Wayne County, Mississippi Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wayne County, MS 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 average
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D
Income Well below averageWealthier than 85% of counties in Mississippi
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wayne County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,718 | 2,946,497 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 24.2 | 60.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.49% | -0.18% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.8 | 36.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,681 | 1,145,227 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wayne County declined by 5.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 19,718 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wayne County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.0% of residents. That is 0.2 points below Mississippi as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,335 22.0% -0.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,670 18.6% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,049 20.5% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,469 17.6% -0.2 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 Mississippi, 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 51.5% of the people living in Wayne County and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Mississippi 51.5%
- Men 48.5% Mississippi 48.5%
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 | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $37,934 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 1.32% | 4.27% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wayne County is about 33% lower than in Mississippi.
Housing
| Metric | Wayne County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $50,595 | $130,069 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $783 | $954 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 85.3% | 70.0% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wayne County is about 5.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $783 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wayne County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 188 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wayne County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.6 | 21.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.2 | 43.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 188 | 179 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,837 | $5,558 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.0% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,153 | 6,176 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 332 | 914 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Mississippi:
Sharkey County (11.9 min), Coahoma County (13.2 min), Leflore County (15.2 min).
Slowest:
Wilkinson County (36.8 min), Tate County (32.8 min), Greene County (32.7 min).
The average commute time in Wayne County is 23 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Mississippi.
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 | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.4% | 21.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.55 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Mississippi:
Madison County (0.4), Lafayette County (0.3), Oktibbeha County (0.3).
Lowest:
Issaquena County (0.1), Tallahatchie County (0.2), Greene County (0.2).
Health
Wayne County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Wayne County | Mississippi Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.6 | 74.7 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 22.6% | 23.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.1% | 22.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Mississippi:
Madison County (0.8), Lafayette County (0.8), Oktibbeha County (0.8).
Lowest:
Holmes County (0.7), Quitman County (0.7), Sharkey County (0.7).
Wayne County, MS Compared With Nearby Counties
How Wayne County, MS compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, MS | 19,718 | $37,934 #2/2 | $50,595 #1/2 | 22.6 min #2/2 |
| Jones County, MS | 66,472 | $52,902 | $43,367 | 18.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wayne County, Mississippi.
How big is Wayne County, Mississippi by population?
About 19,718 people live in Wayne County, Mississippi, in 7,681 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 37.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Wayne County, Mississippi mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wayne County, Mississippi has 24 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 28% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Wayne County, Mississippi an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.3 times the median household income ($50,595 against $37,934), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $783 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Wayne County, Mississippi?
Unemployment in Wayne County, Mississippi is 7.0%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Wayne County, Mississippi?
18.4% of adults in Wayne County, Mississippi hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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