Population 42,765 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Washington County
Household size in Washington County
| Period | Washington County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.74 | 2.66 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.71 | 2.67 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.55 | 2.64 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.57 | 2.57 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | −0.09 | −0.03 |
The average household in Washington County has 2.57 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has dropped from 2.74 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the north and smallest in the east.
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 Washington County
| Period | Washington County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.7 | 36.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.9 | 37.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.5 | 38.8 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.3 | 39.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.6 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Washington County is 38.3 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 35.7 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the northwest, the oldest in the southwest.
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 Washington County
| Period | Washington County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.6% | 15.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.1% | 15.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 19.9% | 14.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 21.4% | 14.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −1.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in five households in Washington County (21.4%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is down 3.2 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Washington County has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of Mississippi 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 Washington County
Renters in Washington County
| Period | Washington County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.8% | 29.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 45.1% | 31.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 47.1% | 31.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 39.8% | 30.0% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.0 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts |
About four in ten households in Washington County rent their homes (39.8%), a bit above the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 64.7% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the northwest and least common in the south. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 4.0 points, 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 Washington County
| Period | Washington County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.5% | 13.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 14.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.9% | 16.1% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.0% | 14.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Washington County: 16.0% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Vacancy has risen 1.5 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
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 Washington County
| Period | Washington County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1981 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1983 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1984 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1987 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Washington County run older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1974 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1971 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the south, while the west has the oldest housing. Only four of Mississippi's 82 counties have older homes.
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 Washington County
| Period | Washington County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $664 | $703 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $710 | $758 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $723 | $819 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $898 | $1,018 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$234 | +$315 | +$606 |
Rent in Washington County runs $898 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $234 a month since 2006–10, up 35%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 35.0% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the north.
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 Washington County
Bachelor's degrees in Washington County
| Period | Washington County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 20.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.8% | 21.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.1% | 22.8% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.8% | 25.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +5.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Washington County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.8%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 3.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the northwest.
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 Washington County
| Period | Washington County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 73.5% | 80.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.8% | 82.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 78.8% | 84.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.1% | 87.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.6 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in Washington County never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 7.6 points, mirroring the country. Washington County has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Mississippi counties.
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 Washington County
| Period | Washington County | Mississippi | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.2% | 9.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 22.9% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.1% | 7.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 5.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −14.2 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 6.0%, unemployment in Washington County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 14.2 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
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).
Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 2.57 | 38.3 | 21.4% | 39.8% | 16.0% | 1974 | $898 | 21.8% | 81.1% | 6.0% |
| Chicot County | 2.36 | 43.3 | 16.5% | 30.8% | 22.3% | 1980 | $719 | 18.8% | 83.6% | 8.0% |
| Carroll County | 2.28 | 48.2 | 15.1% | 16.3% | 18.9% | 1985 | $631 | 20.7% | 83.0% | 1.7% |
| Montgomery County | 2.29 | 44.1 | 12.5% | 24.2% | 24.1% | 1982 | $833 | 18.7% | 82.3% | 6.6% |
| Union County | 2.56 | 41.5 | 11.6% | 27.3% | 17.4% | 1981 | $850 | 19.3% | 88.0% | 5.9% |
| Choctaw County | 2.30 | 44.3 | 12.4% | 20.6% | 20.0% | 1979 | $674 | 20.0% | 86.6% | 10.1% |
| Oktibbeha County | 2.13 | 30.6 | 9.4% | 52.0% | 15.1% | 1994 | $936 | 48.1% | 91.7% | 5.6% |
| Columbia County | 2.49 | 36.7 | 13.6% | 29.3% | 22.9% | 1981 | $755 | 24.7% | 90.1% | 3.0% |
| Lafayette County | 2.34 | 48.9 | 9.4% | 20.7% | 32.3% | 1977 | $644 | 8.3% | 82.1% | 4.9% |
| Pickens County | 2.62 | 41.9 | 9.3% | 24.2% | 23.2% | 1983 | $636 | 13.0% | 85.8% | 4.9% |
| Miller County | 2.59 | 39.5 | 16.3% | 35.6% | 19.1% | 1982 | $881 | 15.3% | 86.6% | 7.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Tioga County, PA · Danville City, VA · Dare County, NC · Darke County, OH · Davie County, NC · Dearborn County, IN · DeKalb County, IN · Dickson County, TN · Vega Baja Municipio, PR · Tuscola County, MI
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 Washington 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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