Wayne County, North Carolina
Located in North Carolina, Wayne County has a population of 118,652 residents and a median age of 37.3 years, making it the #539 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.3%. The median home value is $178,700, and the median household income is $59,733, which is 21% below the national median.
Demographics
Wayne County has a population of 118,652, making it the #539 most populous county in the US. The median age is 37.3 years, which is 4.1% below 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 $59,733, ranking #2,107 out of 3,222 counties — 20.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.3% and unemployment stands at 4.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Wayne County is $178,700 (-36.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $965/mo and the homeownership rate is 61.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Wayne County, 21.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 35.5% below the national average, ranking #1,692 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Wayne County is 73.2 years. 19.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
16.0% of adults in Wayne County smoke , 39.1% are obese , and 17.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 26.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Wayne County is 10.7 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 12.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 18.4 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
22.2% of children in Wayne County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.8 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 28.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Wayne County is 62.8%. The mean commute time is 25.3 min, which is 8.3% 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 16.4%. The vote was 41.4% Dem / 57.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Wayne County, North Carolina
Wayne County, North Carolina has a total population of 118,652, making it the 539th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wayne County is 37.3 years, which is 4.1% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Wayne County is $59,733, which ranks #2,107 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 20.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.9%.
The median home value in Wayne County is $178,700, 36.6% below the national median. Renters in Wayne County pay a median gross rent of $965 per month. The homeownership rate is 61.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Wayne County, 21.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 35.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.3 min.
Wayne County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 50.2% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (29.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (13.7%).
All data for Wayne County, North Carolina 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.