CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

38.66° N · 87.16° W · GEOID 1880504

Washington

Daviess County, Indiana · part of the Washington, IN metro

IndianaWashington, INWashingtonWashington

The short answer

Washington is home to 12,367 people. Median household income is $50,331 a year and median rent is $858 a month, 20.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $152,200, about 3.0x annual median household income.

Washington is defined by its growth. Population growth since 2020 is 7.9%, against -1.5% in its closest peers. Also notable: Home values rose 12% a year between the 2019 and 2024 surveys while incomes rose 3.8%, a wider gap than in 93% of places its size.

64OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

Washington scores better than 64% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 66th of 132 in Indiana.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%62
Economy 20%51
Safety 20%68
Amenities 15%37
Education 10%13
Commute 10%89
Growth 5%59
Median gross rent
$858
37% below the median place
Median household income
$50,331
37% below the median place
Median home value
$152,200
52% below the median place
Unemployment
2.8%
42% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

01

Moving to Washington

Daviess County loses about 7.0 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in921
Moved out1,128
Net−207

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Knox County, IN135197−62
Martin County, IN105115−10
Pike County, IN4455−11

Within Indiana, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within IndianaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$48K
Leavers$47K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Daviess County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
3.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.8% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Daviess County report $47,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $46,700.
Income you would need
$34,300 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $858 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,180 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $152,200.
Getting to work
18 minutes each way on average; 5.4% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Great Bend, KS matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
3.9%
33% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$46,678
34% below the median place
Income of households moving in7
$47,675
32% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureWashingtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year13.9%33% below
Moved from another state1County figure0.8%59% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-7.0below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$47,67532% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$46,67834% below
02

What it costs to live here

The median household earns $50,331 a year, less than in 89% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Washington20.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$34,320
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
20.5%
0% above the median place
Home price to income
3.0x
21% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
21%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$39,700
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Washington, $858 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Washington, but easier on the budget

Places that match Washington on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Great Bend, KS9716.8% vs 20.5%n/aCompare
Shelby, OH9616.0% vs 20.5%n/aCompare
Sturgis, MI9615.8% vs 20.5%n/aCompare
Jackson, OH9517.0% vs 20.5%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Washington.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Washington? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,180
37% below the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$1,202
63% below the median place
Median home value1
$152,200
52% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureWashingtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$85837% below
Rent to income120.5%0% above
Property tax rate10.8%13% below
Home price to income13.0x21% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,09033% below
HUD area median income3County figure$91,80014% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,20263% below
Median home value1$152,20052% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure1.1%67% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure51.5%0% above
Homeownership154.9%17% below
Renters paying 30%+149.3%3% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,18037% below
Vacant homes19.4%33% above
Median year built119601% below
03

Work and pay

Compared with the 21 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Sturgis, MI, Shelby, OH and Rochelle, IL), unemployment here is lower: 2.8% against a typical 6.8%.

Unemployment1
2.8%
42% below the median place
Works from home1
5.4%
57% below the median place
Median household income1
$50,331
37% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute18 min −28%
Income per person$26,853 −33%
Poverty rate18.2% +69%
All 9 work and pay measures
MeasureWashingtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$50,33137% below
Income per person1$26,85333% below
Unemployment12.8%42% below
Average annual pay5County figure$52,03921% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure4.8%30% above
Jobs5County figure13,30791% below
Poverty rate118.2%69% above
Mean commute118 min28% below
Works from home15.4%57% below
04

Who lives here

High school or higher is 81.9%, 11% below the median place.

High school or higher1
81.9%
11% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
16.8%
48% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
86.0%
7% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance10.7% +67%
Median age37.3 −4%
Household size2.4 −2%
Born abroad9.9% +12%
All 9 people measures
MeasureWashingtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population112,3673506th largest
Population change since 202067.9%above (median 1.1%)
Median age137.34% below
Bachelor's or higher116.8%48% below
High school or higher181.9%11% below
Household size12.42% below
Born abroad19.9%12% above
No health insurance110.7%67% above
Homes with broadband186.0%7% below
05

Life in Washington

OpenStreetMap shows 0 libraries per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 86% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 132 Indiana places we track.

Founded or incorporated in 1815. 10 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Prairie Creek Site listed 1975
  • Graham, Robert C., House listed 1983
  • Washington Commercial Historic District listed 1990
  • Carnahan, Magnus J., House listed 1991
  • Faith, Thomas, House listed 1994
  • Scudder, Dr. John A., House listed 1995

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents12.1 +19%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k1.6 −24%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k2.4 −78%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails1 km −55%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi1.1 5.0×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • George Rogers Clark National Historical Park 20 miles
  • Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial 38 miles
  • Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park 110 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars16.3 −22%
Shops34.8 +15%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.4 −41%
Doctors' offices and clinics13.4 −34%
Child care centers2.4 +4%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public school students13
2,639
46% below the median place
Public schools13
6
33% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site10
20.4
34% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureWashingtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13633% below
Public school students132,63946% below
Students per teacher1315.40% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure16.322% below
Shops per 10k8County figure34.815% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure2.441% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure13.434% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.44% above
Parks per 10k912.119% above
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k91.624% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k92.478% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.955% below
Transit stops per sq mi91.1above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1020.434% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles1020% above
National Register listings111023% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 206, 7% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
206
7% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
443
63% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Wildfire risk15
22.4
63% below the median place
Natural hazard risk15
58.8
36% below the median place
Heat wave risk15
66.3
26% below the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureWashingtonAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure87°F0% above
January average low14County figure22°F13% below
Average temperature14County figure55°F1% below
Annual precipitation14County figure47.8 in9% above
Natural hazard risk15County figure58.836% below
Hurricane risk15County figure30.357% below
Tornado risk15County figure72.111% below
Wildfire risk15County figure22.463% below
Heat wave risk15County figure66.326% below
08

Washington in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 21% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 20% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Washington does better than 60% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 86%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$858/mo (2024)$1,100/mo$900 to $1,340/mo+4.2%
Median household income$50,331 (2024)$63,500$54,000 to $75,500+4.0%
Median home value$152,200 (2024)$226,000$164,000 to $311,000+6.8%
Population12,991 (2025)13,65013,090 to 14,230+1.0%

The median home would be worth 3.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.0 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Washington

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Sedalia, MO$877$50,990Compare
New Iberia, LA$894$47,087Compare
Roswell, NM$876$51,583Compare
Lebanon, MO$809$48,359Compare
Lebanon, MORoswell, NMNew Iberia, LASedalia, MOWashington, INWashingtonSedaliaNew IberiaRoswellLebanonWashingtonSedaliaNew IberiaRoswellLebanon

Places built like Washington

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Washington performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Washington, IN20.5%3.8%/yr7.9%
Sturgis, MI15.8%8.5%/yr-2.1%Compare
Shelby, OH16.0%5.1%/yr-0.5%Compare
Rochelle, IL17.8%6.1%/yr0.1%Compare
Circleville, OH19.0%7.4%/yr5.1%Compare
Greenville, MI17.0%12.2%/yr5.1%Compare
Portage, WI18.7%7.3%/yr-6.0%Compare

Common questions

Is Washington a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 64 out of 100, better than 64% of the places we rate and 66th of 132 in Indiana. On cost, space and class size it scores 36 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Washington expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 20.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $152,200.

What salary do you need to live in Washington?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $34,320 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Washington safe?

There were 206 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Washington?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Sedalia, MO, New Iberia, LA, Roswell, NM and Lebanon, MO.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Washington with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Washington itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/washington-indiana

Citytistics. “Washington, Indiana.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/washington-indiana/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.