Wayne County, Kentucky: commercial real estate data.
Wayne County, Kentucky had an estimated 19,629 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 19,558, across 458 square miles. County output reached $560.2 m in 2024, 284 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $4.7 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Wayne County
How many people live in Wayne County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202419,602
- Households8,074
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$45,739
- Median age43.8
- Median gross rent$727 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$135,700
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher13.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over14,197
- Population under 184,007
- Share under 1820.4 percent
- Population 65 and over4,298
- Share 65 and over21.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6411,297
- Civilian labor force7,790
- Unemployment rate5.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over50.0 percent
- Rank by population among Kentucky counties62nd of 120
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1906th of 3,222
Wayne County is the 62nd largest of 120 Kentucky counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.9 percent against 20.4 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Wayne County
Is Wayne County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202419,629
- Census 2020 base population19,558
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.36 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-1
- Births, 2024202
- Deaths, 2024268
- Natural change, 2024-66
- Net domestic migration, 202431
- Net international migration, 202435
- Total net migration, 202466
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024371
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1697th of 3,144
The county has grown 0.36 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Wayne County
Where are people moving to Wayne County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving359
- People arriving, from those returns661
- Tax returns filed by households leaving287
- Net household movement72
- Adjusted gross income arriving$16.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$5.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$45,117
- Average income of a leaving household$36,885
- Largest single originPulaski County (65 households)
- Largest single destinationPulaski County (97 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County | 65 | 115 | $2.2 m |
| Clinton County | 32 | 67 | $734,000 |
Households arriving report $8,232 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Pulaski County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Wayne County
What is the Wayne County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$560.2 m
- County GDP, 2023$542.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.3 percent
- GDP change over five years20.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kentucky areas BEA publishes67th of 120
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2332nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$28,577
Output grew 3.3 percent in the latest year and 20.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Wayne County
Employment by industry in Wayne County
- Covered employment, annual average5,231
- Establishments reporting455
- Average annual pay$39,309
- Average weekly wage$756
- Manufacturing, employment983
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$37,905
- Retail trade, employment681
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,365
- Accommodation and food services, employment355
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,047
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment234
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$40,817
- Wholesale trade, employment122
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment100
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 983 | 24 | $37,905 |
| Retail trade | 681 | 68 | $31,365 |
| Accommodation and food services | 355 | 26 | $18,047 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 234 | 11 | $40,817 |
| Wholesale trade | 122 | 16 | $35,848 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 100 | 6 | $31,019 |
| Information | 88 | 10 | $33,890 |
| Construction | 55 | 25 | $44,891 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 983 jobs, 18.8 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Wayne County
How many businesses are in Wayne County?
- Establishments, all industries284
- Employment at those establishments4,114
- Annual payroll$137.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents14.5
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Wayne County
SBA loans in Wayne County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$940,300
- Median 7(a) approval$375,000
- Largest single approval$3,704,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)151
- Jobs per approval30.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Wayne County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Wayne County
Do SBA loans in Wayne County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
- Status: Cancelled2
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Wayne County
How large is Wayne County?
- Land area458 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kentucky counties18th of 120
- Width, east to west26.9 mi
- Height, north to south27.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land43
- Establishments per square mile0.62
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Wayne County
Flood risk in Wayne County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Wayne County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 210348
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Wayne County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Wayne County (community 210348), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Wayne County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Wayne County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Wayne County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202419,602
- Households8,074
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$45,739
- Median age43.8
Common questions
Wayne County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Wayne County, Kentucky?
The Census Bureau estimates 19,629 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 19,602, in 8,074 households, ranking 62nd of 120 Kentucky counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Wayne County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.36 percent since the 2020 census base of 19,558, to 19,629 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 202 births against 268 deaths, with net migration of 66. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Wayne County?
$45,739. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $135,700, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $727 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Wayne County?
284 establishments, employing 4,114 people with an annual payroll of $137.3 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Wayne County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 983 jobs, 18.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 5,231 jobs at an average annual pay of $39,309, or $756 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Wayne County?
5 7(a) approvals totaling $4.7 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $375,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is the radon zone for Wayne County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Wayne County come from?
The largest single origin is Pulaski County, with 65 households. Arriving households report an average income of $45,117 against $36,885 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Wayne County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Wayne County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Wayne County
Cities and places in Wayne.
1 Census place lies wholly or partly in Wayne County. It carries enough published place level data for a page of its own and is linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello | city | 5,753 | 5 | Wholly in this county |