Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
68% of the land in Washington is conserved, against 19% in Massachusetts’ towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is October Mountain State Forest, 11,191 acres with 50.8 miles of trail. Washington has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Washington beats most towns.
Census counts: 588 in 1790, a low of 222 in 1930, 494 in 2020. The archive holds 14 old photos and papers going back to 1843 and 7 maps from 1886 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Washington. Close and well known come first.
19 mi MountainMount Greylock
8 mi TheatreTanglewood
34 mi National Historic SiteSpringfield Armory National Historic Site14K visitors a year
11 mi MuseumNorman Rockwell Museum
36 mi Theme parkSix Flags New England
24 mi MuseumClark Art InstituteMount Greylock: Jstergis, CC BY 3.0 · Tanglewood: Daderot., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Springfield Armory National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Norman Rockwell Museum: User:Rmrfstar, CC BY 2.5 · Six Flags New England: Canadaolympic989, Public domain · Clark Art Institute: Daderot, Public domain
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.
71 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. The concentration of trails in Washington is 1.8 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves in the town: 7, covering 15,504 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. October Mountain State Forest | 50.8 mi | 11,191 |
| 2. Mill Brook Reservoir | 15 mi | 4,000 |
| 3. Appalachian Trail Corridor | 2 mi | 94 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Values rose 3.5% in the 12 months to September 2026. 93% of Washington households own their home, above both Massachusetts’ towns (79%) and U.S. towns (73%).
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Washington’s middle household income stands at $95,000. The top destinations are Pittsfield (19%), Dalton (6%) and Becket (6%). The share of residents in Washington who live below the poverty line: 2.7%. For half of commuters, work is under 17 miles away.
| Washington | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.7% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.8% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $95,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Washington brings cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 78°, January nights drop to 12° and about 77 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
30% of adults in Washington feel lonely; 15% binge drink. Against the Massachusetts average, Washington comes out ahead on 9 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 7. In Washington, 83% of adults had a checkup this year.
| Washington | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 82% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | Washington | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.6% | 5.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.9% | 11.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.7% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 52% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in Washington, 78% come from inland flooding and 8% from hurricanes. Federal aid has come to Washington households in 9 declared disasters; the latest was in 2013.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Washington
About 2 of every 100 Washington residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
7 places in Washington on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Washington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 494 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Washington has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
2 notable people were born here, including Edwin D. Morgan and Josiah D. Arnold.
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