Wayne County, IA

County

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2024 Population

6,532

US Senator

Chuck Grassley

Republican Party

US Senator

Joni Ernst

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

41.5

1.19% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

10.1%

32.5% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$61,964

4.81% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$111,300

8.8% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

2,988

3.97% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Wayne County, IA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.4% of the residents in Wayne County, IA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Wayne County, IA was $111,300, and the homeownership rate was 80.9%.

Most people in Wayne County, IA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Wayne County, IA was 2 cars per household.

Wayne County, IA borders Appanoose County, IA, Clarke County, IA, Decatur County, IA, Lucas County, IA, Monroe County, IA, Mercer County, MO, and Putnam County, MO.

United States Iowa

Population & Diversity

Wayne County, IA is home to a population of 6.53k people, from which 99.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.934% of Wayne County, IA residents were born outside of the country (61 people).

In 2024, there were 34.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (6.12k people) in Wayne County, IA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 177 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 138 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.4%

2024 Citizenship

99.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.4% of Wayne County, IA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Wayne County, IA was 99.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Wayne County, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wayne County, IA

White (Non-Hispanic)
6.12k ± 88
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
177 ± 48
Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
138 ± 88

1.18%

Hispanic Population

77 people

1.18% of the people in Wayne County, IA are hispanic (77 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Wayne County, IA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Iowa.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
44,333 ± 5,134 people
India
11,889 ± 2,672 people
Guatemala
8,189 ± 2,219 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Iowa was Mexico, the natal country of 44,333 Iowa residents, followed by India with 11,889 and Guatemala with 8,189.

Foreign-Born Population

0.934%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

61 people

1.2%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

78 people

As of 2024, 0.934% of Wayne County, IA residents (61 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Wayne County, IA was 1.2%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Wayne County, IA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
79 ± 35
Gulf War (1990s)
47 ± 24
Gulf War (2001-)
41 ± 28

Wayne County, IA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.68 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Wayne County, IA.

Economy

The economy of Wayne County, IA employs 2.99k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Wayne County, IA were Manufacturing (469 people), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (403 people), and Retail Trade (385 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($93,281), Finance & Insurance ($81,071), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($81,071).

Employment

Occupations

2.99k

2024 Value

± 226

3.97%

1 Year growth

± 10.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Wayne County, IA grew at a rate of 3.97%, from 2.87k employees to 2.99k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wayne County, IA, are Management Occupations (401 people), Production Occupations (336 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (269 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wayne County, IA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Iowa (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

2.99k

2024 Value

± 226

3.97%

1 Year growth

± 10.2%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Wayne County, IA grew at a rate of 3.97%, from 2.87k employees to 2.99k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wayne County, IA, are Manufacturing (469 people), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (403 people), and Retail Trade (385 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Wayne County, IA, though some of these residents may live in Wayne County, IA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,757

Median earning men ± $2,532

$34,177

Median earning women ± $3,603

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($110,833), Public Administration ($65,741), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($62,000).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($78,333), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($75,500), and Public Administration ($49,306).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Y-Axis

1.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.57M people employed in Iowa. This represents a 1.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Iowa.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

21
Other Services (except Public Administration)
11
Transportation and Warehousing
11
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$22.7k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$16.8k
Manufacturing
$4.89k
Wholesale Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing the state of Iowa. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Iowa is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Wayne County, IA. Showing the available data for Iowa.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (55.7%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (42.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.789%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Iowa went to Donald J. Trump with 55.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (42.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.789%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Iowa for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Iowa

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Iowa.

Chuck Grassley

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 1981

Joni Ernst

Senator from Iowa

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are the senators currently representing Iowa.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Iowa over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Wayne County, IA was $111,300 in 2024, which is 0.335 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $102,300 to $111,300, a 8.8% increase. The homeownership rate in Wayne County, IA is 80.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Wayne County, IA have an average commute time of 25.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Wayne County, IA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 10.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Wayne County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.15%.

Housing

Property

$111,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$12,536

$2,075

Median Property Taxes

±$178

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Wayne County, IA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Wayne County, IA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

80.9%

Homeownership

2024

59.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 80.9% of the housing units in Wayne County, IA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 80.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Wayne County, IA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$61,964

Median Household Income

± $4,667

2.57k

Number of Households

± 192

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.57k households in Wayne County, IA grew to $61,964 from the previous year's value of $59,118.

The following chart displays the households in Wayne County, IA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Wayne County, IA is from Iowa.

0.435

2024 Wage GINI in Iowa

0.441

2023 Wage GINI in Iowa

In 2024, the income inequality in Iowa was 0.435 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 1.29% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Iowa was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Iowa in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Iowa across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (75.8%)
Carpooled (11%)
Worked At Home (6.24%)

In 2024, 75.8% of workers in Wayne County, IA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11%) and those who worked at home (6.24%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wayne County, IA have a shorter commute time (25.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 5.81% of the workforce in Wayne County, IA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Wayne County, IA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Wayne County, IA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Wayne County, IA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 10.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Wayne County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.15%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

10.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wayne County, IA (651 out of 6.42k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Wayne County, IA is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 22.1% of the children was living in poverty in Wayne County, IA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 117 in Wayne County, IA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 70 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

87.2% of the population of Wayne County, IA has health coverage, with 36.3% on employee plans, 18% on Medicaid, 17.8% on Medicare, 14% on non-group plans, and 1.01% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Wayne County, IA see 1,302 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,302 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2156 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 3278 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.8% were men and 49.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,302 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Wayne County, IA

Primary care physicians in Wayne County, IA see an average of 1,302 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,302 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Wayne County, IA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 27.7% under 18 years, 16.6% between 18 and 34 years, 33.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.8% were men and 49.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

12.8%

Uninsured

36.3%

Employer Coverage

18%

Medicaid

17.8%

Medicare

14%

Non-Group

1.01%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wayne County, IA grew by 2.08% from 12.5% to 12.8%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Wayne County, IA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.