The Town Files

Washington, Pennsylvania

Township in Butler County · population 1,288 (2020 Census)

Map: where Washington is in PennsylvaniaWashington
Median home
$156,600
Household income
$64,167
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 81°
Snow a year
41 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
11
Median age
42.3

Washington is a township of 1,288 people in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $156,600, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks easier by car than 88% of Pennsylvania towns, better for families than 77% of Pennsylvania towns.

How Washington ranks

Percentile among Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Pennsylvania towns.

Washington lifestyle rankings vs other Pennsylvania townsRetirement26th pctFamilies77th pctQuiet57th pctWalkability9th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals28th pctVibrancy14th pctHip & trendy7th pctCollege town65th pctUpscale29th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit47th pctDriving88th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Washington is worth $156,600, below the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $64,167, which is more affordable than 75% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $900 a month. 78.6% of households own their home.

Washington vs Butler County vs typical Pennsylvania townWashingtonButler CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$156,600$294,200$214,250Household income$64,167$89,843$75,278Monthly rent$900$1,041$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingWashingtonTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$156,600$214,250
Median rent$900$996
Median household income$64,167$75,278
Home value ÷ income2.4×2.8×
Homeownership78.6%81.5%
Median year built19671971
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Washington

PeopleWashingtonTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age42.344.2
Age 65 and over20.9%21.1%
Under 1822.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher14.3%23.8%
Below the poverty line10.9%8.5%
Veterans5.1%—
Born outside the U.S.1.1%—
Work from home11.1%10.6%
Average commute33.7 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband81.2%89.0%

Weather in Washington

July highs average 81.3°F and January lows 16.8°F. About 45.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 41.3 inches of snow (typical Pennsylvania town: 31.8 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 142 nights at or below freezing.

Washington monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing33°17°Jan37°18°Feb46°25°Mar59°35°Apr69°45°May77°54°Jun81°58°Jul80°56°Aug74°50°Sep62°39°Oct49°31°Nov38°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.513.52.710.33.46.53.90.84.14.84.64.04.13.50.13.51.63.28.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Slippery Rock 1 Ssw station (11.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Washington since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 1, 1954 about 9.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 14, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Washington by decade11950s01960s31970s11980s01990s02000s42010s22020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 27 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on March 28, 2020.

Severe weather in Butler County since 1996

Storm events in Butler County since 1996 by typeHail170Flood40Tornado19High Wind17Ice Storm11Heavy Snow15Flash Flood77Strong Wind7
NOAA Storm Events Database, Butler County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Butler County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 30, 2020BiologicalDR-4506: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3441: Covid-19
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
April 16, 2010SnowstormDR-1898: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorms
September 10, 2005HurricaneEM-3235: Hurricane Katrina

Jobs and pay in Butler County

Butler County had 88,461 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $65,579 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Washington itself the ACS puts it at 3.3%.

Largest industries in Butler CountyHealth care & social assistan…13,924 jobs · $58,407Retail10,837 jobs · $37,650Manufacturing10,799 jobs · $84,267Hotels & restaurants7,681 jobs · $23,001Company management4,638 jobs · $132,748Wholesale trade4,548 jobs · $84,944
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Butler County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Butler 3.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Washington

Washington questions

Is Washington, Pennsylvania a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Washington scores better for retirees than 26% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 57%. 20.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.3).

How much does a house cost in Washington?

The median owner-occupied home in Washington is valued at $156,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $64,167, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $900 a month.

What is the weather like in Washington?

July highs average 81.3°F and January lows 16.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 45.2 inches of precipitation a year and 41.3 inches of snow.

Does Washington get tornadoes?

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Washington since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 1, 1954. The typical Pennsylvania town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Washington's Census boundary (GEOID 4201981192). Comparisons use the median of Pennsylvania towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.