Washington, NC
Census place 3771220 · pop 9,726
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$40,186 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
46.4% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
23.1% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.50 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
17.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
32.0% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
40.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
87.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
12.0% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
94/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
24.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+1.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
17.4% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.84% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$206,800 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.2% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
20 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,225/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
Not measured for Washington: Crime, Air, Bad air, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Washington, NC a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Washington scores 43/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 18 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is rent and its weakest is median household income. North Carolina overall ranks #16 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Washington, NC expensive to live in?
- Washington has a median home value of $206,800 and typical rent around $1,225/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Washington, NC?
- Its weakest measured area is median household income ($40,186) — 3/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Washington, NC best at?
- Its strongest measured area is rent ($1,225/mo) — 87/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.