Wayne County, Georgia Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Wayne County is located in Georgia with a total population of 30,949. It is the 61st most populous county out of 159 in Georgia. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Wayne County is 38.3 years. This is 2% higher than the state median of 37.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Wayne County is $53,427. This is 31% lower than the state median of $77,353. It is also 34% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 21.3%. This is 59% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.4%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 7.2%. This is 40% higher than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $162,800. Housing costs are 46% lower than the state median of $303,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.0x. 67.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 2% higher than the state average of 65.7%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Wayne County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 70.3% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 19.5%. The Asian population (1.3%) is well below the state average of 4.5%.

Education

16.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 54% lower than the state rate of 34.9%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 86.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Wayne County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Georgia and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.