Washington County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Washington County, Kentucky has a population of 12,140 across 297 square miles, up 2.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $468.0 m in 2024, 251 establishments operate here.
86 sourced county values · tier FULL · 9 sections
Washington County
How many people live in Washington County
- Population12,140
- Households4,852
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$61,616
- Median age42.3
- Median gross rent$744 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$179,200
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over8,566
- Population under 182,783
- Share under 1822.9 percent
- Population 65 and over2,367
- Share 65 and over19.5 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,990
- Civilian labor force5,674
- Unemployment rate3.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.6 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties91st of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2344th
Washington County is the 91st largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.9 percent against 19.5 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Washington County
Is Washington County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.05 percent
- Census 2020 base population12,023
- Births, 2024136
- Deaths, 2024191
- Natural change, 2024-55
- Net domestic migration, 202443
- Net international migration, 202424
- Total net migration, 202467
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024374
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1158th
The county has grown 2.05 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Washington County
Where people moving to Washington County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving337
- People arriving, from those returns662
- Adjusted gross income arriving$14.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$42,647
- Largest single originWashington County Non-migrants (4,400 households)
- Largest single destination (4,400 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County Non-migrants | 4,400 | 9,375 | $271.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 161 | 296 | $6.3 m |
| Nelson County | 68 | 122 | $3.1 m |
| Marion County | 57 | 113 | $2.2 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 51 | 131 | $2.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 27 | 66 | $1.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 24 | 65 | $1.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Washington County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Washington County
What the Washington County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$468.0 m
- County GDP, 2023$438.0 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.9 percent
- GDP change over five years42.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kentucky counties76th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2446th
- GDP per resident$38,554
Output grew 6.9 percent in the latest year and 42.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Washington County
Who employs people in Washington County
- Covered employment, annual average3,652
- Establishments reporting361
- Average annual pay$51,444
- Average weekly wage$989
- Sector 31-33, employment1,273
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$65,982
- Sector 62, employment458
- Sector 62, average annual pay$36,508
- Sector 23, employment334
- Sector 23, average annual pay$65,264
- Sector 44-45, employment266
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$31,051
- Sector 42, employment154
- Sector 81, employment116
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,273 | 19 | $65,982 |
| Sector 62 | 458 | 68 | $36,508 |
| Sector 23 | 334 | 43 | $65,264 |
| Sector 44-45 | 266 | 42 | $31,051 |
| Sector 42 | 154 | 21 | $42,995 |
| Sector 81 | 116 | 35 | $45,753 |
| Sector 48-49 | 85 | 19 | $53,535 |
| Sector 54 | 50 | 20 | $41,919 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,273 jobs, 34.9 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Washington County
What businesses operate in Washington County
- Establishments, all industries251
- Employment at those establishments3,390
- Annual payroll$161.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.7
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Washington County
What is being built in Washington County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202418
- Declared construction value permitted$2.4 m
- Single family units authorised18
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$134,497
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.7
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Washington County
How much SBA lending happens in Washington County
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$173,000
- Average 504 approval$173,000
- Median 504 approval$173,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval1.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved5.8
- Most active CDCCommunity Ventures Corporation (1)
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Washington County
How big is Washington County
- Land area297 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties65th of 120
- Width, east to west21.9 mi
- Height, north to south18.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land41
- Establishments per square mile0.85
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 7(a) approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2020 onward.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Washington County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Washington County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population12,140
- Households4,852
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$61,616
- Median age42.3
Common questions
Washington County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Washington County, Kentucky?
12,140, in 4,852 households, ranking 91st of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Washington County growing?
The population has grown 2.05 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 136 births against 191 deaths, with net migration of 67. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Washington County?
$61,616. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $179,200, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $744 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Washington County?
251 establishments, employing 3,390 people with an annual payroll of $161.6 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Washington County?
Average annual pay is $51,444, or $989 a week, across 3,652 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
What is being built in Washington County?
18 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Washington County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Washington County come from?
The largest single origin is Washington County Non-migrants, with 4,400 households. Arriving households report an average income of $42,647 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Washington County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Washington County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.