Wayne County, Illinois
Located in Illinois, Wayne County has a population of 15,973 residents and a median age of 42.8 years, making it the #2,101 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 16.1%. The median home value is $110,700, and the median household income is $55,521, which is 26% below the national median.
Demographics
Wayne County has a population of 15,973, making it the #2,101 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.8 years, which is 10.0% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Wayne County is $55,521, ranking #2,434 out of 3,222 counties — 26.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 16.1% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Wayne County is $110,700 (-60.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $657/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Wayne County, 16.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 51.8% below the national average, ranking #2,624 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Wayne County is 74.7 years. 17.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.3% of adults in Wayne County smoke , 37.1% are obese , and 21.2% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 23.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.2 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
17.9% of children in Wayne County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 25.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Wayne County is 67.6%. The mean commute time is 26.8 min, which is 2.8% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Wayne County voted Republican with a margin of 70.9%. The vote was 14% Dem / 84.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.5 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Wayne County, Illinois
Wayne County, Illinois has a total population of 15,973, making it the 2,101st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wayne County is 42.8 years, which is 10.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Wayne County is $55,521, which ranks #2,434 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 26.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 16.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.
The median home value in Wayne County is $110,700, 60.7% below the national median. Renters in Wayne County pay a median gross rent of $657 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Wayne County, 16.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 51.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.8 min.
Wayne County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 95.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (2.1%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
All data for Wayne County, Illinois comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.