Wayne County, Indiana

IN · FIPS 18177 Republican

Located in Indiana, Wayne County has a population of 66,397 residents and a median age of 41.0 years, making it the #825 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.9%. The median home value is $140,200, and the median household income is $55,692, which is 26% below the national median.

66,397
Population
#825 of 3,222
$55,692
Median Income
-25.9% #2,426 of 3,222
41.0 years
Median Age
+5.4% #1,797 of 3,222
17.9%
Poverty Rate
+42.0% #2,432 of 3,222

Demographics

Wayne County has a population of 66,397, making it the #825 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.0 years, which is 5.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.4%
Native Born
2.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Wayne County is $55,692, ranking #2,426 out of 3,222 counties — 25.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.9% and unemployment stands at 5.4%.

Income#2,426
$55,692
-25.9%
vs nation
25th percentile
Per Capita#1,951
$32,895
-20.3%
vs nation
39th percentile
Poverty#2,432
17.9%
+42.0%
vs nation
25th percentile
Unemployment#2,269
5.4%
+2.3%
vs nation
30th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Wayne County is $140,200 (-50.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $815/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.2%.

Home Value#2,386
$140,200
-50.3%
vs nation
26th percentile
Rent#1,995
$815
-29.9%
vs nation
38th percentile
Homeownership#2,379
69.2%
+7.5%
vs nation
26th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Wayne County, 20.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 39.3% below the national average, ranking #1,924 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
20.5% −39.3% vs nation
Rank #1,924 of 3,222
40th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Wayne County is 72.3 years. 21.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,431
72.3
-3.8%
vs nation
21th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,058
21.1%
+7.9%
vs nation
35th percentile
Diabetes#1,988
11.7%
+5.1%
vs nation
37th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,480
40.7%
+9.1%
vs nation
21th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,890
5.8
+2.6%
vs nation
40th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,132
4.7
+6.3%
vs nation
32th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,326
8.4%
-19.3%
vs nation
58th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,602
31.3%
+18.6%
vs nation
17th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,213
16.2%
+12.5%
vs nation
30th percentile

Substance Use

22.9% of adults in Wayne County smoke , 39.4% are obese , and 18.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 76.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,817
22.9%
+27.5%
vs nation
10th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,855
39.4%
+3.9%
vs nation
41th percentile
Excessive Drinking#880
18.1%
-9.0%
vs nation
72th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#2,046
76.1
+135.2%
vs nation
3th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Wayne County is 7.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 18.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 12.3 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#986
7.8
-2.9%
vs nation
36th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,276
18.2
-7.9%
vs nation
50th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,589
19.4
+8.4%
vs nation
36th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#607
12.3
-39.2%
vs nation
79th percentile

Families & Children

22.9% of children in Wayne County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.2 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 26.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#873
7.2
+5.9%
vs nation
36th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#2,065
26.5
+21.2%
vs nation
31th percentile
Child Poverty#2,293
22.9%
+20.6%
vs nation
27th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Wayne County is 54.7%. The mean commute time is 23.6 min, which is 14.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
54.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.6 min −14.6% vs nation
Rank #2,235 of 3,222
31th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Wayne County voted Republican with a margin of 32.5%. The vote was 32.9% Dem / 65.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +32.5%
32.9% 65.4%
Dem 26,797 votes Rep
2020 REP +29.1%
34.4% 63.5%
Dem 27,679 votes Rep
2016 REP +30.2%
32.5% 62.7%
Dem 25,575 votes Rep
2012 REP +14.7%
41.6% 56.3%
Dem 25,458 votes Rep
2008 REP +3.9%
47.1% 51%
Dem 28,562 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Wayne County, Indiana

Wayne County, Indiana has a total population of 66,397, making it the 825th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wayne County is 41.0 years, which is 5.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Wayne County is $55,692, which ranks #2,426 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 25.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.4%.

The median home value in Wayne County is $140,200, 50.3% below the national median. Renters in Wayne County pay a median gross rent of $815 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Wayne County, 20.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 39.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.6 min.

Wayne County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 85.7% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.0%).

All data for Wayne County, Indiana 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.