• county
  • FIPS 51191
  • Largest town: Abingdon

Washington County, Virginia

Washington County had 54,098 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 561.2 square miles of land. It ranks 35th of 133 in Virginia by population and 14th by land area.

Population
54,098
#35 of 133 in Virginia · #956 in US
Area
561.2 sq mi
#14 of 133 in Virginia · #1,844 in US
Density
96 / sq mi
#73 of 133 in Virginia · #935 in US
Median household income
$57,758
#91 of 133 in Virginia · #2,053 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Washington County within Virginia. Pin: Richmond.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Washington County

Washington County population, land area and income

Washington County had 54,098 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 561.2 square miles of land. It ranks 35th of 133 in Virginia by population and 14th by land area. That works out to 96.4 people per square mile, near the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Virginia has 27,800 residents; Washington County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $57,758 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

54,098

3144th1st

956th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

561 sq mi

3144th1st

1844th of 3,144 (US)

Density

96.4 / sq mi

3144th1st

935th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$57,758

3143rd1st

2053rd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Virginia (133)

Population

54,098

133rd1st

35th of 133 (VA)

Land area

561 sq mi

133rd1st

14th of 133 (VA)

Density

96.4 / sq mi

133rd1st

73rd of 133 (VA)

Median household income

$57,758

133rd1st

91st of 133 (VA)

How Washington County's population changed since 2020

Washington County gained 195 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.4%. That ranks 79th of 133 in Virginia for growth. The median Virginia county changed by +1.3%, and the state as a whole by +2.0%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Washington County recorded 1,912 births and 3,630 deaths, a natural change of -1,718. Net international migration added +100 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +1,736. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 1,736 people.

53.9k202053.8k202153.8k202254.0k202354.1k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
1,912
Deaths
3,630
Net international migration
+100
Net domestic migration
+1,736
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+70

Where Washington County is

The Census internal point of Washington County is at 36.747800, -81.950300. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades Virginia's 133 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Washington County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Martinsville city: +2.7%Norton city: -5.5%Charlottesville city: -3.6%Winchester city: -0.7%Bristol city: -5.7%Manassas Park city: -3.2%Fluvanna County: +5.3%Clarke County: +5.3%Lunenburg County: +0.9%Colonial Heights city: +2.8%Franklin city: +2.8%Lexington city: +6.7%Petersburg city: +2.0%Suffolk city: +8.8%Emporia city: -5.1%Middlesex County: +3.2%Fairfax city: +8.9%Fredericksburg city: +7.1%Floyd County: +1.2%Radford city: +7.2%Waynesboro city: +5.5%Hopewell city: -0.2%Staunton city: +2.1%Buena Vista city: -0.6%Covington city: -1.4%Poquoson city: +3.1%Madison County: +2.8%Falls Church city: +2.4%Franklin County: +2.1%Mecklenburg County: +1.8%Smyth County: -2.2%Pittsylvania County: -1.6%Frederick County: +6.7%Russell County: -1.3%Nottoway County: -0.1%Scott County: -0.9%Mathews County: +1.0%Stafford County: +7.1%Goochland County: +13.5%Henrico County: +1.1%Caroline County: +8.2%Prince George County: +1.2%Prince William County: +2.9%Cumberland County: +4.0%Essex County: +0.8%Fairfax County: +1.1%Henry County: -2.9%Carroll County: +0.3%Grayson County: -0.1%Louisa County: +11.4%James City County: +5.5%Albemarle County: +4.2%Lynchburg city: +1.7%King William County: +7.3%Charles City County: -2.7%Northumberland County: +4.7%Alexandria city: -0.0%Salem city: +2.0%Galax city: +0.3%Isle of Wight County: +5.8%Newport News city: -1.6%Tazewell County: -3.8%Amherst County: +1.1%Manassas city: +2.2%Buckingham County: +1.7%Shenandoah County: +2.7%Richmond city: +3.0%Alleghany County: -3.7%Culpeper County: +6.4%Warren County: +4.1%Northampton County: -1.7%Southampton County: -0.1%Portsmouth city: -1.5%Rockingham County: +4.6%Orange County: +7.1%Sussex County: -0.4%Bland County: -1.1%Chesapeake city: +2.1%Harrisonburg city: -1.0%Powhatan County: +6.4%Virginia Beach city: -1.1%Dinwiddie County: +2.5%Campbell County: -0.5%Gloucester County: +3.7%Greene County: +5.5%Page County: -0.0%Halifax County: -1.4%Hanover County: +4.6%Buchanan County: -8.0%Highland County: +4.8%Surry County: +0.4%Westmoreland County: +3.9%Wythe County: -0.8%Greensville County: -2.2%Roanoke city: -2.0%Loudoun County: +4.9%Spotsylvania County: +8.1%Brunswick County: -0.5%King George County: +7.4%Bedford County: +3.3%Patrick County: -1.6%Lancaster County: +1.4%Nelson County: +0.2%Montgomery County: -0.6%Amelia County: +3.4%York County: +1.7%Norfolk city: -2.8%Williamsburg city: +3.6%Bath County: -2.8%Accomack County: +0.0%Washington County: +0.4%Pulaski County: -0.7%Rockbridge County: -1.3%Roanoke County: +0.4%Wise County: -3.0%Fauquier County: +3.9%Craig County: -1.0%Charlotte County: -2.4%Richmond County: +3.3%Lee County: -1.5%Chesterfield County: +6.7%Danville city: -1.4%King and Queen County: +2.4%Prince Edward County: +1.7%Hampton city: +0.2%Appomattox County: +4.9%Botetourt County: +1.5%Arlington County: +0.4%Rappahannock County: +2.1%New Kent County: +17.7%Augusta County: +1.3%Giles County: -1.5%Dickenson County: -4.7%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.4%
  2. < +0.3%
  3. < +2.1%
  4. < +4.7%
  5. ≥ +4.7%
no data

Orange pin: Washington County internal point. Dark pin: Richmond.

Internal point

Decimal
36.747800, -81.950300
DMS
36°44'52.08"N 81°57'1.08"W
UTM
17N 415166.5E 4067316.5N
Geohash
dnt9p1tx7
Plus code
868WP2XX+4V

Towns in Washington County

3 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Washington County, 9,846 people together, or 18% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Washington County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Abingdon with 8,316.

  1. 01Abingdon8,316
  2. 02Glade Spring1,368
  3. 03Saltville (part)162
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Washington County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 7 neighbors for Washington County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Sullivan County, TN, with 162,703 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Richmond and the nearest big city

Richmond is 254.6 miles ENE of Washington County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Winston-Salem, NC (population 255,769), 104.0 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Bristol, VA (population 16,316), 14.6 miles away.

Washington County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Washington County is 51191: state code 51 for Virginia plus county code 191. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $57,758.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Washington County, Virginia?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 54,098. That is up 195 people (0.4%) from the July 2020 estimate of 53,903.

What is the FIPS code of Washington County?

51191. The first two digits (51) are Virginia; the last three (191) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Washington County?

Abingdon, with 8,316 residents inside Washington County in 2024.

Which counties border Washington County?

7 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Sullivan County, TN; Smyth County, VA; Russell County, VA; Scott County, VA; Johnson County, TN; Bristol city, VA; Grayson County, VA.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.