Wayne County, Tennessee Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wayne County, TN 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 averageLess wealthy than 95% of counties in Tennessee
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 90% of counties in Tennessee
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wayne County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,168 | 7,058,506 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 22.0 | 167.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.51% | 0.94% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.8 | 37.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,982 | 2,819,839 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wayne County declined by 2.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,168 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wayne County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.2% of residents. That is 0.7 points above Tennessee as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,040 18.8% -2.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,593 22.2% +0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,576 22.1% +1.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,315 20.5% +3.2 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 Tennessee, 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 43.7% of the people living in Wayne County and men 56.3%.
- Women 43.7% Tennessee 50.9%
- Men 56.3% Tennessee 49.1%
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,543 | $69,901 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.28% | 5.19% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 4.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wayne County is about 26% lower than in Tennessee.
Housing
| Metric | Wayne County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $19,832 | $255,786 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $618 | $1,188 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.2% | 66.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wayne County is about 2.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $618 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wayne County spend about 56 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 235 hours, about 9.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wayne County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.2 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 56.4 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 235 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,290 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.2% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,131 | 9,259 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 273 | 1,225 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Tennessee:
Dyer County (15.9 min), Henry County (16.7 min), Obion County (17.1 min).
Slowest:
Cannon County (33.3 min), Union County (33.2 min), Fayette County (33.1 min).
The average commute time in Wayne County is 28 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Tennessee.
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 | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.7% | 27.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.4), Davidson County (0.3), Knox County (0.3).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.1), Van Buren County (0.1), Lauderdale County (0.1).
Health
Wayne County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Wayne County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.1 | 74.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.2% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.6% | 25.1% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Tennessee:
Williamson County (0.8), Rutherford County (0.8), Wilson County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clay County (0.8), Lake County (0.8), Hancock County (0.8).
Wayne County, TN Compared With Nearby Counties
Wayne County, TN is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 16,168 residents against a local median of 45,385. The measure that sets Wayne County, TN apart most is median home price: $19,832, 81% below the local median of $104,427.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 28.2 min against a local median of 20.6 min, 37% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 37% above the local median it puts Wayne County, TN at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $227,500 on median home price, so Wayne County, TN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Wayne County, TN has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, TN | 16,168 | $51,543 #3/4 | $19,832 #4/4 | 28.2 min #4/4 |
| Lauderdale County, AL | 95,537 | $63,470 | $260,000 | 20.6 min |
| Lawrence County, TN | 45,385 | $56,065 | $104,427 | 21.8 min |
| Hardin County, TN | 27,249 | $49,937 | $32,500 | 18.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wayne County, Tennessee.
How many people live in Wayne County, Tennessee?
About 16,168 people live in Wayne County, Tennessee, in 5,982 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Wayne County, Tennessee urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wayne County, Tennessee has 22 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 25% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Wayne County, Tennessee?
The median home costs 0.4 times the median household income ($19,832 against $51,543), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $618 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Wayne County, Tennessee?
Unemployment in Wayne County, Tennessee is only 3.4%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Wayne County, Tennessee have a college degree?
11.7% of adults in Wayne County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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