Population 38,164 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Wayne County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Wayne County
Household size in Wayne County
| Period | Wayne County | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.56 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.71 | 2.44 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.48 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Wayne County run small, averaging 2.48 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. The picture is much the same across West Virginia. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.56, mirroring the country.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.3 | 41.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.9 | 42.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.8 | 43.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.5 | 43.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +1.9 | +2.3 |
Wayne County skews older: half of its residents are older than 44.5, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 41.3 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.5% | 9.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.2% | 10.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.8% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Wayne County (10.8%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.3 points, even as the national share fell.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.4% | 25.4% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.3% | 27.0% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.5% | 26.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 21.4% | 25.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −0.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 21.4% of households in Wayne County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About two-thirds of owners (65.0%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the northwest; owners are most common in the center. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 2.0 points, even as the national share rose.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.1% | 15.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.8% | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 22.1% | 16.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.8% | 14.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | −0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 14.8% of the housing in Wayne County, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 1.7 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1970 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +6 | +6 |
Homes in Wayne County run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. The picture is much the same across West Virginia. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the north has the oldest housing.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $539 | $578 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $576 | $657 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $669 | $759 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,005 | $905 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$466 | +$327 | +$606 |
Rent in Wayne County runs $1,005 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in West Virginia overall ($905). Rents are up $466 a month from 2006–10, an 87% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 30.6% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 18.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 19.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.0% | 21.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.8% | 25.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Wayne County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 18.8%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.7 points, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the southwest.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.6% | 82.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.3% | 84.8% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 80.3% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.2% | 89.4% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.7 pts | +6.9 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Wayne County never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.2% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 8.7 points, in line with the national trend.
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 | West Virginia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 7.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 8.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 5.5% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −1.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 4.9%, unemployment in Wayne County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 2.1 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
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 | 44.5 | 10.8% | 21.4% | 14.8% | 1975 | $1,005 | 18.8% | 87.2% | 4.9% |
| Lincoln County | 2.64 | 44.8 | 10.9% | 25.5% | 19.8% | 1983 | $808 | 9.3% | 81.9% | 5.9% |
| Carter County | 2.39 | 42.2 | 7.3% | 20.0% | 11.5% | 1985 | $713 | 15.5% | 83.8% | 5.7% |
| Elliott County | 2.67 | 46.2 | 13.5% | 18.3% | 21.4% | 1989 | $427 | 10.0% | 80.1% | 7.4% |
| Kanawha County | 2.35 | 44.2 | 11.4% | 28.9% | 16.1% | 1967 | $973 | 30.8% | 91.7% | 5.6% |
| Rowan County | 2.28 | 33.8 | 13.8% | 38.5% | 12.3% | 1989 | $807 | 26.5% | 85.0% | 5.5% |
| Fleming County | 2.63 | 41.2 | 12.5% | 25.2% | 13.1% | 1984 | $680 | 18.8% | 84.2% | 7.5% |
| Bath County | 2.76 | 39.6 | 11.0% | 25.3% | 13.4% | 1986 | $592 | 12.2% | 82.1% | 2.5% |
| Nicholas County | 2.77 | 41.0 | 9.7% | 25.5% | 16.2% | 1973 | $710 | 9.6% | 87.3% | 6.8% |
| Nicholas County | 2.55 | 46.0 | 10.2% | 17.8% | 23.2% | 1980 | $712 | 24.6% | 90.5% | 6.3% |
| Bourbon County | 2.54 | 42.0 | 11.2% | 36.3% | 10.2% | 1977 | $846 | 26.3% | 87.5% | 4.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Claiborne County, TN · Transylvania County, NC · Trempealeau County, WI · Cowley County, KS · Cooke County, TX · Cocke County, TN · Coamo Municipio, PR · Clinton County, IN · Clinton County, IL · Clatsop County, OR
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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.