Wayne County, West Virginia
Located in West Virginia, Wayne County has a population of 38,164 residents and a median age of 44.8 years, making it the #1,248 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.6%. The median home value is $127,100, and the median household income is $58,878, which is 22% below the national median.
Demographics
Wayne County has a population of 38,164, making it the #1,248 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.8 years, which is 15.2% 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 $58,878, ranking #2,182 out of 3,222 counties — 21.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.6% 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 $127,100 (-54.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $915/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.6%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Wayne County, 19.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 43.1% below the national average, ranking #2,147 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Wayne County is 70.4 years. 26.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
24.4% of adults in Wayne County smoke , 45.6% are obese , and 16.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 114.2 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Wayne County is 4.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 15.6 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.1 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
21.5% of children in Wayne County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 22.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Wayne County is 53.7%. The mean commute time is 28.2 min, which is 2.0% 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 53.4%. The vote was 22.4% Dem / 75.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Wayne County, West Virginia
Wayne County, West Virginia has a total population of 38,164, making it the 1,248th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wayne County is 44.8 years, which is 15.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Wayne County is $58,878, which ranks #2,182 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 21.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.9%.
The median home value in Wayne County is $127,100, 54.9% below the national median. Renters in Wayne County pay a median gross rent of $915 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Wayne County, 19.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 43.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.2 min.
Wayne County is a community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 95.7% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.2%).
All data for Wayne County, West Virginia 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.