nationally: unemployment was 3.9%, against 5.4%. Only three of Washington's 39 counties have lower unemployment. Unemployment has fallen 7.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Adams County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 3.34 | 29.5 | 13.0% | 30.7% | 8.6% | 1976 | $933 | 14.8% | 64.4% | 3.9% |
| Grant County | 2.85 | 35.2 | 15.8% | 33.7% | 10.1% | 1986 | $1,156 | 19.0% | 81.7% | 6.2% |
| Franklin County | 3.30 | 32.1 | 18.2% | 29.0% | 5.6% | 1991 | $1,562 | 21.7% | 77.4% | 5.0% |
| Columbia County | 2.11 | 49.5 | 9.6% | 22.3% | 15.8% | 1956 | $1,020 | 23.9% | 89.1% | 4.2% |
| Yakima County | 3.01 | 34.2 | 18.2% | 38.2% | 6.1% | 1977 | $1,212 | 18.5% | 75.7% | 7.4% |
| Garfield County | 2.29 | 47.4 | 2.4% | 23.1% | 15.7% | 1961 | $810 | 31.1% | 94.1% | 5.9% |
| Kittitas County | 2.35 | 39.1 | 6.9% | 38.5% | 15.1% | 1990 | $1,542 | 38.6% | 94.1% | 5.5% |
| Whitman County | 2.21 | 33.8 | 7.7% | 53.2% | 14.6% | 1973 | $1,119 | 53.7% | 96.6% | 6.7% |
| Asotin County | 2.40 | 46.4 | 10.4% | 26.8% | 9.1% | 1976 | $1,133 | 23.9% | 92.2% | 4.8% |
| Latah County | 2.34 | 36.3 | 8.1% | 41.3% | 9.3% | 1980 | $954 | 44.7% | 96.2% | 6.4% |
| Nez Perce County | 2.45 | 42.2 | 13.1% | 29.6% | 8.5% | 1971 | $1,070 | 26.8% | 93.3% | 2.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Piscataquis County, ME · Mackinac County, MI · Franklin County, FL · Nantucket County, MA · Koochiching County, MN · North Slope Borough, AK · Morgan County, UT · Sierra County, NM · Northampton County, VA · Trinity County, CA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Adams County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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