United States › Illinois › Wayne County COUNTY
Wayne County Illinois · 15,882 residents (2025 est.) · 714 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Wayne County is a county of 15,973 people in Illinois. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 16% of adults. The typical home is worth $110,700, having more than doubled since 2000. Owners hold 78% of the housing stock. That trails the Illinois median by roughly 33%. 2% of people here were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.8
US median: 38.9
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 29%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 17,151 in 2000
15,882 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 23 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 39.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
16K 16K 17K 17K 17K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Wayne County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $55,521
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,481 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $15,793 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 15.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 12.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.437 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 10.7%
Professional, scientific, technical 4.9%
Public administration 2.3%
Transportation & warehousing 2.1%
Education & health services 1.4%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$110,700
+29%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $47,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$657
+17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $308 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 79.4% in 2000
21.6% rent
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.21 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 18.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 34.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 1.6 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 98.3%(16,853)
Hispanic / Latino 0.6%(103)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 95%(15,171)
Hispanic / Latino 2.1%(330)
from 7 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 15 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 20 more ancestry groups with data from 10.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 75.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 14.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 80.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 7.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 6.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 60.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 67.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 12.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 24.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 15.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 10.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 64.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 80.9% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 90.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 96.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 26.5%(1,721)
Women 15+
Never married 19.8%(1,291)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 10.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 44.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 20.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 24.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 21.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 62.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 41.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 20.7%(169)
Gulf War (1990s) 14.8%(121)
Share of the 816 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to Wayne County Head to head
Compare Wayne County to nearby counties WAYNE COUNTY VS
Edwards County
Income $60,519 +9%
Home value $100,000 −10%
Population 5,898 −63%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WAYNE COUNTY VS
Clay County
Income $60,417 +9%
Home value $97,400 −12%
Population 12,793 −19%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WAYNE COUNTY VS
Hamilton County
Income $65,746 +18%
Home value $113,700 +3%
Population 7,859 −51%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WAYNE COUNTY VS
Richland County
Income $62,455 +12%
Home value $112,000 +1%
Population 15,219 −4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Wayne County, Illinois? Wayne County, Illinois has about 15,973 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Wayne County, Illinois? The typical household in Wayne County, Illinois earns about $55,521 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Wayne County, Illinois expensive? In Wayne County, Illinois, the median home is worth about $110,700, and the typical rent is about $657 a month.
How educated are people in Wayne County, Illinois? About 16.3% of adults age 25 and over in Wayne County, Illinois hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Wayne County, Illinois? About 16.1% of people in Wayne County, Illinois live below the federal poverty line.
Has Wayne County, Illinois grown since 1990? Yes, Wayne County, Illinois has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 1,268 residents, a change of about -7 percent over that period.
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