Wayne County, Tennessee Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Wayne County, Tennessee, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Wayne County, Tennessee. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Wayne County, Tennessee. The estimated population of Wayne County, Tennessee is 16,350 people, with a median age of 44.6.

We can look at the total population in Wayne County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
16,350
 -1.73% -2.17%
2020
16,638
 -0.33% -
2019
16,693
+0.26%
-
2018
16,649
 -0.38% -
2017
16,713
 - -

Population of Wayne County, Tennessee by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
89.2%
90.3%
 -1.22%
Black/African American
5.8%
5.6%
 +3.57%
Native
0.1%
0.2%
 -50.00%
Hispanic
2.2%
1.9%
 +15.79%
Asian
0.4%
1.5%
 -73.33%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.2%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2%
0.4%
 +400.00%
Other
0.2%
0.1%
 +100.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Wayne County, Tennessee by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 44.6 +1.36% 43 +3.86% 47.3 +0.85%
2020 44 +2.33% 41.4 +4.55% 46.9 +0.43%
2019 43 +0.23% 39.6 0% 46.7 +0.43%
2018 42.9 +2.39% 39.6 +2.33% 46.5 0%
2017 41.9 - 38.7 - 46.5 -

The median age of Wayne County, Tennessee gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 781 +6.72% 806 -13.57% 824 693
10 to 19 1,047 -22.02% 715 +4.9% 834 747
20 to 29 1,537 -21.49% 774 -7.99% 1,229 710
30 to 39 1,432 -9.45% 854 -8.76% 1,298 776
40 to 49 1,251 +8.89% 979 +0.25% 1,365 980
50 to 59 1,290 -0.77% 1,108 +0.64% 1,273 1,109
60 to 69 1,065 +17.77% 915 +18.52% 1,265 1,085
70+ 870 +13% 1,289 -8.6% 981 1,181

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Wayne County, Tennessee is $45,402.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Wayne County.

  • Under 25
    $22,216.00
  • 25 to 44
    $70,125.00
  • 45 to 64
    $67,672.00
  • 65 and over
    $31,825.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Wayne County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Wayne County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Wayne County, Tennessee is currently $61,269.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

1.32% of households in Wayne County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Wayne County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    28.37%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    25.04%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    14.51%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    15.38%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    10.72%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    4.66%
  • $200,000 or more
    1.32%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Wayne County is $23,699.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Wayne County by the total population of Wayne County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Wayne County, Tennessee, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Wayne County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    5.06%
  • Bachelor's degree
    14.37%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    12.84%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    64.68%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3.06%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Wayne County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Wayne County over the age of 16 is 13,871.

Of those people, a total of 46.00% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Wayne County is 43.40%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 619 33.60% 9.60%
20 to 24 years 852 65.50% 12.40%
25 to 29 years 1,087 68.50% 2.80%
30 to 34 years 1,191 57.40% 1.80%
35 to 44 years 2,075 60.70% 10.90%
45 to 54 years 2,448 52.30% 3.00%
55 to 59 years 1,087 56.70% 1.50%
60 to 64 years 1,409 51.20% 0.60%
65 to 74 years 1,816 15.70% 16.10%
75 years and over 1,287 1.20% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Wayne County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 12,517 48.40% 5.80%
Black or African American 819 10.50% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 11 0.00% 0.00%
Asian 63 0.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 27 0.00% 0.00%
Other 83 61.40% 0.00%
Two or more races 351 51.60% 3.30%
Hispanic or Latino 268 32.50% 6.90%
Not Hispanic or Latino 12,368 48.70% 5.70%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Wayne County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Wayne County is 6,018, with median earnings of $35,756.00.

Women in Wayne County, Tennessee earning approximately 75.70% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 6,018 $35,756.00
Male 3,292 $38,857.00
Female 2,726 $29,419.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 510 $41,741.00
Business and Financial 133 $39,018.00
Computer and Mathematical 87 $45,917.00
Architecture and Engineering 49 $90,268.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 22 $0.00
Community and Social Service 196 $24,783.00
Legal 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 320 $42,692.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 42 $41,319.00
Healthcare Practitioners 551 $45,540.00
Healthcare Support 260 $24,000.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 34 $22,500.00
Law Enforcement 133 $38,042.00
Food Preparation and Serving 293 $13,614.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 286 $14,917.00
Personal Care and Service 181 $7,192.00
Sales 405 $29,638.00
Office and Administrative Support 622 $36,543.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 135 $80,108.00
Construction and Extraction 414 $42,181.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 216 $50,577.00
Production 728 $28,836.00
Transportation and Material Moving 184 $50,833.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 422 $41,962.00 88 $38,906.00
Business and Financial 68 $54,167.00 65 $28,901.00
Computer and Mathematical 38 $51,339.00 49 $39,542.00
Architecture and Engineering 49 $90,268.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 22 $0.00 0 $0.00
Community and Social Service 100 $46,250.00 96 $21,644.00
Legal 0 $0.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 35 $34,583.00 285 $43,029.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 36 $0.00 6 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 99 $47,063.00 452 $44,676.00
Healthcare Support 24 $0.00 236 $24,265.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 34 $22,500.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 103 $34,464.00 30 $39,583.00
Food Preparation and Serving 138 $13,533.00 155 $14,028.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 107 $23,792.00 179 $12,940.00
Personal Care and Service 11 $0.00 170 $6,993.00
Sales 240 $9,651.00 165 $52,989.00
Office and Administrative Support 178 $38,571.00 444 $36,107.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 93 $81,013.00 42 $40,217.00
Construction and Extraction 414 $42,181.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 216 $50,577.00 0 $0.00
Production 507 $32,216.00 221 $27,764.00
Transportation and Material Moving 165 $53,083.00 19 $13,021.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 5,671 households in Wayne County, with an average household size of 2.53 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 3,921 families in Wayne County with an average family size of 3.01 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 2,880 338 703 1,750
Average Household Size 3.04 2.94 3.5 1.21
Total Families 2,880 338 703 0
Average Household Size 3.03 2.58 3.12 0

Poverty

Of the 3,921 families in Wayne County, 12.40% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Wayne County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 7,194 housing units in Wayne County, Tennessee.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 5,671 78.83%
Vacant 1,523 21.17%

12.11% of the total 7,194 housing units in Wayne County are rental units. This is approximately 871 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 4,490 are occupied by the owner - or 62.41% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Wayne County is $544.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Wayne County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    310
  • Less than $500
    351
  • $500 to $999
    454
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    22
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    2
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    23
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    19
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Wayne County is $114,000.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Wayne County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    798
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,141
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    877
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    436
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    649
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    439
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    102
  • $1,000,000 or more
    48

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Wayne County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Wayne County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    501
  • 1940 to 1949
    259
  • 1950 to 1959
    406
  • 1960 to 1969
    778
  • 1970 to 1979
    1,326
  • 1980 to 1989
    989
  • 1990 to 1999
    1,635
  • 2000 to 2009
    802
  • 2010 to 2013
    488
  • 2014 or later
    10

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Wayne County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    408
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,422
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,837
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    2,004

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Wayne County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Wayne County that commute to work in a particular way.

31.7 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Wayne County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    201
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    897
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    446
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    526
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    390
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    403
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    879
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    247
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    203
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    489
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    607
  • 90 or more minutes
    294

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Wayne County, Tennessee in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Wayne County, Tennessee

We have data for 10 places in Wayne County, Tennessee. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.