Wayne County, NC

County

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2023 Population

117,606

0.107% 1-year growth

US Senator

Thom Tillis

Republican Party

US Senator

Ted Budd

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

37.4

0.267% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

16.9%

5.72% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$58,082

6.92% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$162,700

6.83% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

49,904

1.04% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Wayne County, NC had a population of 118k people with a median age of 37.4 and a median household income of $58,082. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Wayne County, NC grew from 117,480 to 117,606, a 0.107% increase and its median household income grew from $54,323 to $58,082, a 6.92% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Wayne County, NC are White (Non-Hispanic) (51%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (30.2%), Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) (6.05%), White (Hispanic) (3.95%), and Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) (3.54%).

None of the households in Wayne County, NC 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.

95.3% of the residents in Wayne County, NC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Wayne County, NC are Wayne Community College (1,230 degrees awarded in 2023) and University of Mount Olive (614 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Wayne County, NC was $162,700, and the homeownership rate was 61.5%.

Most people in Wayne County, NC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Wayne County, NC was 2 cars per household.

Wayne County, NC borders Duplin County, NC, Greene County, NC, Johnston County, NC, Lenoir County, NC, Sampson County, NC, and Wilson County, NC.

United States North Carolina Goldsboro, NC

Population & Diversity

Wayne County, NC is home to a population of 118k people, from which 95.3% are citizens. As of 2023, 6.87% of Wayne County, NC residents were born outside of the country (8.08k people).

In 2023, there were 1.69 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (60k people) in Wayne County, NC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 35.6k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 7.11k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.3%

2023 Citizenship

95%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 95.3% of Wayne County, NC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Wayne County, NC was 95%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wayne County, NC

White (Non-Hispanic)
60k ± 389
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
35.6k ± 637
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
7.11k ± 937

13.2%

Hispanic Population

15.5k people

13.2% of the people in Wayne County, NC are hispanic (15.5k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Wayne County, NC 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 North Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
224,963 ± 11,520 people
India
83,219 ± 7,055 people
Honduras
48,247 ± 5,380 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of North Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 224,963 North Carolina residents, followed by India with 83,219 and Honduras with 48,247.

Foreign-Born Population

6.87%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

8.08k people

7.07%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

8.31k people

As of 2023, 6.87% of Wayne County, NC residents (8.08k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Wayne County, NC was 7.07%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
3,493 ± 576
Gulf War (1990s)
2,857 ± 488
Vietnam
2,095 ± 363

Wayne County, NC has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.22 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Wayne County, NC employs 49.9k people. In 2023, the largest industries in Wayne County, NC were Manufacturing (7,118 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (6,819 people), and Retail Trade (6,782 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($86,607), Wholesale Trade ($55,809), and Public Administration ($53,449).

Employment

Occupations

49.9k

2023 Value

± 1,964

−1.04%

1 Year decline

± 5.56%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Wayne County, NC declined at a rate of −1.04%, from 50.4k employees to 49.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wayne County, NC, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (5,074 people), Sales & Related Occupations (5,023 people), and Production Occupations (4,722 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wayne County, NC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in North Carolina (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

49.9k

2023 Value

± 1,964

−1.04%

1 Year decline

± 5.56%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Wayne County, NC declined at a rate of −1.04%, from 50.4k employees to 49.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wayne County, NC, are Manufacturing (7,118 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (6,819 people), and Retail Trade (6,782 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Wayne County, NC, though some of these residents may live in Wayne County, NC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,157

Median earning men ± $2,509

$31,802

Median earning women ± $1,918

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($72,692), Public Administration ($59,185), and Wholesale Trade ($58,361).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,750), Wholesale Trade ($47,262), and Public Administration ($46,310).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

3.04%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.86M people employed in North Carolina. This represents a 3.04% 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 North Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

195
Retail Trade
194
Other Services (except Public Administration)
137
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

$323k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$273k
Manufacturing
$175k
Retail Trade

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

Education

In 2023, universities in Wayne County, NC awarded 1,844 degrees. The student population of Wayne County, NC in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,754 male students and 3,257 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Wayne County, NC are White (1,059 and 58.2%), followed by Black or African American (384 and 21.1%), Hispanic or Latino (268 and 14.7%), and Two or More Races (55 and 3.02%).

The largest universities in Wayne County, NC by number of degrees awarded are Wayne Community College (1,230 and 66.7%) and University of Mount Olive (614 and 33.3%).

The most popular majors in Wayne County, NC are Liberal Arts & Sciences (263 and 14.3%), General Business Administration & Management (217 and 11.8%), and Early Childhood Education & Teaching (98 and 5.31%).

The median tuition cost in Wayne County, NC for private four year colleges is $24,850.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Wayne County, NC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 77.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 20.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 5,011 (35% men and 65% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 5,011 students enrolled in Wayne County, NC, 35% men and 65% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,609 records, of which 65.1% were women and 34.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
263 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
38 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
30 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Wayne County, NC was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 263 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Wayne County, NC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Wayne Community College
1,230 degrees awarded
University of Mount Olive
614 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Wayne Community College with 1,230 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 762 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Wayne County, NC, which is 0.704 times less than the 1,082 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,059 degrees mean that there were 2.76 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 384 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($24,850) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,100) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,600) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2023, 0.995% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.855% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2023 were High School or Equivalent (2.18M), Some college (1.81M), and Bachelors Degree (1.69M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Wayne County, NC was $162,700 in 2023, which is 0.536 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $152,300 to $162,700, a 6.83% increase. The homeownership rate in Wayne County, NC is 61.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65%.

People in Wayne County, NC have an average commute time of 22.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Wayne County, NC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Wayne County, NC is $58,082. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Wayne County, NC was Census Tract 4.01, Wayne County, NC with a value of $94,349, followed by Census Tract 3.03, Wayne County, NC and Census Tract 1.02, Wayne County, NC, with respective values of $88,734 and $88,679.

In 2024, 15% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Wayne County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator grew 0.359%.

Housing

Property

$162,700

Median Property Value 2023

±$7,415

$28,846

Median Property Taxes

±$1,361

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, NC 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, NC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

61.5%

Homeownership

2023

68.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 61.5% of the housing units in Wayne County, NC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 61.3%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 4.01, Wayne County, NC
Census Tract 3.03, Wayne County, NC
Census Tract 1.02, Wayne County, NC

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Wayne County, NC was Census Tract 4.01, Wayne County, NC with a value of $94,349, followed by Census Tract 3.03, Wayne County, NC and Census Tract 1.02, Wayne County, NC, with respective values of $88,734 and $88,679.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Wayne County, NC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$58,082

Median Household Income

± $2,512

46.9k

Number of Households

± 1,812

In 2023, the median household income of the 46.9k households in Wayne County, NC grew to $58,082 from the previous year's value of $54,323.

The following chart displays the households in Wayne County, NC 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, NC is from North Carolina.

0.467

2023 Wage GINI in North Carolina

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in North Carolina

In 2023, the income inequality in North Carolina was 0.467 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.639% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for North Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in North Carolina in comparison to the national average.

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

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (82%)
Carpooled (12.1%)
Worked At Home (3.96%)

In 2023, 82% of workers in Wayne County, NC drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.1%) and those who worked at home (3.96%).

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

22.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wayne County, NC have a shorter commute time (22.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.29% of the workforce in Wayne County, NC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Wayne County, NC 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, NC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Wayne County, NC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2024, 15% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Wayne County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator grew 0.359%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

16.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wayne County, NC (19.4k out of 115k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 6 - 11 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Wayne County, NC is Black, followed by White 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 2024, 26.4% of the children was living in poverty in Wayne County, NC. From 2014 to 2024, the indicator declined 8.7%.

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 407 in Wayne County, NC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 56.2 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

87.9% of the population of Wayne County, NC has health coverage, with 32.1% on employee plans, 23.1% on Medicaid, 10.6% on Medicare, 15.8% on non-group plans, and 6.28% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Wayne County, NC see 1,947 patients per year on average, which represents a 8.89% decrease from the previous year (2,137 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1676 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 386 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,947 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Wayne County, NC

Primary care physicians in Wayne County, NC see an average of 1,947 patients per year. This represents a 8.89% decrease from the previous year (2,137 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26% under 18 years, 20.1% between 18 and 34 years, 36.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

12.1%

Uninsured

32.1%

Employer Coverage

23.1%

Medicaid

10.6%

Medicare

15.8%

Non-Group

6.28%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wayne County, NC declined by 0.311% from 12.2% to 12.1%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2024, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 76.6 in Wayne County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Wayne County, NC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2024, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 39.2% in Wayne County, NC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Wayne County, NC.