Wayne County, Kentucky Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wayne County, KY Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 79% of counties in Kentucky
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 75% of counties in Kentucky
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 78% of counties in Kentucky
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wayne County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,602 | 4,533,530 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 40.5 | 112.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.59% | 0.33% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.8 | 37.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,074 | 1,813,524 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wayne County declined by 4.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,602 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wayne County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.4% of residents. That is 3.6 points above Kentucky as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,792 19.3% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,998 20.4% -0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,075 20.8% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,190 21.4% +3.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Kentucky, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.4% of the people living in Wayne County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Kentucky 50.5%
- Men 49.6% Kentucky 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Wayne County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Wayne County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Wayne County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,787 | $64,312 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.45% | 4.62% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wayne County is about 29% lower than in Kentucky.
Housing
| Metric | Wayne County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $112,500 | $118,017 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $727 | $967 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.1% | 68.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wayne County is about 12.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $727 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wayne County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 144 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wayne County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.3 | 20.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.6 | 41.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 144 | 173 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,472 | $5,369 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.8% | 10.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,100 | 6,995 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 488 | 832 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kentucky:
Calloway County (13.9 min), Owsley County (15.0 min), Taylor County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Owen County (37.7 min), Spencer County (33.3 min), Bracken County (33.2 min).
The average commute time in Wayne County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Kentucky.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Wayne County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Wayne County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.8% | 24.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kentucky:
Fayette County (0.4), Oldham County (0.4), Campbell County (0.3).
Lowest:
Leslie County (0.1), Lee County (0.1), Elliott County (0.1).
Health
Wayne County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Wayne County | Kentucky Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.3 | 75.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 27.0% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 29.1% | 26.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kentucky:
Oldham County (0.8), Boone County (0.8), Scott County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.7), Bell County (0.7), McCreary County (0.7).
Wayne County, KY Compared With Nearby Counties
How Wayne County, KY compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, KY | 19,602 | $45,787 #2/2 | $112,500 #1/2 | 17.3 min #1/2 |
| Pulaski County, KY | 65,897 | $52,614 | $83,012 | 18.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wayne County, Kentucky.
How many people live in Wayne County, Kentucky?
About 19,602 people live in Wayne County, Kentucky, in 8,074 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Wayne County, Kentucky urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wayne County, Kentucky has 40 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 47% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Wayne County, Kentucky?
The median home costs 2.5 times the median household income ($112,500 against $45,787), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $727 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Wayne County, Kentucky?
13.8% of adults in Wayne County, Kentucky hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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