Wayne County, Kentucky
Located in Kentucky, Wayne County has a population of 19,602 residents and a median age of 43.8 years, making it the #1,906 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 24.8%. The median home value is $135,700, and the median household income is $45,739, which is 39% below the national median.
Demographics
Wayne County has a population of 19,602, making it the #1,906 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.8 years, which is 12.6% 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 $45,739, ranking #2,943 out of 3,222 counties — 39.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 24.8% and unemployment stands at 5.7%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Wayne County is $135,700 (-51.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $727/mo and the homeownership rate is 69.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Wayne County, 13.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 58.8% below the national average, ranking #2,946 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Wayne County is 72.7 years. 28.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
25.9% of adults in Wayne County smoke , 42.1% are obese , and 13.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 30.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 22.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.2 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
35.7% of children in Wayne County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 46.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Wayne County is 58.2%. The mean commute time is 25.9 min, which is 6.3% 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 66.0%. The vote was 16.5% Dem / 82.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Wayne County, Kentucky
Wayne County, Kentucky has a total population of 19,602, making it the 1,906th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wayne County is 43.8 years, which is 12.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Wayne County is $45,739, which ranks #2,943 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 39.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 24.8%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.7%.
The median home value in Wayne County is $135,700, 51.9% below the national median. Renters in Wayne County pay a median gross rent of $727 per month. The homeownership rate is 69.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Wayne County, 13.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 58.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.9 min.
Wayne County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
All data for Wayne County, Kentucky 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.