The Town Files

Washington, Pennsylvania

Township in Lawrence County · population 711 (2020 Census)

Map: where Washington is in PennsylvaniaWashington
Median home
$220,600
Household income
$72,188
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 81°
Snow a year
28 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
11
Median age
49.4

Washington is a township of 711 people in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. The median home is worth $220,600, close to the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). It ranks quieter than 90% of Pennsylvania towns, better for families than 87% of Pennsylvania towns, better for retirees than 81% 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 townsRetirement81st pctFamilies87th pctQuiet90th pctWalkability19th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals40th pctVibrancy20th pctHip & trendy10th pctCollege town43rd pctUpscale50th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling74th pctTransit60th pctDriving58th 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 $220,600, close to the typical Pennsylvania town ($214,250). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $72,188, which is more affordable than 39% of Pennsylvania towns. Median rent is $1,095 a month. 79.6% of households own their home.

Washington vs Lawrence County vs typical Pennsylvania townWashingtonLawrence CountyTypical Pennsylvania townHome value$220,600$147,200$214,250Household income$72,188$61,931$75,278Monthly rent$1,095$831$996
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Pennsylvania towns with 500+ people.
HousingWashingtonTypical Pennsylvania town
Median home value$220,600$214,250
Median rent$1,095$996
Median household income$72,188$75,278
Home value ÷ income3.1×2.8×
Homeownership79.6%81.5%
Median year built19861971
Seasonal / vacation homes3.3%—

Who lives in Washington

PeopleWashingtonTypical Pennsylvania town
Median age49.444.2
Age 65 and over22.2%21.1%
Under 1815.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher24.5%23.8%
Below the poverty line9.9%8.5%
Veterans4.7%—
Born outside the U.S.0.8%—
Work from home11.0%10.6%
Average commute24.7 min25.9 min
Homes with broadband86.5%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 27.5 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 blue3.510.12.77.73.43.73.90.34.14.84.64.04.13.53.50.83.24.9
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 (8.4 mi away); snow from New Castle 1 N (8.5 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Washington since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Pennsylvania town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on August 8, 1992 about 6.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 14, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Washington by decade01950s01960s11970s21980s41990s12000s12010s22020s
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 68 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 14, 2024.

Severe weather in Lawrence County since 1996

Storm events in Lawrence County since 1996 by typeHail98Flood35Tornado4High Wind16Ice Storm6Heavy Snow17Flash Flood99Strong Wind4
NOAA Storm Events Database, Lawrence County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Lawrence County has been included in 12 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 1, 2013Severe StormDR-4149: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
October 29, 2012HurricaneEM-3356: Hurricane Sandy
September 10, 2005HurricaneEM-3235: Hurricane Katrina

Jobs and pay in Lawrence County

Lawrence County had 26,838 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $52,927 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in Washington itself the ACS puts it at 6.8%.

Largest industries in Lawrence CountyHealth care & social assistan…5,867 jobs · $50,407Manufacturing3,272 jobs · $70,933Retail3,082 jobs · $35,752Hotels & restaurants2,449 jobs · $18,281Construction1,784 jobs · $75,171Administrative & support1,011 jobs · $42,902
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Lawrence County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Lawrence 4.2%
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 81% of Pennsylvania towns and quieter than 90%. 22.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.4).

How much does a house cost in Washington?

The median owner-occupied home in Washington is valued at $220,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $72,188, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $1,095 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 27.5 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 August 8, 1992. 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 4207381272). 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.