Wayne County, Georgia: commercial real estate data.
Wayne County, Georgia has a population of 30,949 across 642 square miles, up 6.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.65 bn in 2024, 639 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 21 7(a) approvals worth $16.0 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Wayne County
How many people live in Wayne County
- Population30,949
- Households11,061
- Average household size2.80
- Median household income$53,427
- Median age38.3
- Median gross rent$846 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$162,800
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over20,890
- Population under 187,410
- Share under 1823.9 percent
- Population 65 and over4,987
- Share 65 and over16.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6418,552
- Civilian labor force12,527
- Unemployment rate7.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over53.2 percent
- Rank by population among Georgia counties61st of 159
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1451st
Wayne County is the 61st largest of 159 Georgia counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.9 percent against 16.1 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 growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base6.61 percent
- Census 2020 base population30,141
- Births, 2024320
- Deaths, 2024427
- Natural change, 2024-107
- Net domestic migration, 2024703
- Net international migration, 202490
- Total net migration, 2024793
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,135
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents339th
The county has grown 6.61 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone 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 people moving to Wayne County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving767
- People arriving, from those returns1,615
- Adjusted gross income arriving$33.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$44,066
- Largest single originWayne County Non-migrants (9,011 households)
- Largest single destination (9,011 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County Non-migrants | 9,011 | 19,809 | $536.4 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 299 | 624 | $12.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 212 | 430 | $10.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 188 | 394 | $7.9 m |
| Glynn County | 85 | 177 | $4.3 m |
| Liberty County | 62 | 154 | $2.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 45 | 89 | $1.8 m |
| Other flows - West | 45 | 101 | $2.4 m |
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 the Wayne County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.65 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.48 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 202411.9 percent
- GDP change over five years45.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Georgia counties58th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1438th
- GDP per resident$53,340
Output grew 11.9 percent in the latest year and 45.8 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
Who employs people in Wayne County
- Covered employment, annual average8,867
- Establishments reporting685
- Average annual pay$50,870
- Average weekly wage$978
- Sector 31-33, employment1,479
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$77,072
- Sector 44-45, employment1,294
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,449
- Sector 23, employment821
- Sector 23, average annual pay$59,998
- Sector 72, employment736
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,228
- Sector 56, employment205
- Sector 42, employment194
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 1,479 | 40 | $77,072 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,294 | 128 | $32,449 |
| Sector 23 | 821 | 83 | $59,998 |
| Sector 72 | 736 | 61 | $19,228 |
| Sector 56 | 205 | 28 | $33,498 |
| Sector 42 | 194 | 7 | $63,960 |
| Sector 48-49 | 168 | 17 | $55,186 |
| Sector 81 | 162 | 44 | $30,948 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,479 jobs, 16.7 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
What businesses operate in Wayne County
- Establishments, all industries639
- Employment at those establishments7,669
- Annual payroll$345.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.6
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
What is being built in Wayne County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024165
- Declared construction value permitted$31.0 m
- Single family units authorised133
- Multifamily units authorised32
- Multifamily share of units19.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$188,176
- Units authorised per 1,000 households14.9
Multifamily is 19.4 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Wayne County
How much SBA lending happens in Wayne County
- 7(a) approvals recorded21
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$16.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$763,752
- Median 7(a) approval$525,000
- 10th percentile approval$75,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,662,000
- Largest single approval$2,936,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)147
- Jobs per approval7.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active11
- Distinct industries receiving approvals19
- Median 7(a) term240 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer57.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms12
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals4.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (2)
- Most active lenderPrimesouth Bank (6)
- 504 approvals recorded6
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.9 m
- Average 504 approval$309,333
- Median 504 approval$270,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval8.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved26.9
- Most active CDCCoastal Area District Development Authority, Inc. (6)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals77.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$17.9 m
The average approval of $763,752 sits well above the median of $525,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 57.1 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
Do SBA loans in Wayne County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure16
- Status: Cancelled2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Wayne County
Which parts of Wayne County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- JESUP, approvals18
- ODUM, approvals2
- Screven, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| JESUP | 18 | $12,859,900 |
| ODUM | 2 | $2,953,900 |
| Screven | 1 | $225,000 |
JESUP accounts for 18 approvals against 2 in ODUM. 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 big is Wayne County
- Land area642 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Georgia counties10th of 159
- Width, east to west30 mi
- Height, north to south34.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land48
- Establishments per square mile1.00
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
What hazards affect Wayne County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
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.
- 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.
- Population30,949
- Households11,061
- Average household size2.80
- Median household income$53,427
- Median age38.3
Common questions
Wayne County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Wayne County, Georgia?
30,949, in 11,061 households, ranking 61st of 159 Georgia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Wayne County growing?
The population has grown 6.61 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 320 births against 427 deaths, with net migration of 793. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Wayne County?
$53,427. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $162,800, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $846 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Wayne County?
639 establishments, employing 7,669 people with an annual payroll of $345.8 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 $50,870, or $978 a week, across 8,867 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?
21 7(a) approvals totalling $16.0 m since FY2020, across 11 lenders, with a median approval of $525,000, plus 6 504 approvals worth $1.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Wayne County?
165 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $31.0 m. Multifamily was 19.4 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 Wayne County Non-migrants, with 9,011 households. Arriving households report an average income of $44,066 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.