United States › Tennessee › Wayne County COUNTY
Wayne County Tennessee · 16,416 residents (2025 est.) · 734 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 16,168 people in Tennessee. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 14% of adults. Owners hold 80% of the housing stock. The median age is 44.4, about 5 years above the US median. The typical home is worth $130,700, having more than doubled since 2000. 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 44.4
US median: 38.9
Less educated
14% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 40%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 16,842 in 2000
16,416 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 23 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 37.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
14K 15K 15K 16K 17K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Wayne County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $52,294
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,576 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $14,472 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 14.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 16.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.408 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 3.7%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.5%
Public administration 3.4%
Education & health services 2.6%
Transportation & warehousing 0.8%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$130,700
+40%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $51,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$619
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $322 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 82.9% in 2000
19.8% rent
from 18.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.55 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 18.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 33.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.3 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 91.3%(15,383)
Hispanic / Latino 0.8%(142)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 88.5%(14,302)
Hispanic / Latino 2.7%(441)
from 23 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 31 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
+ 12 more ancestry groups with data from 8.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 61.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 23.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 80.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 14.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 14.0% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 47.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 64.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 12.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 22.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 20.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 13.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 58.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 79.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 92.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 97.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 34.7%(2,782)
Women 15+
Never married 18.9%(1,144)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 13.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 39.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 16.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 23.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 22.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 58.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 43.2% 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) 26%(244)
Gulf War (1990s) 28.7%(269)
Share of the 937 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
Hardin County
Income $49,956 −4%
Home value $160,400 +23%
Population 27,983 +70%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WAYNE COUNTY VS
Lawrence County
Income $54,706 +5%
Home value $194,400 +49%
Population 46,914 +186%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WAYNE COUNTY VS
Lauderdale County
Income $62,649 +20%
Home value $200,300 +53%
Population 97,135 +492%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WAYNE COUNTY VS
Lewis County
Income $56,285 +8%
Home value $173,400 +33%
Population 13,487 −18%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Wayne County, Tennessee? Wayne County, Tennessee has about 16,168 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Wayne County, Tennessee? The typical household in Wayne County, Tennessee earns about $52,294 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Wayne County, Tennessee expensive? In Wayne County, Tennessee, the median home is worth about $130,700, and the typical rent is about $619 a month.
How educated are people in Wayne County, Tennessee? About 13.8% of adults age 25 and over in Wayne County, Tennessee hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Wayne County, Tennessee? About 20.0% of people in Wayne County, Tennessee live below the federal poverty line.
Has Wayne County, Tennessee grown since 1990? Yes, Wayne County, Tennessee has grown since 1990. The population has added about 2,233 residents, a change of about 16 percent over that period.
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