• county
  • FIPS 21231
  • Largest town: Monticello

Wayne County, Kentucky

Wayne County had 19,629 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 458.0 square miles of land. It ranks 61st of 120 in Kentucky by population and 19th by land area.

Population
19,629
#61 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,850 in US
Area
458.0 sq mi
#19 of 120 in Kentucky · #2,237 in US
Density
43 / sq mi
#78 of 120 in Kentucky · #1,604 in US
Median household income
$42,721
#101 of 120 in Kentucky · #3,033 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Wayne County within Kentucky. Pin: Frankfort.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Wayne County

Wayne County population, land area and income

Wayne County had 19,629 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 458.0 square miles of land. It ranks 61st of 120 in Kentucky by population and 19th by land area. That works out to 42.9 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and below the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Kentucky has 19,740 residents, about the same as Wayne County.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $42,721 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

19,629

3144th1st

1850th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

458 sq mi

3144th1st

2237th of 3,144 (US)

Density

42.9 / sq mi

3144th1st

1604th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$42,721

3143rd1st

3033rd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Kentucky (120)

Population

19,629

120th1st

61st of 120 (KY)

Land area

458 sq mi

120th1st

19th of 120 (KY)

Density

42.9 / sq mi

120th1st

78th of 120 (KY)

Median household income

$42,721

120th1st

101st of 120 (KY)

How Wayne County's population changed since 2020

Wayne County gained 86 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.4%. That ranks 71st of 120 in Kentucky for growth. The median Kentucky county changed by +1.4%, and the state as a whole by +1.8%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Wayne County recorded 880 births and 1,259 deaths, a natural change of -379. Net international migration added +77 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +365. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 379 people.

19.5k202019.5k202119.7k202219.6k202319.6k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
880
Deaths
1,259
Net international migration
+77
Net domestic migration
+365
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-1

Where Wayne County is

The Census internal point of Wayne County is at 36.800800, -84.826600. It sits in UTM zone 16N. The map shades Kentucky's 120 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Wayne County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Adair County: +1.9%Kenton County: +3.3%Owen County: +1.2%Morgan County: +4.1%Bracken County: +1.1%Edmonson County: +4.0%Trigg County: +3.4%Jackson County: +3.0%Spencer County: +6.8%Clark County: +1.7%Jessamine County: +6.6%Green County: +3.8%Henry County: +3.2%Graves County: +0.8%Webster County: -1.3%Washington County: +1.9%Ohio County: +0.8%Knott County: -5.1%Meade County: +1.4%Carroll County: +2.5%Scott County: +7.2%Lincoln County: +2.7%Greenup County: -1.7%Boyle County: +2.1%Hardin County: +1.8%Nelson County: +4.1%Hart County: +3.2%Christian County: -2.4%Carlisle County: -0.6%Crittenden County: -0.2%Elliott County: -1.0%Garrard County: +6.3%Larue County: +1.7%Lee County: -0.7%Leslie County: -7.1%Hancock County: -1.0%Lewis County: -1.6%Lyon County: +4.6%McLean County: -0.1%Magoffin County: -4.2%Martin County: -4.9%Mason County: -1.1%Rockcastle County: +1.0%Menifee County: +3.2%Russell County: +2.6%Whitley County: +1.5%Todd County: +3.9%Union County: -3.5%Wolfe County: -2.9%Bell County: -3.9%Boyd County: -0.9%Butler County: +1.9%Metcalfe County: +2.7%Grant County: +2.8%Simpson County: +3.7%Pike County: -5.2%Gallatin County: +1.5%Harlan County: -6.4%Fayette County: +2.1%Logan County: +3.5%Muhlenberg County: -1.2%Bath County: +1.8%Mercer County: +3.8%Barren County: +2.5%Franklin County: +1.6%Bullitt County: +4.2%Boone County: +5.6%Campbell County: +0.9%Jefferson County: +1.4%Wayne County: +0.4%Ballard County: -1.1%Anderson County: +4.1%Pulaski County: +2.7%Knox County: -1.7%Laurel County: +1.0%Breckinridge County: +3.8%Oldham County: +4.2%Letcher County: -6.2%Lawrence County: -3.1%McCracken County: -0.6%Nicholas County: +3.7%Owsley County: -2.6%Powell County: -1.3%Bourbon County: +0.2%Calloway County: +3.7%Henderson County: -1.1%Clinton County: -0.5%Warren County: +9.6%Montgomery County: +2.4%Floyd County: -3.5%Woodford County: +3.1%Hopkins County: -0.3%Johnson County: -2.4%Marshall County: +0.1%Estill County: -1.1%Cumberland County: +3.2%Fleming County: +3.3%Madison County: +7.1%Carter County: -1.9%Allen County: +7.1%Daviess County: +1.0%Harrison County: +4.3%Perry County: -5.7%Fulton County: -3.5%Clay County: -3.5%Robertson County: +9.1%Trimble County: +1.5%Taylor County: +3.1%Shelby County: +3.9%McCreary County: -0.2%Breathitt County: -6.5%Livingston County: -0.6%Hickman County: -3.0%Rowan County: -0.2%Casey County: +0.2%Monroe County: -1.4%Marion County: +1.3%Grayson County: +2.3%Caldwell County: -0.2%Pendleton County: +1.3%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -1.6%
  2. < +0.2%
  3. < +1.9%
  4. < +3.7%
  5. ≥ +3.7%
no data

Orange pin: Wayne County internal point. Dark pin: Frankfort.

Internal point

Decimal
36.800800, -84.826600
DMS
36°48'2.88"N 84°49'35.76"W
UTM
16N 693897.1E 4074978.4N
Geohash
dne9merhh
Plus code
868QR52F+89

Towns in Wayne County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Wayne County, 5,726 people together, or 29% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Wayne County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Monticello with 5,726.

  1. 01Monticello5,726
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Wayne County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Wayne County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Pulaski County, KY, with 66,842 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Frankfort and the nearest big city

Frankfort is 95.8 miles N of Wayne County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Knoxville, TN (population 198,722), 75.3 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Somerset, KY (population 12,389), 23.2 miles away.

Wayne County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Wayne County is 21231: state code 21 for Kentucky plus county code 231. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $42,721.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Wayne County, Kentucky?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 19,629. That is up 86 people (0.4%) from the July 2020 estimate of 19,543.

What is the FIPS code of Wayne County?

21231. The first two digits (21) are Kentucky; the last three (231) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Wayne County?

Monticello, with 5,726 residents inside Wayne County in 2024.

Which counties border Wayne County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Pulaski County, KY; Scott County, TN; Russell County, KY; McCreary County, KY; Clinton County, KY; Pickett County, TN.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.