Population 118,652 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wayne County
Household size in Wayne County
| Period | Wayne County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.54 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.58 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.51 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.48 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Wayne County has 2.48 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. North Carolina as a whole looks much the same. Household size has edged down from 2.54 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Wayne County
| Period | Wayne County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.0 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.4 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.2 | 40.2 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.7 | 40.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.7 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Wayne County are younger than 38.7 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is younger than in North Carolina overall, where the median age is 40.3. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 37.0, mirroring the country.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Wayne County
| Period | Wayne County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.4% | 12.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.5% | 12.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.1% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Wayne County: 15.4% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 0.9 points, even as the national share fell. Wayne County has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of North Carolina counties.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Wayne County
Renters in Wayne County
| Period | Wayne County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.7% | 31.9% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 39.4% | 34.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.9% | 34.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.5% | 33.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Wayne County than nationally: 38.5% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among owners, 45.3% have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southeast. The renter share is up 2.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Wayne County
| Period | Wayne County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.4% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 12.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 11.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs a little high in Wayne County: 11.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. The picture is much the same across North Carolina.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Wayne County
| Period | Wayne County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1983 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1990 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +7 | +6 |
The housing in Wayne County is a little younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1985, against 1980 nationally. Even so, homes here are older than in North Carolina overall, where the median home dates to 1990. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Wayne County
| Period | Wayne County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $684 | $789 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $727 | $868 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $844 | $981 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,066 | $1,317 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$382 | +$528 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Wayne County costs $1,066 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $382 a month from 2006–10, a 56% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.5% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the center; the highest are in the north.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Wayne County
Bachelor's degrees in Wayne County
| Period | Wayne County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.5% | 27.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.6% | 29.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.8% | 32.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.3% | 36.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +8.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Wayne County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.3%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 5.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the center.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Wayne County
| Period | Wayne County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 81.8% | 84.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 82.5% | 86.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.1% | 88.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.1% | 90.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Wayne County never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma has risen 4.3 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Wayne County
| Period | Wayne County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.8% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.4 pts | −4.0 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 6.0%, unemployment in Wayne County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in North Carolina as a whole (4.8%). Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.4 points, in line with the national trend.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Wayne County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 2.48 | 38.7 | 15.4% | 38.5% | 11.3% | 1985 | $1,066 | 22.3% | 86.1% | 6.0% |
| Greene County | 2.67 | 40.8 | 15.4% | 33.5% | 14.4% | 1986 | $823 | 12.1% | 78.9% | 5.0% |
| Lenoir County | 2.37 | 41.5 | 18.3% | 40.8% | 12.5% | 1980 | $850 | 17.2% | 83.1% | 9.1% |
| Harnett County | 2.79 | 37.0 | 10.9% | 29.0% | 9.3% | 1996 | $1,190 | 25.2% | 88.9% | 5.1% |
| Lee County | 2.63 | 39.3 | 16.2% | 32.7% | 8.6% | 1987 | $1,065 | 20.3% | 85.3% | 3.8% |
| Moore County | 2.42 | 44.7 | 7.6% | 23.6% | 12.5% | 1993 | $1,352 | 41.5% | 93.8% | 4.8% |
| Hyde County | 1.91 | 47.1 | 11.8% | 28.1% | 29.6% | 1984 | $1,178 | 14.6% | 87.9% | 4.2% |
| Montgomery County | 2.41 | 44.4 | 12.4% | 25.0% | 24.2% | 1983 | $789 | 19.3% | 85.0% | 3.3% |
| Stanly County | 2.53 | 41.3 | 11.4% | 25.5% | 11.0% | 1976 | $898 | 19.4% | 88.0% | 4.4% |
| Cabarrus County | 2.85 | 38.2 | 11.3% | 28.8% | 10.6% | 1993 | $1,628 | 38.9% | 92.0% | 4.6% |
| Mecklenburg County | 2.53 | 36.5 | 11.5% | 44.9% | 8.1% | 1995 | $1,767 | 49.0% | 90.4% | 4.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Robeson County, NC · Gallatin County, MT · Gregg County, TX · Hanover County, VA · Hardin County, KY · Henderson County, NC · Albemarle County, VA · Kankakee County, IL · LaPorte County, IN · LaSalle County, IL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Wayne County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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