Is Wayne, WV a Good Place to Live?
Wayne is a small town of 1,335 in West Virginia, with a median household income of $25,391 and a 4.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 88 (US average = 100), which is 12% below the national average.
Strengths: Wayne stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Wayne is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Wayne city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 88.4Wayne's overall cost of living index is 88.4, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Wayne costs roughly 12% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Wayne, WV | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $83,400 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $680 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 44.1% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $25,391 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Wayne is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Wayne is served primarily by Wayne County Schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.3:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Wayne, WV | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Wayne County Schools | — |
| Elementary Schools | 11 | — |
| Middle Schools | 4 | — |
| High Schools | 3 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 13.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 9.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 74.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Wayne sees average highs of 43.2°F in January and 86.4°F in July, with 45.1 inches of annual precipitation and 19.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Wayne, WV |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 43.2°F |
| Average High — July | 86.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 45.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 19.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Wayne, WV | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,335 | — |
| Median Age | 38.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 16.0 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 99.3% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 23.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 17.2% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Wayne
Wayne, WV is covered by 1 ZIP code: