Wayne County, Ohio Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wayne County, OH Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wayne County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 116,585 | 11,799,428 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 209.5 | 263.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.09% | 0.23% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.6 | 38.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 44,363 | 4,857,236 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wayne County grew by 2.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 116,585 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wayne County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.9% of residents. That is 1.1 points above Ohio as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 25,583 21.9% +1.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 22,045 18.9% -2.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 22,676 19.4% -0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 21,130 18.1% on par
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Ohio, 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 50.1% of the people living in Wayne County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Ohio 50.8%
- Men 49.9% Ohio 49.2%
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 C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Wayne County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $73,877 | $71,509 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.64% | 4.38% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wayne County is about 3% higher than in Ohio.
Housing
| Metric | Wayne County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $159,396 | $139,044 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $881 | $1,033 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.6% | 67.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wayne County is about 15.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $881 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wayne County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 143 hours, about 6.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wayne County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.1 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.3 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 143 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,427 | $5,447 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.3% | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,668 | 8,648 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 786 | 1,212 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Ohio:
Hancock County (15.3 min), Van Wert County (15.5 min), Mercer County (16.0 min).
Slowest:
Morgan County (32.5 min), Vinton County (32.0 min), Brown County (32.0 min).
The average commute time in Wayne County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Ohio.
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 | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.6% | 28.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Ohio:
Delaware County (0.4), Warren County (0.4), Greene County (0.3).
Lowest:
Holmes County (0.1), Vinton County (0.2), Noble County (0.2).
Health
Wayne County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Wayne County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 77.0 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.3% | 17.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.6% | 24.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Ohio:
Delaware County (0.8), Union County (0.8), Warren County (0.8).
Lowest:
Adams County (0.8), Holmes County (0.8), Scioto County (0.8).
Wayne County, OH Compared With Nearby Counties
Wayne County, OH is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 116,585 residents against a local median of 183,656. The measure that sets Wayne County, OH apart most is median home price: $159,396, 20% above the local median of $132,462.
The counties themselves spread $302,602 on median home price, so Wayne County, OH sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wayne County, OH has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, OH | 116,585 | $73,877 #3/6 | $159,396 #3/6 | 17.1 min #1/6 |
| Holmes County, OH | 44,391 | $76,711 | $321,206 | 17.9 min |
| Medina County, OH | 183,656 | $94,530 | $205,434 | 25.0 min |
| Ashland County, OH | 52,253 | $69,984 | $18,604 | 18.9 min |
| Summit County, OH | 537,091 | $71,501 | $119,164 | 20.8 min |
| Stark County, OH | 373,683 | $68,031 | $132,462 | 18.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wayne County, Ohio.
What is the population of Wayne County, Ohio?
About 116,585 people live in Wayne County, Ohio, in 44,363 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Wayne County, Ohio mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wayne County, Ohio has 210 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.4 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Wayne County, Ohio?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($159,396 against $73,877), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $881 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Wayne County, Ohio?
Unemployment in Wayne County, Ohio is only 3.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Wayne County, Ohio?
21.6% of adults in Wayne County, Ohio hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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