City profile · Michigan · Census ACS 2023

Wayne, MI

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Wayne - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

17,413
Residents
$54,467
Median income
$142,200
Median home
$1,411
Median rent (state)

Wayne - the verdict

Wayne ranks in the 26th percentile for household income and the 32nd percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

26th
percentile, household income
24th
percentile, home value
55th
percentile, median rent
32nd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Wayne, MI

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 17,413 residents in Wayne, a small town within Michigan. Median household income here is $54,467 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 14.2%. Typical homes in Wayne are valued around $142,200, and the median resident age is 39.5 years. 15.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 56.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 0 residential building permits were authorized in Wayne (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1995.2 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Michigan run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Michigan scores 96.2 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,411 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Michigan run around $238, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Wayne report an average commute of 24.7 minutes, with 78.2% driving alone and 7.7% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 99.0 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

17,413 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Michigan

Median Household Income

$54,467 /yr

Poverty 14.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

96.2 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Michigan average

How does Wayne compare to other US cities?

Wayne measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 26% higher than other cities
Home value 24% pricier than other cities
Median rent 55% pricier than other cities
Safety 32% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Michigan and the picture shifts: Wayne ranks #184 of 254 Michigan cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Wayne's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Michigan, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

26thIncome percentile
32ndSafety percentile

26th percentile nationally for median household income · 32nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Wayne's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Wayne's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 40 Avg. percentile National median
Wayne's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Wayne's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$142,200 Among the most affordable more affordable than 76% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Wayne $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Wayne, MI Wayne, MI's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Wayne, MI-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Wayne, MI median $54,467/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Wayne, MI's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Wayne, MI. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 15.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 14.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 56.7%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
17,413
Median Income
$54,467
Median Home Value
$142,200
Median Age
39.5
Poverty Rate
14.2%
Labor force participation
56.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
15.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1995.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
692.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1302.5
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
17,000 residents17,200 residents17,400 residents17,600 residents17,800 residents 202020212022202320242025 17,647 residents 17,065 residents ▼ -3.3%
Wayne's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1
2020 0
2021 8
2022 7
2023 5
2024 0

Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
24.7 minutes
Drive Alone
78.2%
Carpool
10.3%
Public Transit
1.1%
Walk
1.5%
Work from Home
7.7%
Other
1.2%

Based on 7,626 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Michigan - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$105
avg/month
Natural Gas
$85
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$238
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Michigan state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Michigan state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Wayne sits in

Cost of Living Index
96.2
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,411/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.0 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Michigan

Jenison
17,334 people
Wixom
17,126 people
Trenton
18,242 people
Grosse Pointe Woods
16,177 people
Grandville
16,135 people
Haslett
19,025 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Wayne's 17,413 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Powder Springs, GA
17,414 people
Richmond Hill, GA
17,408 people
Oak Grove, OR
17,408 people
Pinewood, FL
17,427 people
South Venice, FL
17,399 people
Shelbyville, KY
17,436 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Wayne's $54,467 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Jemison, AL
$54,468 median income
Gays, IL
$54,464 median income
Gadsden, SC
$54,464 median income
El Reno, OK
$54,459 median income
Buena Vista, VA
$54,458 median income
Alto, GA
$54,479 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Wayne, MI Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Wayne, MI - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 62.6% 26.0% 7.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5.2% White 62.6% Black or African American 26.0% Asian 1.5% American Indian 1.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.8% Two or more races 7.0% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Wayne compares to nearby Michigan cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Wayne (this city) 17,413 $54,467
Jenison 17,334 $86,063
Wixom 17,126 $68,319
Trenton 18,242 $78,565
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MI FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Wayne, MI?

What is the population of Wayne, MI? +

17,413 people live in Wayne, MI according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Wayne, MI? +

Median annual household income in Wayne runs $54,467, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Wayne? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Wayne; the closest available measure is the Michigan state average, a cost of living index of 96.2 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Michigan vary by metro area.

Is Wayne, MI safe? +

Wayne has a total crime rate of 1995.2 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Wayne, MI? +

Homes in Wayne carry a median value of $142,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.