Wayne County, Tennessee
Located in Tennessee, Wayne County has a population of 16,168 residents and a median age of 44.4 years, making it the #2,088 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 20.0%. The median home value is $130,700, and the median household income is $52,294, which is 30% below the national median.
Demographics
Wayne County has a population of 16,168, making it the #2,088 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.4 years, which is 14.1% 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 $52,294, ranking #2,644 out of 3,222 counties — 30.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 20.0% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Wayne County is $130,700 (-53.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $619/mo and the homeownership rate is 80.2%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Wayne County, 13.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 59.0% below the national average, ranking #2,953 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Wayne County is 73.7 years. 25.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 11.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
26.4% of adults in Wayne County smoke , 40.3% are obese , and 17.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 20.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 14.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 27.6 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
23.5% of children in Wayne County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 26.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Wayne County is 48.7%. The mean commute time is 34.8 min, which is 26.3% 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 76.9%. The vote was 11.2% Dem / 88.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.3 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Wayne County, Tennessee
Wayne County, Tennessee has a total population of 16,168, making it the 2,088th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wayne County is 44.4 years, which is 14.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Wayne County is $52,294, which ranks #2,644 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 30.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 20.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.
The median home value in Wayne County is $130,700, 53.6% below the national median. Renters in Wayne County pay a median gross rent of $619 per month. The homeownership rate is 80.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Wayne County, 13.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 59.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 88.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 34.8 min.
Wayne County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 88.5% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
All data for Wayne County, Tennessee 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.