Washington Pond, 2012
Washington’s story
Washington in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1979.
Explore the history →WashingtonME
A town of 1,562.
Population
1,562
2025 Census estimate · −2% since 2020
Typical home
$343K
+2.1% in a year
Household income
$60K
median
Median age
48.2
years
Jobs based here
132
A commuter town
Is Washington a good place to live?
The best of Washington’s subject grades is a B+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D for incomes. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. Only 2 of the 144 Maine towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Washington. On the outdoors, just 20 of Maine’s 285 towns do worse. The biggest park or preserve is EarthSong Sanctuary, at 32 acres. Washington has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Washington stand out
Where Washington beats most towns.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Washington for work
Where Washington’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
132jobs based in Washington
2%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Washington grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Maine), ordered by how far Washington is from typical.
Jobs & income$60K median household incomeDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.3 of 20; 3.9% of households have no car; 0.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →SchoolsCOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →HealthMainehealth Pen Bay Hospital 17.2 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 2% conserved landDOpen →History1 notable person born hereC+Open →Civic life2.6 library visits per resident; 6.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 48.2; 17% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Washington: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Washington, and how to reach them.
PowerCentral Maine Power27.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Washington’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Maine you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWashington Town ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2026
ZIP code0457404574 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Washington.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Washington has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
15% of residents live below the poverty line in Washington. Just 2% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. The town had 132 jobs in 2023, up 33 from 2013. In Washington, the mean commuting time is 32 minutes.
2%work in town
| Washington | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $78,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 15% | 14% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Washington2%
Rockland12%
Augusta8%
Rockport7%
Union7%
18 mi
median commute distance
132
jobs based in Washington
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 15% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsC
Washington’s schools rank behind 71% of Maine districts
Its one school is below. Public schools: RSU 40/MSAD 40. Enrollment at Washington’s public school: 107 students.
29%of ME districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prescott Memorial SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 107 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ME on state tests and graduation
Climate
Washington: snowy winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 78°, January nights drop to 11° and about 69 inches of snow falls in a winter.
69″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–32°
Spring32–52°
Summer56–76°
Fall39–57°
Oct 19
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B+
The typical home in Washington: about $343K
Washington: 93% of households are owner-occupiers, where Maine’s towns sit at 81% and U.S. towns at 73%. Values rose 2.1% in the 12 months to September 2026. The typical rent for Washington comes to $1,036 a month.
$343KZillow home value
| Washington | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 93% | 81% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,036 a month | $1,106 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Washington$343K
Maine$412K
+2.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Washington faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Households in Washington have drawn federal disaster aid in 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 62% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Washington break down as 35% from inland flooding and 31% from hurricanes.
38risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesIce storms
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB−
Health in Washington trails 53% of U.S. towns
For adults locally, the share who feel lonely is 30%. Washington: 14% of adults binge drink, below both Maine’s towns (15%) and U.S. towns (16%). Two figures for adults in the town: 27% have been diagnosed with depression, 17% smoke cigarettes.
47%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Washington | Maine towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Maine
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Washington | ME |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with arthritis | 35.2% | 32% |
| Fewer adults screened for colon cancer | 66.2% | 70.5% |
Togus VA Medical Center
15.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsD
Conservation land takes up 2.1% of Washington
1.0 miles of trail wind through 2 parks and preserves.
2.1%conserved
2.1%
conserved · 532 of 24,913 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. EarthSong Sanctuary | — | 32 |
| 2. Nelson-Butterfield Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 33 attractions →Acadia National Park and 18 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Washington. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi National ParkAcadia National Park4.1M visitors a year
36 mi LandmarkFort Knox
30 mi LighthousePemaquid Point Light
18 mi MuseumFarnsworth Art Museum
30 mi GardenCoastal Maine Botanical Gardens
19 mi National MonumentFrances Perkins National MonumentSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Acadia National Park: Plh1234us, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Knox: Unknown, Public domain · Pemaquid Point Light: WestportWiki, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Farnsworth Art Museum: Panoramio user MementoMori, CC BY 3.0 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens: CMBG editor, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Frances Perkins National Monument: Robert Reed, NPS employee (per the same source), Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Washington
19pages on Washington
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Washington; the nearest are
Maine Media CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Rockport16.3 miUniversity of Maine at AugustaUniversity or college · Public · Augusta20.7 mi$8,888 in-state tuitionKennebec Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fairfield25.5 mi$4,156 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Washington residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Maine.
About Washington
Town in Maine, United States
Washington, officially the Town of Washington, is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,590 at the 2020 United States census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 39 sq mi
- Elevation
- 338 ft
- ZIP code
- 04574
- Area code
- 207
Washington’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Washington.
UnionSomervillePalermoLibertyJeffersonWashington
How the neighbors grade
| Town | ME rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | — | — | B+ | — | C | B− |
| Union | — | — | C+ | — | C | B |
| Somerville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Palermo | — | — | B− | — | A− | B |
| Liberty | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jefferson | #65 | B− | B | — | B | B− |
Washington, Union and Palermo have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Washington, Union, Palermo and Jefferson report no FBI crime data of their own. Somerville and Liberty aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Washington with a neighbor →
Questions about Washington
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Washington, ME expensive?
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 B+.