How many people live in Wayne County, NE?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 9,900 people living in Wayne County, NE. That makes Wayne County the 27th-most populous county in Nebraska. It is home to 0.49% of people living in the state.
9.87K
population of Wayne County, NE (2024)
0.49%
County share of the Nebraska population (2024)
About 9,900 people lived in Wayne County, NE in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Wayne County, NE’s age demographics?
About 1,700 Wayne County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 16.8% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 17.5% of Nebraska’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 2,100 Wayne County, NE residents, or 20.9% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 24.2% of Nebraska’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Wayne County, NE's population is aged 18–24 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Wayne County, NE’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 85.1% of the Wayne County, NE population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Wayne County’s non-Hispanic Black or African American population accounts for 1.8%, below the 12.6% nationwide, and the Hispanic population makes up 10.6% of the county, compared with 20% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Wayne County, NE has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Nebraska as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Wayne County, NE is Wayne with about 6,200 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Wayne County, NE ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wayne | 6,229 |
| 2. | Winside | 364 |
| 3. | Wakefield (pt.) | 359 |
| 4. | Hoskins | 269 |
| 5. | Carroll | 180 |
| 6. | Sholes | 18 |
| 7. | Balance of Wayne County | 2,451 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
