Wayne County, Mississippi Income Statistics
Wayne County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Wayne County Well below averageWealthier than 85% of counties in Mississippi
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Wayne County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $37,934 | $56,669 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $39,285 | $48,086 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 1.3% | 4.3% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 4.7% | 7.4% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 2.8% | 5.8% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Wayne County is about 33% lower than in Mississippi. Income has been growing slower in Wayne County (1.3%/yr) than in Mississippi (4.3%/yr).
About 5% of adults in Wayne County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Mississippi average of 7%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Wayne County, Mississippi grew by 24.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $37,934 in 2024. That's an average of about 1.3% per year.
Wayne County has been far below the U.S. median household income in every year from 2009 to 2024. Even at its closest, in 2018, its income was 36% lower. The gap has widened from 41% in 2009 to 53% in 2024.
Income Distribution in Wayne County
How incomes are spread across brackets, compared with the U.S. Pick a range to count who falls in it.
Households by income, 2024
Income range calculator
About 1,472 households (19.2% of all households) have an income of $100,000 or more.
Across the U.S.: 40.2% of all households.
In 2024, 47.2% of households in Wayne County had an income under $35,000 and 6.5% had $150,000 or more. Across the U.S., those shares were 21.6% and 22.8%.
Compared with the U.S., Wayne County has a larger share of households earning $15,000 to $24,999 (20.7% vs 6.4%) and a smaller share earning $200,000 or more (2.8% vs 13.2%).
| Household income | Households | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $10,000 | 510 | 6.6% | 5.1% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 561 | 7.3% | 3.5% |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 1,592 | 20.7% | 6.4% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 965 | 12.6% | 6.7% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 1,071 | 13.9% | 10.1% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 927 | 12.1% | 15.5% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 583 | 7.6% | 12.6% |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 976 | 12.7% | 17.4% |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 284 | 3.7% | 9.5% |
| $200,000 or more | 212 | 2.8% | 13.2% |
Shares are of all 7,681 households, one per occupied home whatever its size. Households with zero or negative income are counted in the lowest bracket. Source: ACS 5-year estimates ending 2024 (table B19001).
Residents 15+ by personal income, 2024
Income range calculator
About 741 residents (4.7% of residents aged 15 and over) have a personal income of $100,000 or more.
Across the U.S.: 13.9% of residents aged 15 and over.
That is 5.5% of residents who have any income.
In 2024, 14.2% of Wayne County residents aged 15 and over reported no personal income, 40.4% had some income but less than $25,000, and 8.8% had $75,000 or more. Across the U.S., those shares were 12.8%, 28.7% and 22.0%.
Compared with the U.S., Wayne County has a larger share of residents earning $15,000 to $24,999 (17.0% vs 10.5%) and a smaller share earning $100,000 or more (4.7% vs 13.9%).
| Personal income | Residents | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| No income | 2,224 | 14.2% | 12.8% |
| $1 to $9,999 | 2,147 | 13.7% | 11.2% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 1,521 | 9.7% | 7.0% |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 2,665 | 17.0% | 10.5% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 2,493 | 15.9% | 9.5% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 1,669 | 10.6% | 12.6% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 1,570 | 10.0% | 14.3% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 645 | 4.1% | 8.2% |
| $100,000 or more | 741 | 4.7% | 13.9% |
Shares are of the 15,675 residents aged 15 and over, the only people the Census Bureau asks about income, and include those who reported none. A share of the whole population would count children as people without income, while a share of earners alone would hide the 14.2% with no income; the calculator adds that second share whenever your range leaves out people with no income. Source: ACS 5-year estimates ending 2024 (table B19325).
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Wayne County
| Metric | Wayne County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.548 | 0.566 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $48,364 | $56,525 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $32,204 | $43,645 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 33.4% | 22.8% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Wayne County, it is 0.548, lower than Mississippi's 0.566, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and about the same as the US's 0.552, so income here is about as evenly distributed as there.
Men's income is about 50% more than women's income in Wayne County, Mississippi. Over a 35-year career, a 50% wage gap accumulates to roughly $565,600 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
The income gap between men and women in Wayne County, Mississippi has stayed about the same since 2009, at around 33%. Over that period the gap was widest at 43% in 2020, and was narrowest at 31% in 2013. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $4,835 since 2009.
Against the trend: the pay gap in Wayne County widened by 0.6 points while Mississippi's narrowed by 2.5 points.
Employment
| Metric | Wayne County | Mississippi Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 7.0% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 4.0% | 5.9% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 22 | 21 | 22 |
Approximately 589 people are unemployed in Wayne County, Mississippi.
The average commute time in Wayne County is 22 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Mississippi.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Wayne County, Mississippi has fallen from 9.5% to 7.0% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 11.1% in 2012.
Wayne County has stayed well above the U.S. unemployment rate in every year from 2011 to 2024 and has never dropped below it. It came closest in 2013, at 0.7 points higher. The gap has widened from 0.8 points in 2011 to 1.8 points in 2024.
Wayne County, MS Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Wayne County, MS is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 19,718 residents against a local median of 15,143. The measure that sets Wayne County, MS apart most is income growth: 1.3%/yr, 69% below the local median of 4.3%/yr. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Unemployment tells the same story from another angle: 7.0% against a local median of 4.9%, 44% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Wayne County, MS reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves spread 2.3%/yr on income growth, so Wayne County, MS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wayne County, MS has the 6th highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, MS | 19,718 | $37,934 #6/6 | 1.3%/yr #6/6 | 7.0% #5/6 | 0.548 #1/6 |
| Clarke County, MS | 15,314 | $46,100 | 3.2%/yr | 6.9% | 0.566 |
| Greene County, MS | 13,615 | $53,651 | 3.9%/yr | 11.9% | 0.697 |
| Jones County, MS | 66,472 | $52,902 | 4.3%/yr | 4.0% | 0.556 |
| Washington County, AL | 15,143 | $60,868 | 5.5%/yr | 4.9% | 0.585 |
| Perry County, MS | 11,449 | $49,525 | 4.6%/yr | 1.9% | 0.551 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Wayne County, Mississippi has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat better than Mississippi, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Wayne County, Mississippi.
How Rich Is Wayne County, Mississippi?
Wayne County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $37,934, about 33% lower than the Mississippi average of $56,669.
Are incomes growing in Wayne County, Mississippi?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Wayne County, Mississippi rose 25%, from $30,376 to $37,934. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Mississippi as a whole: +25% against +54%.
What was the median household income in Wayne County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Wayne County, Mississippi was $37,123, up 7% from $34,835 in 2022. The Mississippi median that year was $55,083.
What was the median household income in Wayne County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Wayne County, Mississippi was $33,233. By 2024 it had risen 14% to $37,934.
What is the Gini coefficient in Wayne County, Mississippi?
The Gini coefficient in Wayne County is 0.548. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is almost the same as the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed about as equally as in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Wayne County, Mississippi?
The income gap between men and women in Wayne County, Mississippi has stayed about the same since 2009, at around 33%. Over that period the gap was widest at 43% in 2020, and was narrowest at 31% in 2013. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $4,835 since 2009.
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