About nine in ten adults aged 25 to 54 in Washington County, Colorado, have a job
In Washington County, 14.8% of adults aged 25 to 54 were not working. That is lower than in 85% of U.S. counties.
Less distressed than 76% of U.S. counties.
What drives Washington County's score
In Washington County, housing costs are the highest-scoring part, at 48.6. Late payments on loans are the lowest part, at 22.9.
The County Distress Index looks at five parts of household money trouble in Washington County: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each part is scored from 0 to 100, and a higher score means worse off than other counties.
Even so, Washington County is worse off than most counties on rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income (24.0%, fiscal year 2027).
A longer bar means more trouble. See how the county score works.
- 48.6 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorRenters, 2020–24 Census survey; HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent12.1% · 2020 to 202419th percentile
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income24.0% · fiscal year 202777th percentile
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- 40.9 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- People below the poverty line12.8% · 202446th percentile
- Children below the poverty line17.6% · 202452nd percentile
- People with a disability12.5% · 2020 to 202418th percentile
- People without health insurance6.0% · 2020 to 202431st percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$64,985 · 202455th percentile
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- 34.3 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector15.3% · August 202519th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people123.6 · 202548th percentile
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- 25.1 of 100
Jobs
Unemployment through Sep 2026; adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey
- Unemployment rate, average over the latest year3.7% · Oct 2025 to Sep 202635th percentile
- Adults 25 to 54 not working14.8% · 2020 to 202414th percentile
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- 23.0 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, second quarter of 2026
- People with a credit card behind3.3% · August 202514th percentile
- People with a car or retail loan behindnot published for this county; scored at the state median · August 202521st percentile
- People with a subprime credit score35.7% · second quarter of 202632nd percentile
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Sources: Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and Census income; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Sep 2026.
Where the money in Washington County comes from
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In Washington County, 22.5% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally that year.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Washington County
Colorado
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
Benefit checks' share of income in Washington County had its largest rise, from 12.9% in 1999 to 18.6% in 2004.
In Washington County, benefit checks' share of income has more than tripled since 1969, reaching 27.3% in 2024, but pay from work still brings in twice as much as benefit checks
In Washington County, Colorado, benefit checks' share of income more than tripled from 1969 to 2024, reaching 27.3%; pay from work is plotted alongside. Every fifth year and 2024 are shown.
- Benefit checks
- Pay from work
The share of households in Washington County getting SNAP food aid had its largest drop, from 5.9% in 2010 to 3.5% in 2011.
The share of households in Washington County getting SNAP food aid fell to its lowest on the chart in 2011, then climbed past the 2009 level
Low on the chart: 3.5% in 2011. Households getting SNAP, every year; each bar is a five-year survey estimate ending that year, so neighboring bars share most of their data, Washington County, Colorado.
How Washington County has changed
Washington County's population had its largest rise, from 4,869 in 1979 to 5,389 in 1984.
Washington County's population fell 14% from 1969 to 2024
High on the chart: 5,540 in 1969. Residents, yearly estimate, every fifth year and 2024, Washington County, Colorado.
The jobs count covers work located in the county; the population count covers residents.
The number of jobs located in Washington County rose 13% from 1990 to 2025, with most of the change between 2010 and 2015
High on the chart: 1,243 in 2015. Yearly average of jobs covered by unemployment insurance, every fifth year and 2025, Washington County, Colorado.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 2.0% | 2025 3.4% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 14.1% | 2024 12.8% |
| Median household incomeCensus SAIPE | 1989 $24,478 | 2024 $64,985 |
The table uses 3.4% for 2025; the score uses 3.7% for the latest year (Oct 2025 to Sep 2026), both from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices.
Dated events in Washington County's history
1920
The county's largest recorded population was the 1920 Census count of 11,208. The 2020 Census counted 4,817, 43% of the peak. Census Bureau
2013
A flood in September 2013 did $10 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2015
A flood in June 2015 did $5 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1965
13 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Washington County, 7 of them for flooding. FEMA
Washington County beside its neighbors
Of the seven counties that border Washington County, six score higher. For the share of income from benefit checks, Washington County ranks 2nd of the eight; Lincoln County is highest, at 29.6%.
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan County, CO | 59 | 14.0% | 21.0% |
| Adams County, CO | 57 | 9.8% | 15.6% |
| Arapahoe County, CO | 43 | 7.8% | 12.8% |
| Logan County, CO | 42 | 17.0% | 22.7% |
| Lincoln County, CO | 41 | 16.9% | 29.6% |
| Yuma County, CO | 29 | 13.4% | 21.5% |
| Washington County, CO | 23 | 12.8% | 27.3% |
| Kit Carson County, CO | 21 | 12.9% | 26.8% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Sep 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Washington County the poorest county in Colorado?
No, Washington County's poverty rate was 12.8% in 2024, 28th highest of 64 in Colorado (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Crowley County, at 39.0%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Washington County ranks 39th of 64 in the state.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Washington County
Housing counselors approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development work at nonprofit agencies. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau describes free foreclosure-avoidance counseling, including help with mortgage-company conversations and available options Source CFPB.
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Colorado Legal Services
Legal aid
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Colorado Bar Association — Find a Lawyer directory
Find a lawyer
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Our help directory lists 1,010 agencies approved for foreclosure counseling, by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Washington County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Sep 2026, built from Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. The County Distress Index is American Default Research's own calculation; the Urban Institute does not produce or endorse it. Our methodology
- Urban Institute · Debt in America Breno Braga, Signe-Mary McKernan, Samantha Atherton, and Kassandra Martinchek, "Debt in America," last updated November 20, 2025, https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/debt-america-2025. Licensed under ODC-By 1.0.
- Rent on a two-bedroom and household income The rent share compares HUD fair market rent for fiscal year 2027 with Census Bureau median household income for 2024. The page calls this the typical household's income.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in Washington County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.