Wayne County, Pennsylvania Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wayne County, PA 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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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 74% of counties in Pennsylvania
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wayne County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,259 | 13,004,688 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 68.3 | 282.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.01% | 0.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.2 | 41.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 20,876 | 5,268,760 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wayne County grew by 0.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 51,259 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wayne County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 24.8% of residents. That is 5.8 points above Pennsylvania as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,246 16.1% -4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 9,771 19.1% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,714 22.9% +2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 12,700 24.8% +5.8 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 Pennsylvania, 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 47.2% of the people living in Wayne County and men 52.8%.
- Women 47.2% Pennsylvania 50.8%
- Men 52.8% Pennsylvania 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 D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Wayne County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,340 | $78,249 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.82% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% | 5.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wayne County is about 19% lower than in Pennsylvania.
Housing
| Metric | Wayne County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $153,572 | $152,469 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,038 | $1,208 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.5% | 69.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wayne County is about 12.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,038 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wayne County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 184 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wayne County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.0 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.1 | 44.7 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 184 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,694 | $5,779 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.6% | 15.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,242 | 6,862 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 653 | 1,152 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Cameron County (11.4 min), Elk County (15.4 min), McKean County (15.9 min).
Slowest:
Pike County (32.5 min), Perry County (32.0 min), Carbon County (30.5 min).
The average commute time in Wayne County is about the same as in Pennsylvania.
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 | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.9% | 31.4% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.30 | 2.39 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Chester County (0.4), Montgomery County (0.4), Allegheny County (0.4).
Lowest:
Forest County (0.1), Mifflin County (0.2), Juniata County (0.2).
Health
Wayne County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Wayne County | Pennsylvania Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.7 | 78.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.5% | 15.7% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.1% | 20.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Pennsylvania:
Montgomery County (0.8), Centre County (0.8), Chester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Forest County (0.8), Mifflin County (0.8), Jefferson County (0.8).
Wayne County, PA Compared With Nearby Counties
Wayne County, PA is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 51,259 residents against a local median of 79,713. The measure that sets Wayne County, PA apart most is median home price: $153,572, 34% below the local median of $233,093.
The counties themselves spread $136,487 on median home price, so Wayne County, PA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wayne County, PA has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, PA | 51,259 | $63,340 #6/6 | $153,572 #5/6 | 22.0 min #3/6 |
| Lackawanna County, PA | 216,127 | $66,702 | $127,976 | 17.9 min |
| Pike County, PA | 60,618 | $81,806 | $264,463 | 32.5 min |
| Susquehanna County, PA | 38,203 | $68,983 | $157,852 | 23.9 min |
| Sullivan County, NY | 79,713 | $72,978 | $257,426 | 21.7 min |
| Monroe County, PA | 167,515 | $83,939 | $233,093 | 28.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wayne County, Pennsylvania.
How many people live in Wayne County, Pennsylvania?
About 51,259 people live in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, in 20,876 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 47.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
How densely populated is Wayne County, Pennsylvania?
Averaged over its land area, Wayne County, Pennsylvania has 68 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Wayne County, Pennsylvania?
The median home costs 2.4 times the median household income ($153,572 against $63,340), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,038 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Wayne County, Pennsylvania?
19.9% of adults in Wayne County, Pennsylvania hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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