Wayne County, Ohio

OH · FIPS 39169 Republican

Located in Ohio, Wayne County has a population of 116,588 residents and a median age of 38.9 years, making it the #545 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.4%. The median home value is $222,100, and the median household income is $73,574, which is 2% below the national median.

116,588
Population
#545 of 3,222
$73,574
Median Income
-2.1% #944 of 3,222
38.9 years
Median Age
0.0% #2,407 of 3,222
9.4%
Poverty Rate
-25.3% #667 of 3,222

Demographics

Wayne County has a population of 116,588, making it the #545 most populous county in the US. The median age is 38.9 years, which is 0.0% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.3%
Native Born
2.7%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Wayne County is $73,574, ranking #944 out of 3,222 counties — 2.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 9.4% and unemployment stands at 3.3%.

Income#944
$73,574
-2.1%
vs nation
71th percentile
Per Capita#1,558
$35,229
-14.6%
vs nation
52th percentile
Poverty#667
9.4%
-25.3%
vs nation
79th percentile
Unemployment#861
3.3%
-37.8%
vs nation
73th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Wayne County is $222,100 (-21.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $881/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.6%.

Home Value#1,168
$222,100
-21.2%
vs nation
64th percentile
Rent#1,543
$881
-24.2%
vs nation
52th percentile
Homeownership#1,249
76.6%
+18.9%
vs nation
61th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Wayne County, 25.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 25.5% below the national average, ranking #1,209 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
25.1% −25.5% vs nation
Rank #1,209 of 3,222
62th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Wayne County is 75.8 years. 18.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,342
75.8
+0.9%
vs nation
56th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,406
18.2%
-7.0%
vs nation
55th percentile
Diabetes#1,493
10.6%
-4.8%
vs nation
53th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#761
34.2%
-8.3%
vs nation
76th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,672
6.2
+10.6%
vs nation
15th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,620
4.5
-0.2%
vs nation
49th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,255
12.6%
+20.4%
vs nation
28th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,095
24.0%
-9.0%
vs nation
65th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,022
12.6%
-12.5%
vs nation
68th percentile

Substance Use

19.0% of adults in Wayne County smoke , 40.1% are obese , and 20.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 30.7 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,991
19.0%
+5.8%
vs nation
37th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,103
40.1%
+5.8%
vs nation
33th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,594
20.0%
+0.8%
vs nation
49th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,208
30.7
-5.2%
vs nation
43th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Wayne County is 1.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.0 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#41
1.5
-81.5%
vs nation
97th percentile
Suicide Rate#584
14.1
-28.6%
vs nation
77th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#268
8.8
-50.9%
vs nation
89th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#968
15.0
-25.9%
vs nation
66th percentile

Families & Children

11.6% of children in Wayne County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 10.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#810
6.9
+2.1%
vs nation
41th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#492
10.8
-50.8%
vs nation
84th percentile
Child Poverty#539
11.6%
-38.9%
vs nation
83th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Wayne County is 62.7%. The mean commute time is 22.6 min, which is 18.1% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
62.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
22.6 min −18.1% vs nation
Rank #2,421 of 3,222
25th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Wayne County voted Republican with a margin of 39.3%. The vote was 29.9% Dem / 69.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +39.3%
29.9% 69.2%
Dem 53,140 votes Rep
2020 REP +37.0%
30.7% 67.7%
Dem 54,283 votes Rep
2016 REP +34.9%
30.2% 65.1%
Dem 48,550 votes Rep
2012 REP +21.3%
38.4% 59.7%
Dem 49,356 votes Rep
2008 REP +14.7%
41.6% 56.3%
Dem 52,142 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Wayne County, Ohio

Wayne County, Ohio has a total population of 116,588, making it the 545th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wayne County is 38.9 years.

The median household income in Wayne County is $73,574, which ranks #944 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 2.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.3%.

The median home value in Wayne County is $222,100, 21.2% below the national median. Renters in Wayne County pay a median gross rent of $881 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Wayne County, 25.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 25.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 86.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.6 min.

Wayne County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.3% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).

All data for Wayne County, Ohio 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.