Wayne County, West Virginia Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wayne County, WV 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 76% of counties in West Virginia
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 85% of counties in West Virginia
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wayne County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 38,164 | 1,778,099 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 74.6 | 73.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.96% | -0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.7 | 40.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,762 | 728,564 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wayne County declined by 8.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 38,164 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wayne County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.2% of residents. That is 1.0 points above West Virginia as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,225 18.9% -0.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,227 18.9% -0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,478 22.2% +1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,058 21.1% 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 West Virginia, 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 51.1% of the people living in Wayne County and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% West Virginia 50.3%
- Men 48.9% West Virginia 49.7%
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 | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,127 | $59,640 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.75% | 4.26% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wayne County is about 1% lower than in West Virginia.
Housing
| Metric | Wayne County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $98,860 | $94,699 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $915 | $871 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.6% | 74.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wayne County is about 9.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $915 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 182 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wayne County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.8 | 21.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.6 | 43.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 182 | 180 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,635 | $5,581 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.4% | 9.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,264 | 7,243 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,127 | 1,052 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
West Virginia:
Randolph County (16.4 min), Ohio County (17.0 min), Pocahontas County (17.2 min).
Slowest:
Hampshire County (40.3 min), Morgan County (35.8 min), Monroe County (33.7 min).
The average commute time in Wayne County is about the same as in West Virginia.
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 | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.2% | 21.3% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 2.37 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
West Virginia:
Monongalia County (0.4), Ohio County (0.3), Jefferson County (0.3).
Lowest:
McDowell County (0.1), Lincoln County (0.2), Clay County (0.2).
Health
Wayne County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Wayne County | West Virginia Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.7 | 76.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 25.0% | 23.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 28.4% | 25.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
West Virginia:
Monongalia County (0.8), Jefferson County (0.8), Putnam County (0.8).
Lowest:
McDowell County (0.7), Lincoln County (0.8), Mingo County (0.8).
Wayne County, WV Compared With Nearby Counties
How Wayne County, WV compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, WV | 38,164 | $59,127 #2/3 | $98,860 #2/3 | 21.8 min #3/3 |
| Cabell County, WV | 92,739 | $56,062 | $55,124 | 18.0 min |
| Boyd County, KY | 47,914 | $61,181 | $110,938 | 17.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wayne County, West Virginia.
What is the population of Wayne County, West Virginia?
About 38,164 people live in Wayne County, West Virginia, in 15,762 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Wayne County, West Virginia mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wayne County, West Virginia has 75 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Wayne County, West Virginia an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.7 times the median household income ($98,860 against $59,127), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $915 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, West Virginia have a college degree?
17.2% of adults in Wayne County, West Virginia hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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