Washington County, IA
Get paid to care for your family member in Washington County, Iowa
About 4,780 people in Washington County are 65 or older — 21% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Iowa overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 597 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. There are only so many home-care agencies in a county this size, and the ones that are here do not always cover evenings, weekends, or the far end of the county.
Who needs care in Washington
- People 65 and older
- 4,780
- People 85 and older
- 597
- Median age
- 40.5
- Rank in Iowa
- 29th
21% of Washington residents
the age daily help usually starts
older than the country as a whole
of 99 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Washington County is a smaller-city county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 3). Iowa as a whole is 19% aged 65 or older.
What Iowa pays family caregivers
$2,691/month
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Iowa Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Iowa's programs at a glance
- Consumer Choices Option (CCO)
- CDAC (agency-delivered)
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Iowa guide →
Towns and cities in Washington County
Iowa sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Washington and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Washington County:
- Washington7,281
- Kalona2,762
- Wellman1,531
- Riverside1,063
- Brighton592
- Ainsworth511
- Crawfordsville278
- West Chester147
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Washington apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Washington County start with Iowa's program:
Apply for Medicaid and the appropriate HCBS waiver through Iowa HHS (hhs.iowa.gov or a local office, 800-338-8366); after waiver approval and level-of-care assessment, ask the case manager to enroll in the Consumer Choices Option.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Iowa program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Washington questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Washington County?
Yes. Iowa runs real Medicaid programs — like Consumer Choices Option (CCO) — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Washington County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Washington County?
Reported figures in Iowa are around $2,691/month, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Washington County apply?
Families in Washington County start with the state, not the county. Apply for Medicaid and the appropriate HCBS waiver through Iowa HHS (hhs.iowa.gov or a local office, 800-338-8366); after waiver approval and level-of-care assessment, ask the case manager to enroll in the Consumer Choices Option.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Washington County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Iowa: no — a spouse cannot be the paid attendant under CDAC or CCO
How many people in Washington County might need this?
4,780 residents of Washington County are 65 or older and about 597 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Iowa's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Washington do you cover?
All of Washington County — including Washington, Kalona, Wellman, Riverside and Brighton. Eligibility is set by Iowa, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Iowa's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
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