Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Washington gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $232K for a typical one, or 3.1 years of the Pittsburgh metro’s $76K median household income. It grades C overall, 860th of 1032 graded towns in Pennsylvania. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 85% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household income is $53K, and 17% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 92% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 100% of U.S. towns, with 10 places on the National Register. On history, just 30 of Pennsylvania’s 1,749 towns do better. 45% of households own their home in Washington, where Pennsylvania’s towns sit at 78% and U.S. towns at 73%. Washington is home to Washington & Jefferson College.
Where Washington beats most towns.
David Bradford House is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 1,301 in 1810, a peak of 26,280 in 1950, 13,176 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1865 and 3 maps from 1904 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), 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 South Strabane Township and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
9,167 jobs are based in Washington, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 18.7 minutes, against 26.3 across Pennsylvania.
Most working residents leave Washington for work: only 15% work in town. Washington’s average trip to work is 19 minutes. Jobs based in Washington fell to 9,167 in 2023, 1,830 fewer than in 2013.
| Washington | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 6.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 9.1% | 12% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by Washington SD. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Washington HS, with 387 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Park El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 864 | C− |
| Washington HSLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 387 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Against the 6,778 U.S. towns with household incomes like Washington’s, it is less healthy than 69%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income. All 4 graded neighbors score healthier than its D, from Canton Township (C+) to East Washington (A).
42% of adults have obesity in Washington. Washington beats the Pennsylvania average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 25% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Washington.
| Washington | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 38% | 36% |
| What stands out | Washington | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.4% | 8.8% |
| More uninsured adults | 8.7% | 5.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
115 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 16 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 86% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 115 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Washington.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Washington has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 21° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median rent in Washington is $910 a month. The typical Washington home is worth about $233,000, up 2.9% in a year, 19% below the Pennsylvania typical home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Washington Park, at 77 acres.
| Washington | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.3% | 8.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Washington Park | 0.2 mi | 77 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Washington. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaAcrisure Stadium
22 mi LandmarkFort Duquesne
25 mi Theme parkKennywood
23 mi Stadium & arenaPNC Park
23 mi Stadium & arenaPPG Paints Arena
15 mi MuseumMeadowcroft RockshelterAcrisure Stadium: Fo2grfr, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Duquesne: Sébastien Paquin, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kennywood: Ski2007 of English Wikipedia, Public domain · PNC Park: alpineinc, CC BY 2.0 · PPG Paints Arena: Jleedev, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Meadowcroft Rockshelter: Lee Paxton, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Washington
About 11 of every 100 Washington residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
10 places in Washington on the National Register of Historic Places.
26 notable people were born in Washington.
City in Pennsylvania, US
Washington is a city in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 13,176 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area in southwestern Pennsylvania. Nicknamed "Little Washington" to distinguish it from Washington, D.C., the city is home to Washington & Jefferson College and Pony League baseball.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Washington.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C; South Strabane Township (C+) is closest. South Strabane Township next door grades higher for schools (A− to Washington’s C) and lower for cost of living (C to B+).
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | #860 | C | B+ | — | C | D |
| South Strabane Township | #811 | C+ | C | D | A− | C+ |
| North Franklin Township | #192 | A | A− | — | A− | C+ |
| Canton Township | #540 | B | A− | — | A− | C+ |
| East Washington | — | — | B− | — | C | A |
East Washington has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Washington, North Franklin Township, Canton Township and East Washington report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Washington with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Washington grades C overall, better than 32% of U.S. towns and #860 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades D for health and C 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 B+.
26 notable people were born here, including Joseph Albert Walker and Edward Goodrich Acheson.
.jpg){kind=link}
