Wayne County, North Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wayne County, NC 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 75% of counties in North Carolina
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wayne County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 118,630 | 10,724,323 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 212.5 | 199.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.58% | 0.97% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.7 | 37.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 47,497 | 4,279,225 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wayne County grew by 4.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 118,630 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wayne County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.8% of residents. That is about the same share as North Carolina.
- Gen Z 13–28 25,917 21.8% on par
- Millennials 29–44 23,733 20.0% -1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 23,513 19.8% -0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 20,993 17.7% +0.7 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 North Carolina, 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 51.0% of the people living in Wayne County and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% North Carolina 51.1%
- Men 49.0% North Carolina 48.9%
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 | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,780 | $72,438 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.01% | 5.20% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wayne County is about 17% lower than in North Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Wayne County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $34,399 | $278,288 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $964 | $1,227 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 61.5% | 66.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wayne County is about 3.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $964 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wayne County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 154 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wayne County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.5 | 21.9 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.0 | 43.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 154 | 182 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,778 | $5,645 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 16.3% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,574 | 8,330 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 988 | 1,609 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
North Carolina:
Macon County (17.2 min), Watauga County (17.2 min), Dare County (17.4 min).
Slowest:
Gates County (35.9 min), Currituck County (33.9 min), Tyrrell County (33.6 min).
The average commute time in Wayne County is 18 minutes, shorter than the 22 minutes in North Carolina.
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 D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Wayne County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.0% | 31.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.5), Wake County (0.4), Durham County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hyde County (0.2), Greene County (0.2), Tyrrell County (0.2).
Health
Wayne County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Wayne County | North Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.5 | 77.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.2% | 16.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.9% | 20.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
North Carolina:
Orange County (0.8), Wake County (0.8), Watauga County (0.8).
Lowest:
Robeson County (0.8), Lenoir County (0.8), Halifax County (0.8).
Wayne County, NC Compared With Nearby Counties
Wayne County, NC is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 118,630 residents against a local median of 54,882. Where Wayne County, NC breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 77% below the local median of $149,725 at $34,399.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 18.5 min against a local median of 22.1 min, 16% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 16% below the local median it puts Wayne County, NC at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $146,597 on median home price, so Wayne County, NC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wayne County, NC has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, NC | 118,630 | $59,780 #2/6 | $34,399 #6/6 | 18.5 min #2/6 |
| Greene County, NC | 20,465 | $52,621 | $180,242 | 22.1 min |
| Wilson County, NC | 79,278 | $56,688 | $149,725 | 18.5 min |
| Lenoir County, NC | 54,882 | $45,135 | $142,404 | 18.7 min |
| Johnston County, NC | 234,262 | $84,644 | $243,547 | 31.1 min |
| Duplin County, NC | 49,292 | $55,498 | $96,951 | 23.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wayne County, North Carolina.
What is the population of Wayne County, North Carolina?
About 118,630 people live in Wayne County, North Carolina, in 47,497 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Wayne County, North Carolina mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wayne County, North Carolina has 212 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.5 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Wayne County, North Carolina?
The median home costs 0.6 times the median household income ($34,399 against $59,780), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $964 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Wayne County, North Carolina have a college degree?
18.0% of adults in Wayne County, North Carolina hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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