Wayne County, Mississippi

Wayne County, Mississippi
County
Wayne County Courthouse in Waynesboro
Wayne County Courthouse in Waynesboro
Map of Mississippi highlighting Wayne County
Location within the U.S. state of Mississippi
Coordinates: 31°38′N 88°42′W / 31.64°N 88.7°W / 31.64; -88.7
Country United States
State Mississippi
Founded1809
Named forAnthony Wayne
SeatWaynesboro
Largest cityWaynesboro
Area
 • Total
814 sq mi (2,110 km2)
 • Land811 sq mi (2,100 km2)
 • Water2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
19,779
 • Estimate 
(2025)
19,807 Increase
 • Density24.4/sq mi (9.42/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district4th
Websitewww.waynecounty.ms

Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,779. Its county seat is Waynesboro. The county is named for General Anthony Wayne.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 814 square miles (2,110 km2), of which 811 square miles (2,100 km2) is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2) (0.3%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in Mississippi by land area.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18101,253—
18203,323165.2%
18302,781−16.3%
18402,120−23.8%
18502,89236.4%
18603,69127.6%
18704,20614.0%
18808,741107.8%
18909,81712.3%
190012,53927.7%
191014,70917.3%
192015,4675.2%
193015,295−1.1%
194016,92810.7%
195017,0100.5%
196016,258−4.4%
197016,6502.4%
198019,13514.9%
199019,5172.0%
200021,2168.7%
201020,747−2.2%
202019,779−4.7%
2025 (est.)19,807 Increase0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2013

Racial and ethnic composition

Wayne County, Mississippi – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980 Pop 1990 Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 12,651 12,469 12,955 12,243 11,313 66.11% 63.89% 61.06% 59.01% 57.20%
Black or African American alone (NH) 6,313 6,920 8,017 8,035 7,708 32.99% 35.46% 37.79% 38.73% 38.97%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 9 19 14 38 31 0.05% 0.10% 0.07% 0.18% 0.16%
Asian alone (NH) 12 32 31 34 35 0.06% 0.16% 0.15% 0.16% 0.18%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x x 2 2 2 x x 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Other race alone (NH) 1 2 0 3 11 0.01% 0.01% 0.00% 0.01% 0.06%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x x 63 146 336 x x 0.30% 0.70% 1.70%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 149 75 134 246 343 0.78% 0.38% 0.63% 1.19% 1.73%
Total 19,135 19,517 21,216 20,747 19,779 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 19,779. The median age was 40.1 years. 24.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.8 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 57.4% White, 39.1% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.1% from some other race, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.7% of the population.

<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 7,977 households in the county, of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 43.4% were married-couple households, 18.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 9,031 housing units, of which 11.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 78.5% were owner-occupied and 21.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.8%.

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Politics

Wayne County was originally a Democratic stronghold, but like many parts of Mississippi it swung to the Republican Party beginning in the 1960s. The last Democrat to win the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976, and in 2024 Donald Trump earned the highest share of the votes in the county for a Republican since the lopsided 1972 election.

United States presidential election results for Wayne County, Mississippi
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1912 15 2.29% 569 86.87% 71 10.84%
1916 47 5.41% 787 90.67% 34 3.92%
1920 112 15.84% 547 77.37% 48 6.79%
1924 56 5.83% 905 94.17% 0 0.00%
1928 289 23.96% 917 76.04% 0 0.00%
1932 23 2.19% 1,023 97.43% 4 0.38%
1936 44 3.12% 1,367 96.81% 1 0.07%
1940 22 1.56% 1,388 98.44% 0 0.00%
1944 35 2.47% 1,380 97.53% 0 0.00%
1948 4 0.29% 137 9.96% 1,235 89.75%
1952 717 30.89% 1,604 69.11% 0 0.00%
1956 373 17.52% 1,493 70.13% 263 12.35%
1960 490 21.94% 707 31.66% 1,036 46.39%
1964 3,539 92.77% 276 7.23% 0 0.00%
1968 247 4.87% 739 14.56% 4,089 80.57%
1972 4,648 82.08% 975 17.22% 40 0.71%
1976 3,022 47.06% 3,306 51.48% 94 1.46%
1980 3,844 52.07% 3,494 47.32% 45 0.61%
1984 5,000 63.81% 2,818 35.96% 18 0.23%
1988 4,496 60.64% 2,889 38.97% 29 0.39%
1992 3,874 49.78% 3,064 39.37% 845 10.86%
1996 3,219 49.60% 2,652 40.86% 619 9.54%
2000 4,635 60.16% 2,981 38.69% 89 1.16%
2004 5,562 63.25% 3,193 36.31% 39 0.44%
2008 6,070 60.57% 3,890 38.81% 62 0.62%
2012 6,111 59.15% 4,148 40.15% 73 0.71%
2016 5,990 62.40% 3,524 36.71% 85 0.89%
2020 6,307 62.72% 3,624 36.04% 125 1.24%
2024 6,013 65.94% 3,028 33.21% 78 0.86%

Education

There are three school districts in the county, Wayne County School District, Wayne Central School District and Waynesboro Riverview School.

The county is in the zone for Jones College.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Census - Geography Profile: Wayne County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  4. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  5. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  9. ↑ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  10. ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - Mississippi - Table 58 - Race by Sex: 1980 and Table 59 - Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 17-32. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
  11. ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Mississippi: Table 6 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 9-37. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 21, 2024 – via Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Wayne County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  13. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wayne County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  14. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wayne County, Mississippi". United States Census Bureau.
  15. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  16. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  17. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  18. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  19. 1 2 3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  20. 1 2 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  21. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  22. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  23. ↑ Clark, Eric (March 22, 2005). "Certification of Presidential Electors" (PDF). Secretary of State of Mississippi. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 1, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  24. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Wayne County, MS" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 27, 2024. - Text list
  25. ↑ "Profile". Jones College. Retrieved September 27, 2024.

31°38′N 88°42′W / 31.64°N 88.70°W / 31.64; -88.70