HomeNorth CarolinaWayne County
Wayne County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Wayne County, North Carolina had an estimated 120,338 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 117,327, across 553 square miles. County output reached $6.77 bn in 2024, 2,195 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 47 7(a) approvals worth $31.6 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 2020-2024118,652
- Households47,507
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$59,733
- Median age37.3
- Median gross rent$965 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$178,700
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over79,122
- Population under 1828,014
- Share under 1823.6 percent
- Population 65 and over20,262
- Share 65 and over17.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6470,376
- Civilian labor force53,930
- Unemployment rate5.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.5 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties24th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included539th of 3,222
Wayne County is the 24th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.6 percent against 17.1 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, July 1, 2024120,338
- Census 2020 base population117,327
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.57 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024768
- Births, 20241,603
- Deaths, 20241,431
- Natural change, 2024172
- Net domestic migration, 202451
- Net international migration, 2024541
- Total net migration, 2024592
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024595
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents988th of 3,144
The county has grown 2.57 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and 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 arriving3,256
- People arriving, from those returns6,272
- Tax returns filed by households leaving3,141
- Net household movement115
- Adjusted gross income arriving$150.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-6.1 m
- Average income of an arriving household$46,085
- Average income of a leaving household$49,707
- Largest single originJohnston County (355 households)
- Largest single destinationJohnston County (232 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnston County | 355 | 745 | $16.5 m |
| Wake County | 237 | 417 | $12.3 m |
| Lenoir County | 149 | 294 | $5.7 m |
| Duplin County | 138 | 287 | $5.1 m |
| Foreign - APO/FPO ZIPs | 135 | 290 | $6.5 m |
| Wilson County | 107 | 188 | $4.7 m |
| Pitt County | 99 | 180 | $4.6 m |
| Sampson County | 59 | 102 | $2.1 m |
Households arriving report $3,622 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Johnston 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$6.77 bn
- County GDP, 2023$6.47 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.7 percent
- GDP change over five years32.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes24th of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes598th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$57,053
Output grew 4.7 percent in the latest year and 32.4 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 average41,880
- Establishments reporting2,557
- Average annual pay$49,087
- Average weekly wage$944
- Retail trade, employment6,269
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,072
- Manufacturing, employment5,722
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$59,512
- Health care and social assistance, employment5,499
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$51,369
- Accommodation and food services, employment4,335
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$19,539
- Construction, employment2,234
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment1,320
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 6,269 | 459 | $33,072 |
| Manufacturing | 5,722 | 88 | $59,512 |
| Health care and social assistance | 5,499 | 294 | $51,369 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,335 | 238 | $19,539 |
| Construction | 2,234 | 234 | $69,631 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,320 | 152 | $37,520 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,306 | 73 | $66,918 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,184 | 104 | $62,881 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 6,269 jobs, 15.0 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 industries2,195
- Employment at those establishments33,629
- Annual payroll$1.44 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.5
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
Building permits in Wayne County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024605
- Declared construction value permitted$121.0 m
- Single family units authorized583
- Multifamily units authorized22
- Multifamily share of units3.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$200,065
- Units authorized per 1,000 households12.7
Single-family homes are 96.4 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Wayne County
SBA loans in Wayne County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded47
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$31.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$672,643
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$102,520
- 90th percentile approval$1,467,000
- Largest single approval$3,352,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)423
- Jobs per approval9.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active29
- Distinct industries receiving approvals36
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer27.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms13
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter31
- Franchise loans11
- Franchise share of approvals23.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSnack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (4)
- 504 approvals recorded10
- 504 gross approval dollars$6.9 m
- Average 504 approval$693,300
- Median 504 approval$518,500
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval16.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved24.2
- Most active CDCSBA CLSC Servicing (4)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$38.5 m
The average approval of $672,643 sits well above the median of $350,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 27.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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 recorded7
- Paid in full7
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure32
- Status: Paid in full7
- Status: Cancelled6
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Only 7 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
SBA lending by place in Wayne County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending5
- Goldsboro, approvals40
- Fremont, approvals2
- Pikeville, approvals2
- La Grange, approvals2
- Seven Springs, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Goldsboro | 40 | $28,065,200 |
| Fremont | 2 | $1,975,000 |
| Pikeville | 2 | $635,000 |
| La Grange | 2 | $375,000 |
| Seven Springs | 1 | $564,000 |
Goldsboro accounts for 40 approvals against 2 in Fremont. 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 area553 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties31st of 100
- Width, east to west28.5 mi
- Height, north to south30.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land215
- Establishments per square mile3.97
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 370254
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 7
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP7
- NFIP participation rate87.5 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 7
- Communities carrying a CRS class3
- Radon levels in Wayne County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Wayne County (community 370254), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 7, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Wayne County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 7, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 87.5 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 2020-2024118,652
- Households47,507
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$59,733
- Median age37.3
Common questions
Wayne County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Wayne County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 120,338 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 118,652, in 47,507 households, ranking 24th of 100 North Carolina 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 2.57 percent since the 2020 census base of 117,327, to 120,338 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 1,603 births against 1,431 deaths, with net migration of 592. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Wayne County?
$59,733. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $178,700, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $965 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Wayne County?
2,195 establishments, employing 33,629 people with an annual payroll of $1.44 bn. 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?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 6,269 jobs, 15.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 41,880 jobs at an average annual pay of $49,087, or $944 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?
47 7(a) approvals totaling $31.6 m since FY2020, across 29 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 10 504 approvals worth $6.9 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Wayne County?
605 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $121.0 m. Multifamily was 3.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Wayne County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 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 Johnston County, with 355 households. Arriving households report an average income of $46,085 against $49,707 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.
12 Census places lie wholly or partly in Wayne County. All 12 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldsboro | city | 34,383 | 40 | Wholly in this county |
| Mount Olive | town | 4,453 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Elroy | CDP | 3,251 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Mar-Mac | CDP | 2,877 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Brogden | CDP | 2,733 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dudley | CDP | 2,305 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| New Hope | CDP | 1,487 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Walnut Creek | village | 1,422 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fremont | town | 943 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Pikeville | town | 776 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Eureka | town | 224 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Seven Springs | town | 32 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
A further 2 of the county's 47 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Wayne County, the largest being La Grange (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.