A brown and white dog looks outside a window

Affordable housing is a common topic these days. But do you know about affording housing where you live? Here are some quick true-or-false questions about Washington County, MN.
1) True or false? Washington County median rents are nearly $200 a month higher than the metro-area average.
2) True or false? Washington County workers earn the highest average wages in the Twin Cities metro area.
3) True or false? “Cost-burdened” means a renter or homeowner is paying more than 30% of household income toward housing costs.
4) True or false? Washington County needs 2,650 more affordable rental homes for existing households earning $33,000 or less per year.
5) True or false? Seniors in Washington County are among the least cost-burdened renters in Minnesota.
6) True or false? Median rent in Washington County is $995 a month, the lowest in the state.
7) True or false? The Washington County CDA supports affordable housing only through rental assistance programs for residents.
For Extra Credit!
8) True or false? Washington County had the fastest population growth in the seven-county Twin Cities metro area from 2020 to 2025.
9) True or false? Most of the area’s largest employment fields pay enough to afford Washington County rent.
10) True or false? In 2026, the household income required to buy a median-priced home in Washington County is $65,800.
11) True or false? There are more than 26,000 cost-burdened households in Washington County.

The CDA is Part of the Solution

The Washington County CDA is helping move the work of affordable housing forward by connecting residents, landlords, and developers with practical resources and financing. By using these programs and working with area partners, we can expand housing options and help more people find a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home in Washington County.

 

Answers

 

1) Answer: True ✅ Washington County has the highest median rent in Minnesota, and its median rents are nearly $200 per month higher than the Twin Cities regional average.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Answer: False ❌ Despite the county’s high rents, Washington County workers take home the lowest average wages in the metro area. This mismatch makes it harder for many people who work here to afford living here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) Answer: True ✅ In the early 1980s, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) adopted 30% as its general housing-affordability benchmark. Why is that number important? Spending more than 30% of income on housing leaves less money for food, transportation, health care, and other basic needs. More than half of Washington County renters are cost-burdened, 25% of renters are considered severely cost-burdened, and 77% of all senior renters are cost-burdened.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4) Answer: True ✅ More than 3,500 Washington County households have extremely low incomes, but only about 1,140 rental units are affordable to them. An estimated 2,650 households still need housing that fits their budgets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5) Answer: False ❌ Seniors in Washington County are the most cost-burdened renters in the state, meaning they are paying more than 30% of household income toward housing costs. Fixed retirement income and Social Security payments have not kept pace with rising rents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6) Answer: False ❌ As noted by the U.S. Census Bureau, median gross rent for Washington County, MN, is $1,710 per month. (This represents an aggregate total which includes all bedroom sizes combined.) Median gross rent for Ramsey County, our neighbor to the west, is just above $1,300 per month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7) Answer: False ❌ The CDA offers resources for residents, landlords, and developers. Our work includes rental assistance, homebuyer and homeowner advising, home improvement programs, and financing tools that support affordable housing construction, rehabilitation, and preservation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8) Answer: True ✅ Washington County’s population grew by 7.2% from 2020 to 2025 — the fastest rate in the seven-county metro area. As more people call the county home, demand for housing continues to grow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9) Answer: False ❌ Of the five largest employment fields in the Twin Cities metro area, only the category of business and finance pays enough on average for a worker to rent in Washington County without spending more than 30% of their income on housing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10) Answer: False ❌ According to the Minnesota Housing Partnership’s 2026 county profile, household income of $126,600 is currently needed to buy a median-priced home in Washington County.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11) Answer: True ✅ 25% of all Washington County households, both homeowners and renters, are cost-burdened, meaning they pay more than 30% of household income on housing costs. The numbers show that more renters are cost-burdened than homeowners: 19% of all owners and 51% of all renters.

 

 

Sources

  • US Census Bureau
  • Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
  • Minnesota Housing Partnership
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