Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,747. 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 , of which is land and (0.3%) is water. It is the fifth-largest county in Mississippi by land area.
Major highways
20px U.S. Highway 45
20px U.S. Highway 84
20px Mississippi Highway 63
Adjacent counties
Clarke County (north)
Choctaw County, Alabama (northeast)
Washington County, Alabama (southeast)
Greene County (south)
Perry County (southwest)
Jones County (west)
Jasper County (northwest)
National protected area
De Soto National Forest (part)
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 19,779 people, 7,683 households, and 5,390 families residing in the county.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 21,216 people, 7,857 households, and 5,853 families living in the county. The population density was 26 people per square mile (10/km2). There were 9,049 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 61.29% White, 38.01% Black, 0.07% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.33% from two or more races. 0.63% of the population were Latino of any race.
There were 7,857 households, out of which 37.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.00% were married couples living together, 17.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.50% were non-families. 23.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.20% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $25,918, and the median income for a family was $30,513. Males had a median income of $27,139 versus $16,680 for females. The per capita income for the county was $12,757. About 21.40% of families and 25.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.70% of those under age 18 and 21.90% of those age 65 or over.
Ethnicity
2016
As of 2016 the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Wayne County, Mississippi were:
English - 18.3%
American - 8.1%
Irish - 5.5%
Scots-Irish - 2.9%
German - 3.4%
Scottish - 2.2%
French (except Basque) - 0.8%
Welsh - 0.4%
Greek - 0.4%
Communities
Cities
Waynesboro (county seat)
Towns
State Line
Census-designated places
Buckatunna
Clara
Unincorporated communities
Eret
Matherville
Winchester
Eucutta
Politics
