Benefit checks make up 40 cents of every dollar of income in Washington County, Maine
In Washington County, 39.7% of all the income people there received came from benefit checks (Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024). That is higher than in 92% of U.S. counties.
More distressed than 58% of U.S. counties.
What drives Washington County's score
In Washington County, jobs weigh most: the score for jobs is 81.0. Unemployment averaged 5.3%, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, higher than in 85% of U.S. counties. Income and the safety net comes next, at 75.7.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
Washington County does better than most counties on two measures: bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people (34.9, 2025) and people with a credit card behind (3.0%, August 2025).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Washington County ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 81.0 of 100
Jobs
Biggest factorAdults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working25.6% · 2020 to 202476th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average5.3% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202685th percentile
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- 75.7 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line22.7% · 202474th percentile
- People with a disability22.6% · 2020 to 202490th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$55,611 · 202481st percentile
- People below the poverty line16.2% · 202471st percentile
- People without health insurance9.1% · 2020 to 202460th percentile
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- 74.1 of 100
Housing costs
HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income26.5% · fiscal year 202789th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent19.6% · 2020 to 202458th percentile
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- 26.9 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector23.0% · August 202549th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people34.9 · 20254th percentile
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- 21.3 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind3.2% · August 202518th percentile
- People with a credit card behind3.0% · August 202511th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score20.0% · Q4 202534th percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; 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 Aug 2026.
Where the money in Washington County comes from
The Bureau of Economic Analysis adds up all the income that reaches the people of a county and splits it three ways: pay from work, income from investments and rent, and benefit checks.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Washington County
Maine
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Washington County in 2024, pay from work was 45 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 15 cents. Benefit checks were 40 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks have grown from 16 cents of every dollar in 1969, but pay from work still brings in more.
In Washington County, benefit checks rose from 16 to 40 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, Washington County, Maine: 39.7% and 45.1% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 39.7% of all personal income in Washington County, Maine (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4).
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, 26.3% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How Washington County has changed
The number of people living in Washington County stayed about the same between 1969 and 2024, from 30,083 to 31,383. The number of jobs located there stayed about the same from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment fell from 7.6% in 1990 to 5.3% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 30,083 | 2024 31,383 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 11,185 | 2024 10,211 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 7.6% | 2025 5.3% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 20.3% | 2024 16.2% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $19,004 | 2024 $55,611 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 16.1% | 2024 39.7% |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in Washington County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 1900 Census count of 45,232. The 2020 Census counted 31,095, 69% of the peak. Census Bureau
1789
Established on June 25, 1789. Wikipedia
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Since 1970
26 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Washington County, 13 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Washington County beside its neighbors
Washington County scores higher than all three counties that border it. Of the group, Washington County gets the largest share of its income from benefit checks (39.7%).
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County, ME | 58 | 16.2% | 39.7% |
| Aroostook County, ME | 52 | 14.9% | 35.3% |
| Penobscot County, ME | 44 | 14.2% | 27.7% |
| Hancock County, ME | 29 | 10.3% | 22.8% |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 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 Maine?
Yes, Washington County's poverty rate was 16.2% in 2024, the highest of 16 counties in Maine (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Washington County ranks 1st of 16 in the state.
Washington County, Maine: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Washington County, Maine?
16.2% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in six people. Among children it was 22.7%.
Is Washington County the poorest county in Maine?
Yes, Washington County's poverty rate was 16.2% in 2024, the highest of 16 counties in Maine (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Washington County ranks 1st of 16 in the state.
What is the population of Washington County, Maine?
About 31,383 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 31,095, 69% of the county's peak of 45,232 in 1900.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Washington County
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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Pine Tree Legal Assistance
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,311 approved agencies 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 Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- 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.