Population 22,112 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Washington
Household size in Washington
| Period | Washington | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.39 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.38 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.18 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.21 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Washington are small: just 2.18 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.39, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only 21 of the 332 North Carolina cities with 5,000+ people have smaller households.
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
| Period | Washington | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.4 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.6 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.8 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.1 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.7 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Washington skews older: half of its residents are older than 46.1, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 41.4 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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
| Period | Washington | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.8% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.2% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in seven households in Washington (15.4%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 1.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Washington has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of North Carolina cities.
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
Renters in Washington
| Period | Washington | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.5% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.9% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.8% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 39.6% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Washington than nationally: 39.6% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among homeowners, 51.4% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the east. The renter share has risen 5.1 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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
| Period | Washington | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.8% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.4% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.4% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Washington than nationally: 12.4%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is up 1.9 points from 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
| Period | Washington | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +7 | +6 |
The typical home in Washington was built around 1978, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in North Carolina overall, where the median home dates to 1990. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the south.
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
| Period | Washington | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $649 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $666 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $714 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $863 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$215 | +$528 | +$606 |
The median renter in Washington pays $863 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $215 a month since 2006–10, up 33%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.3% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northeast and lowest in the south.
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
Bachelor's degrees in Washington
| Period | Washington | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.2% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.1% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.4% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.2% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.0 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Washington have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.2%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is little changed from 2006–10, while the national share rose.
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
| Period | Washington | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.6% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.9% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.9% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.1% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Washington never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 7.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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
| Period | Washington | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −9.1 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Washington runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 9.1 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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 compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 2.18 | 46.1 | 15.4% | 39.6% | 12.4% | 1978 | $863 | 21.2% | 87.1% | 4.3% |
| Washington Park | 1.98 | 54.6 | 7.0% | 28.3% | 13.6% | 1975 | $836 | 37.9% | 96.4% | 3.1% |
| Hootentown | 2.41 | 55.3 | 8.7% | 24.2% | 18.8% | 1981 | $1,305 | 15.0% | 87.5% | 3.4% |
| Chocowinity | 2.47 | 47.0 | 11.6% | 23.4% | 15.9% | 1990 | $831 | 24.2% | 90.9% | 6.5% |
| Camp Leach | 2.18 | 51.6 | 7.0% | 11.1% | 16.1% | 1989 | $786 | 37.8% | 96.1% | 0.7% |
| Five Points | 2.78 | 46.6 | 4.4% | 13.7% | 16.2% | 1975 | $1,056 | 9.7% | 94.2% | 0.7% |
| Pactolus | 2.51 | 40.9 | 14.8% | 33.0% | 12.1% | 1992 | $909 | 17.5% | 83.0% | 3.9% |
| Blounts Creek | 2.21 | 58.9 | 2.6% | 13.0% | 36.4% | 1992 | $850 | 22.0% | 93.4% | 1.1% |
| Grimesland | 2.70 | 39.4 | 12.7% | 21.0% | 6.2% | 1992 | $976 | 26.6% | 91.0% | 4.6% |
| Everetts Crossroads | 2.67 | 43.3 | 4.6% | 10.8% | 9.2% | 1982 | $786 | 13.2% | 96.6% | 0.0% |
| McConnell | 2.37 | 58.9 | 3.7% | 10.2% | 43.8% | 1983 | $833 | 18.4% | 92.4% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Stoneham, MA · Evans, CO · Evergreen, CO · Fallon, NV · Fernley, NV · Forest, VA · Fountain Inn, SC · Short Pump, VA · St. Andrews, SC · Stanwood, WA
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. 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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