Wayne County, Missouri
Located in Missouri, Wayne County has a population of 10,862 residents and a median age of 48.6 years, making it the #2,426 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 25.7%. The median home value is $107,400, and the median household income is $47,226, which is 37% below the national median.
Demographics
Wayne County has a population of 10,862, making it the #2,426 most populous county in the US. The median age is 48.6 years, which is 24.9% 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 $47,226, ranking #2,890 out of 3,222 counties — 37.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 25.7% and unemployment stands at 7.3%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Wayne County is $107,400 (-61.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $665/mo and the homeownership rate is 75.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Wayne County, 12.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 62.4% below the national average, ranking #3,055 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Wayne County is 71.2 years. 21.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 14.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
21.7% of adults in Wayne County smoke , 41.4% are obese , and 18.9% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 25.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 33.4 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
32.2% of children in Wayne County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 35.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Wayne County is 56.5%. The mean commute time is 32.2 min, which is 16.5% above 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 72.6%. The vote was 13.4% Dem / 86% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Wayne County, Missouri
Wayne County, Missouri has a total population of 10,862, making it the 2,426th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wayne County is 48.6 years, which is 24.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Wayne County is $47,226, which ranks #2,890 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 37.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 25.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.3%.
The median home value in Wayne County is $107,400, 61.9% below the national median. Renters in Wayne County pay a median gross rent of $665 per month. The homeownership rate is 75.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Wayne County, 12.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 62.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 86.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 32.2 min.
Wayne County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.5%).
All data for Wayne County, Missouri 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.