Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Washington grades B overall, 80th among Utah's 118 graded towns. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 86% of the country and the median household earns $92K. The trade-off is money: the typical home is worth about $539K, 6.7 years of the St. George metro’s $81K median household income. Washington’s peak summer temperature is 102°F, above both Utah’s towns (92°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). Only 5 of Utah’s 173 towns score lower on hazard risk. The biggest place to walk is Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, 5,467 acres with 31.8 miles of trail.
Where Washington beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
18,761 counted in 2010 and 27,993 in 2020; an estimated 37,107 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 32.5% since 2020, after 49.2% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Utah), ordered by how far Washington is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 196 in 1860, a low of 196 in 1860, 27,993 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1875 and 2 maps from 1956 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
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 Mar 13, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Washington.
Washington has milder winter nights than almost anywhere else in Utah, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Utah (mostly wildfires) and has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Utah.
In Washington, the concentration of trails is 2.0 miles per square mile. Across 16 parks and preserves: 70 miles of trail. Parks and preserves locally: 16, covering 5,564 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Red Cliffs National Conservation Area | 31.8 mi | 5,467 |
| 2. Pine View Park | 0.5 mi | 8 |
| 3. Razor Ridge Park | 0.4 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Below: Three of its 10 schools, each with why it was picked. Public schools: the Washington District. 6 public schools serve Washington, with 3,204 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Fields IntermediateLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–7 | Grades 6–7 | 913 | A |
| Crimson Cliffs HighLargest public high schoolGrades 10–12 | Grades 10–12 | 1,401 | A− |
| Crimson Cliffs MiddleTop results in townGrades 8–9 | Grades 8–9 | 933 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within UT on state tests and graduation
Within Utah it is healthier than 51% of the 118 graded towns: Utah sets a high bar.
Among adults in Washington, 13% report frequent physical distress. Only 10 of the 118 Utah towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Washington. Against the Utah average, Washington comes out ahead on 12 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 8. Two figures for adults locally: 15% get no exercise outside work, 7.5% smoke cigarettes.
| Washington | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.5% | 8% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 33% |
| What stands out | Washington | UT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.7% | 10% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.9% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 7.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 98% of Utah towns, with expected losses of about $190 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Since 2013, one flood insurance claim has been paid in Washington. Expected losses in Washington break down as 55% from wildfires and 19% from avalanches.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jobs based here grew from 3,389 in 2013 to 7,166.
In Washington, 14% of working residents work locally. The town had 7,166 jobs in 2023, up 3,777 from 2013. The mean commuting time locally is 18 minutes. The top destinations are St. George (56%), Hurricane (5%) and Cedar City (3%).
| Washington | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 8.2% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.5% | 6.4% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $101,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Washington has grown 33% since 2020, to 37,107 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. People 65 and older are 21% of residents (12% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 20% of residents (26% statewide). Also worth knowing: for Washington, the midpoint age is 38.5 years. Utah has 38% of adults 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more; here it is 36%.
| Washington | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 11% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 26% | 30% | 22% |
| Median age | 38.5 years | 32.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 36% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.7 points. Across Utah, 49.3% of residents are women. Median age: women 38.0, men 39.0.
| Washington | UT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.7% | 14.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.4% | 13.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.4% | 11.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.4% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.4% | 13.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.9% | 11% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.8% | 9.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.4% | 7.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.6% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.3% | 6.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.3% | 22.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 29% | 23.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.6% | 9.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.1% | 24.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.8% | 13% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
January nights average 32°, the #2 highest of 334 Utah places with climate records; July afternoons average 101.6°. The St George weather station, 7 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 239 days, the highest of 330 Utah places with climate records. The St George weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 128 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns.
About 1 inches of snow falls in a winter. Winters in Washington are mild and summers scorching, with very little rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 472 to 340 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate for Washington comes to 1.1 per 1,000 residents. The level of property crime for Washington comes to 8 per 1,000 residents.
| Washington | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.1 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8 per 1,000 residents | 9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
At 6.7 years of the St. George metro’s $81K median household income, the typical home (about $539K) costs more against local pay than in 77% of Utah towns; that ratio is one input to that grade.
Washington’s rent at the middle of the market is $1,614 a month. On the market here: a median 48 days to sell. Homes in Washington sold for 99.4% of their list price on average.
| Washington | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,614 a month | $1,538 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Washington. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi National ParkZion National Park5.0M visitors a year
31 mi MountainAngels Landing
10 mi State parkSnow Canyon State Park
26 mi Canyon & gorgeZion Canyon
32 mi Canyon & gorgeThe Narrows
25 mi Canyon & gorgeVirgin River GorgeZion National Park: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Angels Landing: Óðinn, CC BY-SA 2.5 ca · Snow Canyon State Park: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 · Zion Canyon: No machine-readable author provided. Antilived assumed (based on copyright claim, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Narrows: Jon Sullivan, Public domain · Virgin River Gorge: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Washington
About 4 of every 100 Washington residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Utah.
Where Washington’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Washington on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Utah, United States
Washington is a city in south central Washington County, Utah, United States and is a part of the St. George Metropolitan Area. The area is also known as Utah's Dixie because the Mormon pioneers who settled the St. George area came to the area to raise cotton, which was milled at the cotton mill in Washington. The population was 27,993 as of 2020. Washington is a fast-growing suburb of St. George, and is the second largest city in Washington County. The city was named after U.S. President George Washington. The city administration has encouraged the use of the name "Washington City" in recent years.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Washington.
| Town | UT rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | #80 | B | C− | B | B+ | A |
| St. George | #91 | B− | C− | B− | B+ | A− |
| Hurricane | #93 | B− | C− | B− | B+ | B+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Washington grades B overall, better than 64% of U.S. towns and #80 of 118 in Utah. It grades A for health, B for safety and B+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
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