Town · Wayne County, West Virginia

Wayne, West Virginia

Wayne is a town in Wayne County, West Virginia, part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area. It has 1,675 residents. Wayne, West Virginia has a quality-of-life score of 4 out of 100 (very low), ranking #15,032 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within West Virginia it ranks #147 of 150 cities and towns. It ranks best on hospital quality rating (high), drinking water violations (low) and arts, entertainment and recreation (high). It ranks worst on depression (high), drug overdose deaths (high) and median household income (low).

4Very low

Quality-of-life score: #15,032 of 15,651 cities and towns
West Virginia: #147 of 150 in WV
Population: 1,675 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,419.4 /mi²
FIPS code: 5484940

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety44#8,792/15,637
Economy3#15,127/15,631
Housing32#10,182/14,977
Health2#15,256/15,609
Healthcare14#13,404/15,650
Environment27#11,285/15,453
Education23#12,087/15,649
Infrastructure10#14,118/15,650
Community4#15,066/15,651
Leisure & amenities27#11,350/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Wayne, West Virginia ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Wayne County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Hospital quality rating · high5.0
98/100West Virginia 2.8United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesWayne County value
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100West Virginia 1United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWayne County value
Arts, entertainment and recreation · high6.4 /10k
84/100West Virginia 5.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWayne County value
Average commute time · low20.8 min
80/100West Virginia 26.6 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
High ozone days · low0 days
76/100West Virginia 0 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyWayne County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.67%
73/100West Virginia 0.50%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Weaknesses

Depression · high33.7%
0/100West Virginia 31.9%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Drug overdose deaths · high53.1 /100k
1/100West Virginia 36.6 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataWayne County value
Median household income · low$27,159
1/100West Virginia $60,662United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Injury deaths · high184 /100k
1/100West Virginia 151 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWayne County value
New business applications · low6.4 /1k
1/100West Virginia 9.3 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauWayne County value
Frequent mental distress · high24.2%
1/100West Virginia 23.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
1,207 (2015-2019) → 1,675 (2020-2024)
+39%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
51.0% (2015-2019) → 66.2% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
62.7% (2015-2019) → 77.6% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
39.2% (2015-2019) → 24.4% (2020-2024)
−15 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
30.6% (2015-2019) → 41.1% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
12.0% (2015-2019) → 6.1% (2020-2024)
−5.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Wayne, West Virginia improved on 1 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 12 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Broadband+15 points62.7% → 77.6%

Declined1

Rent burden+15 points51.0% → 66.2%

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Wayne, West Virginia between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	17.5 min2015-2019	20.7 min2020-2024	+3.3 min	Within the margin of error	18%
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.0%2015-2019	6.1%2020-2024	−5.9 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Broadband subscriptions	62.7%2015-2019	77.6%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	79%
Child poverty rate	39.2%2015-2019	24.4%2020-2024	−15 points	Within the margin of error	89%
Effective property tax rate	0.45%2015-2019	0.67%2020-2024	+0.2 points	Within the margin of error	3%
High school diploma or higher	76.5%2015-2019	76.6%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	35%
Home price to income ratio	3.8×2015-2019	3.0×2020-2024	−0.8×	Within the margin of error	96%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4672015-2019	0.5042020-2024	+0.037	Within the margin of error	23%
Median household income	$21,6482015-2019	$27,1592020-2024	+25%	Within the margin of error	45%
Poverty rate	31.5%2015-2019	25.8%2020-2024	−5.7 points	Within the margin of error	83%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	30.6%2015-2019	41.1%2020-2024	+11 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Rent-burdened households	51.0%2015-2019	66.2%2020-2024	+15 points	Declined	14%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.1%2015-2019	13.3%2020-2024	+5.2 points	Within the margin of error	10%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Wayne, West Virginia five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Wayne, West Virginia in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Wayne, West Virginia itself moved −8 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,675 residents (±492)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

657 households (±130)

Wayne, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Under $25k49%†319
$25k–50k19%†127
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

657 households (±130)

Wayne, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Own46%†299
Rent54%†358

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

540 workers (±164)

Wayne, West Virginia
West Virginia share

Drive alone84%†455
Carpool9.4%†51
Public transit

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Wayne County, the county holding most of Wayne's residents.

Wayne County has 434 employer establishments, 115 for every 10,000 residents (0.46× the US rate of 248; 0.57× West Virginia's), with 6,343 paid employees at an average annual pay of $53,452. The Census Bureau also counts 1,644 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 434; 1,644 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 115; US 248 · West Virginia 202
Paid employees: 6,343
Average annual pay: $53,452; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Wayne County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	32	8.5	0.55×Fewer than typical	208	$58,625	136
Restaurants and other eating places	30	7.9	0.43×Fewer than typical	393	$17,781	—
Ambulatory health care services	25	6.6	0.32×Fewer than typical	346	$60,503	73
Religious organizations	21	5.6	1.00×About typical	78	$14,474	—
Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	16	4.2	1.59×More than typical	134	$21,321	12
Limited-service restaurants	15	4	0.50×Fewer than typical	225	$18,111	—
Construction of buildings	14	3.7	0.49×Fewer than typical	31	$34,871	56
Lessors of real estate	14	3.7	0.30×Fewer than typical	32	$29,781	102
Automotive repair and maintenance	13	3.4	0.68×Fewer than typical	33	$29,576	28
Building equipment contractors	13	3.4	0.57×Fewer than typical	86	$66,605	24
Gasoline stations	13	3.4	1.06×About typical	140	$21,914	—
General merchandise stores	13	3.4	1.95×More than typical	223	$27,704	20

Rank places for an industry Open Wayne County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 37,743 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Wayne, West Virginia: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

183.7FY2019
1.7KFY2020
-10.1FY2021

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Wayne, West Virginia, so they do not add up across cities.

Wayne, West Virginia's figures are part of those of Wayne County, WV ($67.3M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Wayne is mostly in Wayne County.

See federal money in Wayne County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Wayne, West Virginia is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Carol D. MillerR-WV-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 5.3%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Wayne County23100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH33

Other cities and towns in Wayne County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/5484940

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends