Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Washington grades D− overall, 266th of 286 graded towns in North Carolina, mostly because of safety and health. It reports more crime per resident than 93% of U.S. towns, including 36 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Residents are less healthy than 85% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. It also has a long history, with 6 places on the National Register. Only 29 of North Carolina’s 451 towns score higher on history. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top.
Where Washington beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Bank of Washington, West End Branch
Census counts: 2,015 in 1850, 9,875 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1862 and 4 maps from 1903 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within North Carolina), 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 draws workers from Greenville and beyond, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of North Carolina (mostly hurricanes) and is a long drive from an emergency room.
7,960 jobs are based in Washington, 2.2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 4 of Washington’s working residents works in town. 23% of Washington residents live below the poverty line, above both North Carolina’s towns (13%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Washington’s median household income is $40,000.
| Washington | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 13% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 25% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $40,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Beaufort County Schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| P S Jones MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 659 | C+ |
| Washington HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 794 | C− |
| Washington MontessoriTop results in townGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 429 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NC on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 415 to 321 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
At 29.4 per 1,000 residents, Washington’s property crime rate is above both the North Carolina town median (21.8) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9). The violent crime rate in Washington is 3.7 per 1,000 residents. Washington reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 93% report less.
| Washington | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 29.4 per 1,000 residents | 21.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.7 per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 85% of North Carolina towns, with expected losses of about $589 per resident a year; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on. 1,176 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 204 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1982, 1,176 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Washington.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The nearest emergency room, Ecu Health Medical Center, is 20 miles away in a straight line. Against the 2,448 U.S. towns with household incomes like Washington’s, it is healthier than 62%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
18% of Washington adults have diabetes. Washington beats the North Carolina average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 48% of Washington adults have high blood pressure.
| Washington | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 38% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Washington | NC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.4% | 14.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.1% | 76.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.7% | 13.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Washington | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 5.9% | 3.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Washington Waterfront | 0.5 mi | 5 |
| 2. Seventh Street Park | 0.2 mi | 15 |
| 3. Havens Gardens Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
60.9% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.9% across North Carolina.
The typical Washington home is worth about $243,000, up 1.4% in a year, 27% below the North Carolina typical home. 46% of households own their home in Washington.
| Washington | North Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 46% | 67% | 73% |
| Median rent | $856 a month | $1,086 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Washington has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 89°, January nights drop to 35° and about 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1 within 15 miles of the center of Washington
About 4 of every 100 Washington residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across North Carolina.
Where Washington’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
6 places in Washington on the National Register of Historic Places.
11 notable people were born in Washington.
City in North Carolina, United States
Washington is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, North Carolina, United States, located on the northern bank of the Pamlico River. The population was 9,875 at the 2020 census. It is commonly known as "Original Washington" or "Little Washington" to distinguish it from Washington, D.C. The closest major city is Greenville, approximately 20 miles (32 km) to the west. Established in 1776 on land donated by Col. James Bonner, Washington is the first city named after George Washington, the first president of the United States.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Washington grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #266 of 286 in North Carolina. It grades D for health, D for safety and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within North Carolina, it does better than 27% of towns.
That is 4.2 years of the area's median household income ($58,357 across the Washington, NC area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
11 notable people were born here, including Murray Hamilton and William Churchill deMille.
