Wayne County, Illinois: commercial real estate data.
Wayne County, Illinois has a population of 15,973 across 714 square miles, down 1.7 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $679.4 m in 2024, 374 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $535,000.
110 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Wayne County
How many people live in Wayne County
- Population15,973
- Households6,866
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$55,521
- Median age42.8
- Median gross rent$657 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$110,700
- Home value to household income2.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,235
- Population under 183,592
- Share under 1822.5 percent
- Population 65 and over3,510
- Share 65 and over22.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,871
- Civilian labor force7,435
- Unemployment rate3.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.1 percent
- Rank by population among Illinois counties66th of 102
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2101st
Wayne County is the 66th largest of 102 Illinois counties by population. A median home costs 2.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.5 percent against 22.0 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 base-1.72 percent
- Census 2020 base population16,206
- Births, 2024157
- Deaths, 2024240
- Natural change, 2024-83
- Net domestic migration, 202426
- Net international migration, 2024110
- Total net migration, 2024136
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-157
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2425th
The county has lost 1.72 percent of its population 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 arriving288
- People arriving, from those returns534
- Adjusted gross income arriving$12.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$44,260
- Largest single originWayne County Non-migrants (6,026 households)
- Largest single destination (6,026 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County Non-migrants | 6,026 | 12,658 | $372.4 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 118 | 229 | $5.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 95 | 177 | $4.0 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 37 | 60 | $1.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 36 | 69 | $1.8 m |
| Clay County | 27 | 52 | $1.2 m |
| Jefferson County | 26 | 43 | $1.1 m |
| White County | 22 | 33 | $835,000 |
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 the Wayne County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$679.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$629.1 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.0 percent
- GDP change over five years49.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among Illinois counties77th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2175th
- GDP per resident$42,536
Output grew 8.0 percent in the latest year and 49.8 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 average4,064
- Establishments reporting379
- Average annual pay$42,917
- Average weekly wage$825
- Sector 44-45, employment588
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,402
- Sector 72, employment353
- Sector 72, average annual pay$18,336
- Sector 42, employment216
- Sector 42, average annual pay$67,802
- Sector 52, employment146
- Sector 52, average annual pay$60,714
- Sector 31-33, employment106
- Sector 11, employment105
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 588 | 52 | $33,402 |
| Sector 72 | 353 | 30 | $18,336 |
| Sector 42 | 216 | 25 | $67,802 |
| Sector 52 | 146 | 16 | $60,714 |
| Sector 31-33 | 106 | 16 | $65,213 |
| Sector 11 | 105 | 20 | $49,189 |
| Sector 23 | 84 | 26 | $48,378 |
| Sector 21 | 82 | 17 | $62,812 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 588 jobs, 14.5 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 industries374
- Employment at those establishments3,561
- Annual payroll$148.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.4
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Wayne County
What is being built in Wayne County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20243
- Declared construction value permitted$600,000
- Single family units authorised3
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$200,000
- Units authorised per 1,000 households0.4
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
How much SBA lending happens in Wayne County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$535,000
- Average 7(a) approval$178,333
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$85,000
- 90th percentile approval$300,000
- Largest single approval$300,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)19
- Jobs per approval6.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countChicken Egg Production (1)
- Most active lenderPeoples National Bank National Association (2)
The average approval of $178,333 sits close to the median of $150,000, 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.
Wayne County
Do SBA loans in Wayne County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 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
- CISNE, approvals1
- XENIA, approvals1
- FAIRFIELD, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CISNE | 1 | $300,000 |
| XENIA | 1 | $85,000 |
| FAIRFIELD | 1 | $150,000 |
CISNE accounts for 1 approvals against 1 in XENIA. 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 area714 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Illinois counties23rd of 102
- Width, east to west30 mi
- Height, north to south24.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land22
- Establishments per square mile0.52
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 from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate33.3 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 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.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- 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.
- Population15,973
- Households6,866
- Average household size2.33
- Median household income$55,521
- Median age42.8
Common questions
Wayne County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Wayne County, Illinois?
15,973, in 6,866 households, ranking 66th of 102 Illinois counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Wayne County growing?
The population has fallen 1.72 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 157 births against 240 deaths, with net migration of 136. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Wayne County?
$55,521. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $110,700, which is 2.0 times income, and median gross rent is $657 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Wayne County?
374 establishments, employing 3,561 people with an annual payroll of $148.5 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 $42,917, or $825 a week, across 4,064 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?
3 7(a) approvals totalling $535,000 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Wayne County?
3 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $600,000. 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 Wayne County Non-migrants, with 6,026 households. Arriving households report an average income of $44,260 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.