HomeNorth CarolinaWayne County
Wayne County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Wayne County, North Carolina has a population of 118,652 across 553 square miles, up 2.6 percent since the 2020 census base. 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.
126 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Wayne County
How many people live in Wayne County
- Population118,652
- 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-equivalents539th
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 an affordable ownership market 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 growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.57 percent
- Census 2020 base population117,327
- 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
The county has grown 2.57 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
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 arriving3,256
- People arriving, from those returns6,272
- Adjusted gross income arriving$150.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$46,085
- Largest single originWayne County Non-migrants (41,700 households)
- Largest single destination (41,700 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County Non-migrants | 41,700 | 85,363 | $2.52 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,312 | 2,522 | $63.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 678 | 1,271 | $31.6 m |
| Johnston County | 355 | 745 | $16.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 281 | 504 | $12.5 m |
| Other flows - West | 243 | 505 | $12.1 m |
| Wake County | 237 | 417 | $12.3 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 215 | 430 | $10.4 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$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 North Carolina counties24th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents598th
- 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
Who employs people in Wayne County
- Covered employment, annual average41,880
- Establishments reporting2,557
- Average annual pay$49,087
- Average weekly wage$944
- Sector 44-45, employment6,269
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$33,072
- Sector 31-33, employment5,722
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$59,512
- Sector 62, employment5,499
- Sector 62, average annual pay$51,369
- Sector 72, employment4,335
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,539
- Sector 23, employment2,234
- Sector 56, employment1,320
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 6,269 | 459 | $33,072 |
| Sector 31-33 | 5,722 | 88 | $59,512 |
| Sector 62 | 5,499 | 294 | $51,369 |
| Sector 72 | 4,335 | 238 | $19,539 |
| Sector 23 | 2,234 | 234 | $69,631 |
| Sector 56 | 1,320 | 152 | $37,520 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,306 | 73 | $66,918 |
| Sector 42 | 1,184 | 104 | $62,881 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,269 jobs, 15.0 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 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.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Wayne County
What is being built in Wayne County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024605
- Declared construction value permitted$121.0 m
- Single family units authorised583
- Multifamily units authorised22
- Multifamily share of units3.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$200,065
- Units authorised per 1,000 households12.7
Multifamily is 3.6 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 recorded47
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$31.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$672,643
- Median 7(a) approval$350,000
- 10th percentile approval$95,800
- 90th percentile approval$1,500,000
- 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)
- Most active lenderFirst Bank (4)
- 504 approvals recorded10
- 504 gross approval dollars$6.9 m
- Average 504 approval$693,300
- Median 504 approval$522,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval16.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved24.2
- Most active CDCSBA CLSC Servicing (4)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals82.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$38.5 m
The average approval of $672,643 sits well above the median of $350,000, 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. 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
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
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 7 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 lending5
- GOLDSBORO, approvals40
- FREMONT, approvals2
- PIKEVILLE, approvals2
- LA GRANGE, approvals2
- SEVEN SPRINGS, approvals1
| Place | 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 big 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
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 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
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 7, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
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.
- Population118,652
- 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?
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 growing?
The population has grown 2.57 percent since the 2020 census base. 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 there 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 the average wage in Wayne County?
Average annual pay is $49,087, or $944 a week, across 41,880 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?
47 7(a) approvals totalling $31.6 m since FY2020, across 29 lenders, with a median approval of $350,000, plus 10 504 approvals worth $6.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Wayne County?
605 housing units were authorised 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 Wayne County Non-migrants, with 41,700 households. Arriving households report an average income of $46,085 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.