Wayne County, Nebraska: commercial real estate data.
Wayne County, Nebraska has a population of 9,844 across 443 square miles, up 1.7 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $804.4 m in 2024, 252 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 9 7(a) approvals worth $2.8 m.
117 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
Wayne County
How many people live in Wayne County
- Population9,844
- Households3,753
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$66,215
- Median age30.0
- Median gross rent$800 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$221,600
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher30.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over5,462
- Population under 182,001
- Share under 1820.3 percent
- Population 65 and over1,650
- Share 65 and over16.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 646,193
- Civilian labor force5,434
- Unemployment rate4.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.3 percent
- Rank by population among Nebraska counties27th of 93
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2492nd
Wayne County is the 27th largest of 93 Nebraska counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.3 percent against 16.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Wayne County
Is Wayne County's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.72 percent
- Census 2020 base population9,703
- Births, 2024102
- Deaths, 202467
- Natural change, 202435
- Net domestic migration, 2024-84
- Net international migration, 202436
- Total net migration, 2024-48
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-29
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1268th
The county has grown 1.72 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
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 arriving196
- People arriving, from those returns355
- Adjusted gross income arriving$9.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$48,495
- Largest single originWayne County Non-migrants (2,939 households)
- Largest single destination (2,939 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County Non-migrants | 2,939 | 6,441 | $235.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 91 | 147 | $4.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 61 | 113 | $2.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 41 | 73 | $1.8 m |
| Dixon County | 23 | 50 | $1.3 m |
| Madison County | 21 | 45 | $1.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 20 | 40 | $915,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Wayne County Non-migrants, 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$804.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$855.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-5.9 percent
- GDP change over five years65.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among Nebraska counties30th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2023rd
- GDP per resident$81,717
Output grew -5.9 percent in the latest year and 65.2 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
Largest employers in Wayne County
- Covered employment, annual average4,188
- Establishments reporting281
- Average annual pay$45,234
- Average weekly wage$870
- Sector 31-33, employment819
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$56,463
- Sector 62, employment460
- Sector 62, average annual pay$46,014
- Sector 44-45, employment450
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$22,706
- Sector 42, employment182
- Sector 42, average annual pay$67,540
- Sector 52, employment140
- Sector 11, employment126
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 819 | 12 | $56,463 |
| Sector 62 | 460 | 23 | $46,014 |
| Sector 44-45 | 450 | 42 | $22,706 |
| Sector 42 | 182 | 18 | $67,540 |
| Sector 52 | 140 | 19 | $62,173 |
| Sector 11 | 126 | 20 | $45,702 |
| Sector 23 | 103 | 26 | $46,860 |
| Sector 48-49 | 77 | 14 | $44,946 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 819 jobs, 19.6 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
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 industries252
- Employment at those establishments3,382
- Annual payroll$119.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Wayne County
Building permits in Wayne County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20249
- Declared construction value permitted$4.2 m
- Single family units authorised9
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$461,556
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.4
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Wayne County
SBA loans in Wayne County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded9
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$2.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$313,233
- Median 7(a) approval$300,000
- 10th percentile approval$50,000
- 90th percentile approval$800,000
- Largest single approval$800,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)42
- Jobs per approval4.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals22.2 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBroilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (4)
- Most active lenderFirst State Bank Nebraska (4)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.1 m
- Average 504 approval$548,000
- Median 504 approval$549,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval12.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved21.9
- Most active CDCNebraska Economic Development Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals81.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.9 m
The average approval of $313,233 sits close to the median of $300,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 33.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 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 recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
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
SBA lending by place in Wayne County
- Places in the county with recorded lending4
- WAYNE, approvals5
- Carroll, approvals2
- WAKEFIELD, approvals1
- Winside, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WAYNE | 5 | $2,291,100 |
| Carroll | 2 | $140,000 |
| WAKEFIELD | 1 | $300,000 |
| Winside | 1 | $88,000 |
WAYNE accounts for 5 approvals against 2 in Carroll. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
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 area443 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Nebraska counties80th of 93
- Width, east to west28 mi
- Height, north to south18.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land22
- Establishments per square mile0.57
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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population9,844
- Households3,753
- Average household size2.62
- Median household income$66,215
- Median age30.0
Common questions
Wayne County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Wayne County, Nebraska?
9,844, in 3,753 households, ranking 27th of 93 Nebraska 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 1.72 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 102 births against 67 deaths, with net migration of -48. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Wayne County?
$66,215. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $221,600, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $800 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Wayne County?
252 establishments, employing 3,382 people with an annual payroll of $119.5 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Wayne County?
Average annual pay is $45,234, or $870 a week, across 4,188 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Wayne County?
9 7(a) approvals totalling $2.8 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $300,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $1.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Wayne County?
9 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $4.2 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Wayne County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Wayne County Non-migrants, with 2,939 households. Arriving households report an average income of $48,495 against null 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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.
Wayne County
Cities and places in Wayne.
6 Census places lie wholly or partly in Wayne County. 6 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA approvals | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne | city | 6,121 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Wakefield | city | 1,305 | 1 | 36.7 percent here, 63.3 percent Dixon County |
| Winside | village | 485 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Carroll | village | 286 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Hoskins | village | 250 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sholes | village | 14 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |