Work and commuting in Washington
There are 331 jobs in Washington for 237 working residents. Only 1% work in Washington; the top destination outside it is Oklahoma City (31%, 28 miles). Working residents average 33 minutes each way, against 22 across Oklahoma and 26 nationally.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
What stands out about work in Washington
Washington and Oklahoma City trade workers both ways
Oklahoma City is the top workplace for Washington residents (31%) and also where the most people who work in Washington come from (10% of its jobs). The commute map ↓
Washington workers spend longer getting to work
The average trip takes 33 minutes each way, against 22 across Oklahoma. Over a year that’s about 253 hours of commuting, 84 more than the state’s typical worker. Time on the road ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey; with 237 working residents, small shifts move the shares.
Commuting out of Washington: the destinations
Where Washington clocks in
31% of workers
6% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
From Washington, about 33 minutes to the job
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 10.4 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Washington workers work from home, vs 9% across Oklahoma. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 413 commuters (the 10% who work from home are left out). Across Oklahoma: 85% drive alone, <1% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
A workday in Washington: who goes, who stays, who comes
On a workday 234 residents head out to work, 3 work right here, and 328 people come in from elsewhere.
About 870 people are in Washington on a workday afternoon, 12% more than live here.
About as many jobs as working residents (1.40 per resident).
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
66% of the jobs in Washington pay over $3,333 a month
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Washington, 2013 → 2023: 23 → 331. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Washington’s own residents hold wherever they work.
How far it is to work from Washington
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Washington: questions
What is the median household income in Washington?
$90,321 (±$20,186) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $65,039 across Oklahoma and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Washington?
8.1%, against 15.3% across Oklahoma and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Washington?
33 minutes each way on average, against 22 across Oklahoma and 26 nationally. 10% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Washington work?
1% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Oklahoma City (31%, 28 mi), Norman (11%, 15 mi), Purcell (6%, 7 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Can you get around Washington without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 1% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Washington, from the people who make the trip.
More of Washington
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.