Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Washington gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $144K, 2.1 years of the Washington area’s $69K median household income. It grades C+ overall, ranked 433rd of 585 in Indiana. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 92% of the country. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 8 places on the National Register. 32% of working residents work locally in Washington, above both Indiana’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (8%). Its National Register listings include Robert C. Graham House and Washington Commercial Historic District. Only 9 of the 189 Indiana towns we compare have a lower typical home value than Washington.
Where Washington beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 675 in 1850, 12,017 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1896 and 3 maps from 1944 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Washington is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Washington, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Washington.
Washington has homes that are cheap against local pay and has commutes shorter than most of Indiana.
20% of Washington adults smoke cigarettes. Washington beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 26% of Washington adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Washington | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 21% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 39% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Washington | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 20.9% | 14.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 12.6% | 8.9% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 10.2% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 2.1 years of the Washington area’s $69K median household income, the typical home (about $144K) costs less against local pay than in 88% of Indiana towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living.
55% of households own their home in Washington. The typical Washington home is worth about $144,000, up 3.1% in a year, 44% below the Indiana typical home. Washington’s median rent is $858 a month.
| Washington | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $858 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1.4 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves.
| Washington | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.8% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. East Side Park | 0.2 mi | 19 |
| 2. Eastside Park | 0.2 mi | 15 |
| 3. Playground | — | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Washington has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Washington is 87°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 5,097 working residents takes 18 minutes, against 24.1 across Indiana.
About one in 3 of Washington’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Washington Township (6%), Vincennes Township (5%) and Vincennes (5%). Half commute less than 18 miles.
| Washington | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 7.8% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Washington; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Washington residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
8 places in Washington on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Washington.
City in Daviess County, Indiana
Washington is a city in Daviess County, Indiana, United States. The population was 12,017 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Daviess County. It is also the principal city of the Washington, Indiana Micropolitan Statistical Area, which comprises all of Daviess County and had an estimated 2017 population of 31,648.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Washington grades C+ overall, better than 42% of U.S. towns and #433 of 585 in Indiana. It grades D for health, B for safety and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
8 notable people were born here, including William Donald Borders and Don C. Faith, Jr..
