HomePennsylvaniaWayne County
Wayne County, Pennsylvania: commercial real estate data.
Wayne County, Pennsylvania had an estimated 51,419 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 51,149, across 726 square miles. County output reached $2.65 bn in 2024, 1,355 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 51 7(a) approvals worth $28.7 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 2020-202451,262
- Households20,877
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$62,381
- Median age49.2
- Median gross rent$1,038 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$242,100
- Home value to household income3.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree9.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over39,682
- Population under 188,408
- Share under 1816.4 percent
- Population 65 and over13,107
- Share 65 and over25.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6429,747
- Civilian labor force22,333
- Unemployment rate6.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over52.1 percent
- Rank by population among Pennsylvania counties43rd of 67
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1000th of 3,222
Wayne County is the 43rd largest of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. A median home costs 3.9 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.6 percent against 16.4 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, 202451,419
- Census 2020 base population51,149
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.53 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202415
- Births, 2024407
- Deaths, 2024686
- Natural change, 2024-279
- Net domestic migration, 2024276
- Net international migration, 202424
- Total net migration, 2024300
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,540
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1644th of 3,144
The county has grown 0.53 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
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 arriving1,611
- People arriving, from those returns2,764
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,487
- Net household movement124
- Adjusted gross income arriving$138.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$21.3 m
- Average income of an arriving household$85,803
- Average income of a leaving household$78,636
- Largest single originLackawanna County (241 households)
- Largest single destinationLackawanna County (299 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lackawanna County | 241 | 428 | $12.6 m |
| Pike County | 148 | 275 | $8.4 m |
| Monroe County | 65 | 120 | $3.3 m |
| Queens County | 64 | 112 | $7.4 m |
| Suffolk County | 52 | 98 | $5.3 m |
| Kings County | 45 | 67 | $7.2 m |
| Luzerne County | 41 | 65 | $1.5 m |
| Orange County | 39 | 60 | $3.3 m |
Households arriving report $7,167 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 Lackawanna 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$2.65 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.54 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.4 percent
- GDP change over five years31.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Pennsylvania areas BEA publishes44th of 67
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1066th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$51,738
Output grew 4.4 percent in the latest year and 31.3 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 average15,462
- Establishments reporting1,445
- Average annual pay$52,861
- Average weekly wage$1,017
- Health care and social assistance, employment2,524
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$56,962
- Retail trade, employment2,192
- Retail trade, average annual pay$37,801
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,928
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$30,512
- Construction, employment1,192
- Construction, average annual pay$66,439
- Other services, except public administration, employment802
- Manufacturing, employment658
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 2,524 | 167 | $56,962 |
| Retail trade | 2,192 | 178 | $37,801 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,928 | 162 | $30,512 |
| Construction | 1,192 | 176 | $66,439 |
| Other services, except public administration | 802 | 127 | $34,736 |
| Manufacturing | 658 | 40 | $51,611 |
| Finance and insurance | 599 | 62 | $87,566 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 598 | 78 | $37,284 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 2,524 jobs, 16.3 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 industries1,355
- Employment at those establishments13,374
- Annual payroll$616.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.4
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, 2024175
- Declared construction value permitted$54.5 m
- Single family units authorized175
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$311,610
- Units authorized per 1,000 households8.4
Single-family homes are 100.0 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 recorded51
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$28.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$562,184
- Median 7(a) approval$212,000
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,880,000
- Largest single approval$3,200,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)625
- Jobs per approval12.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active21
- Distinct industries receiving approvals37
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer15.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter38
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals5.9 percent
- Most active lenderWayne Bank (9)
- 504 approvals recorded17
- 504 gross approval dollars$8.9 m
- Average 504 approval$521,765
- Median 504 approval$387,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval10.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved19.4
- Most active CDCNEPA Alliance Business Finance Corporation (15)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$37.5 m
The average approval of $562,184 sits well above the median of $212,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 15.7 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 recorded8
- Paid in full6
- Charged off2
- Status: Cancelled7
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Paid in full6
- Status: Exempt from disclosure30
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Only 8 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 lending16
- Honesdale, approvals17
- Lake Ariel, approvals8
- Beach Lake, approvals4
- Waymart, approvals4
- Union Dale, approvals4
- Hawley, approvals3
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Honesdale | 17 | $7,381,200 |
| Lake Ariel | 8 | $3,296,800 |
| Beach Lake | 4 | $5,842,400 |
| Waymart | 4 | $2,317,500 |
| Union Dale | 4 | $165,500 |
| Hawley | 3 | $303,000 |
| Starlight | 2 | $150,000 |
| Equinunk | 1 | $3,200,000 |
| 8 other borrower cities | 8 | $6,015,000 |
Honesdale accounts for 17 approvals against 8 in Lake Ariel. 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 area726 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Pennsylvania counties30th of 67
- Width, east to west23.6 mi
- Height, north to south53 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land71
- Establishments per square mile1.87
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
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book28
- Of those, participating in the NFIP27
- NFIP participation rate96.4 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 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. 96.4 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 2020-202451,262
- Households20,877
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$62,381
- Median age49.2
Common questions
Wayne County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Wayne County, Pennsylvania?
The Census Bureau estimates 51,419 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 51,262, in 20,877 households, ranking 43rd of 67 Pennsylvania 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 0.53 percent since the 2020 census base of 51,149, to 51,419 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 407 births against 686 deaths, with net migration of 300. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Wayne County?
$62,381. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $242,100, which is 3.9 times income, and median gross rent is $1,038 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Wayne County?
1,355 establishments, employing 13,374 people with an annual payroll of $616.6 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?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 2,524 jobs, 16.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 15,462 jobs at an average annual pay of $52,861, or $1,017 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?
51 7(a) approvals totaling $28.7 m since FY2020, across 21 lenders, with a median approval of $212,000, plus 17 504 approvals worth $8.9 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Wayne County?
175 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $54.5 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 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 Lackawanna County, with 241 households. Arriving households report an average income of $85,803 against $78,636 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.
14 Census places lie wholly or partly in Wayne County. All 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honesdale | borough | 4,467 | 17 | Wholly in this county |
| The Hideout | CDP | 2,432 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Big Bass Lake | CDP | 1,428 | None recorded | 19.1 percent here, 80.9 percent Lackawanna County |
| Wallenpaupack Lake Estates | CDP | 1,232 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Waymart | borough | 1,114 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Hawley | borough | 925 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Pocono Springs | CDP | 835 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Browndale | CDP | 722 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gouldsboro | CDP | 713 | 1 | 87.4 percent here, 12.6 percent Monroe County |
| White Mills | CDP | 703 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Indian Rocks | CDP | 375 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bethany | borough | 279 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Prompton | borough | 248 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Starrucca | borough | 171 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 26 of the county's 51 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Wayne County, the largest being Lake Ariel (8), Beach Lake (4), Union Dale (4). 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.