Wayne County, Ohio

Adjacent counties

• Medina County (north)
• Summit County (northeast)
• Stark County (east)
• Holmes County (south)
• Ashland County (west)

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 116,894. The median age was 39.0 years; 24.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.6% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.5 males age 18 and over.^[13]

The racial makeup of the county was 92.2% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.0% from some other race, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.4% of the population.^[14]

44.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 55.8% lived in rural areas.^[15]

There were 43,983 households in the county, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.9% were married-couple households, 17.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 46,555 housing units, of which 5.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.3% were owner-occupied and 27.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%.^[13]

Racial and ethnic composition

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 114,520 people, 42,638 households, and 30,070 families living in the county.^[25] The population density was 206.4 inhabitants per square mile (79.7 inhabitants/km²). There were 45,847 housing units at an average density of 82.6 units per square mile (31.9 units/km²).^[26] The racial makeup of the county was 95.7% white, 1.5% black or African American, 0.8% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.6% of the population.^[25] In terms of ancestry, 34.1% were German, 13.3% were American, 12.9% were Irish, and 9.0% were English.^[27]

Of the 42,638 households, 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.5% were non-families, and 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.13. The median age was 38.3 years.^[25]

The median income for a household in the county was $48,375 and the median income for a family was $59,692. Males had a median income of $42,082 versus $29,623 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,645. About 7.8% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.^[28]

2000 census

As of the census^[29] of 2000, there were 111,564 people, 40,445 households, and 29,484 families living in the county. The population density was 201 inhabitants per square mile (78 inhabitants/km²). There were 42,324 housing units at an average density of 76 units per square mile (29/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.52% White, 1.57% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 0.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 31.7% were of German, 13.9% American, 9.6% Irish, 9.0% English and 5.5% Swiss ancestry according to Census 2000. 91.5% spoke English, 3.2% German, 1.6% Dutch, 1.5% Pennsylvania Dutch and 1.2% Spanish as their first language.

There were 40,445 households, out of which 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.80% were married couples living together, 8.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.10% were non-families. 22.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.40% under the age of 18, 9.80% from 18 to 24, 27.80% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 12.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,538, and the median income for a family was $48,294. Males had a median income of $33,976 versus $23,203 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,330. About 5.40% of families and 8.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.60% of those under age 18 and 6.90% of those age 65 or over.

Ancestry

There were several large waves of migration into what it is today Wayne County, Ohio. The first wave was groups of families from New England, migrating westward into what was then the Northwest Territory and then early statehood era Ohio between the 1790s and the 1820s. Most of the settlers who arrived in what would become Wayne County at that time were from New England. They were overwhelmingly Congregationalists, however, in the 1810s several arrived who had become Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians during the Second Great Awakening. These groups were of English ancestry, being descended from the English Puritans who arrived in colonial New England during the 1620s and 1630s. The English-descended "Yankee" New Englanders established the county in 1812. The second large migration was German immigrants, the Germans settled in Wayne County in large numbers between the 1820s and the 1880s, forming a steady stream of migration into the county during that time. These immigrants were almost exclusively Lutheran. Lastly in the early 1850s a large group of Irish immigrants arrived in the county as part of a large wave of migration entering the United States at that time. This group was overwhelmingly Catholic. Many families currently in Wayne County go back to the early 19th century settlement of the county by New Englanders.^[30] Today, many of these same people who cite that they are of "American" ancestry are actually of English descent, however, they have families that have been in the state so long, in many cases since the colonial period, that they choose to identify simply as having "American" ancestry or do not, in fact, know their own ancestry. Their ancestry primarily goes back to the original Thirteen Colonies and for this reason many of them today simply claim "American" ancestry, though they are of predominantly English ancestry.^{[31][32][33][34]} There are also many Irish-Americans in the county. German-Americans have formed the largest single group in Wayne County since the late 1800s.

Cities

• Orrville
• Rittman
• Wooster (county seat)
• Norton (mostly in Summit County)

Villages

Townships

Census-designated places

• Kidron
• New Pittsburg
• Sterling

Unincorporated communities