Wayne County Profile

Wayne County is located in rural southeast Illinois. The county is part of the Greater Wabash region, which is made up of seven counties: Crawford, Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, and White County. The county's name comes from General "Mad Anthony" Wayne, an officer in the Revolutionary War and Northwest Indian War. At 715 square miles, Wayne County is the largest county in the Greater Wabash region. There are ten municipalities and 20 townships. The City of Fairfield, which has been the county seat since the county's creation in 1819, was built on land donated by the Barnhill family.

The western part of the county is situated in the Southern Till Plain biome, which is characterized by high clay content soils. The southeastern part of the county and areas surrounding rivers are is located in the Wabash Border biome, which is characterized by large deciduous trees. The majority of Wayne County is covered by cropland which is interspersed with deciduous forests and pasture.

Elevation in the county is highest along the northern border and near Sam Dale Lake, and lowest along the Skillet Fork, Little Wabash River, and southeastern part of the county. The hydrologic features of the county define many of the lowest elevation areas.

Wayne County is in two watersheds - the Skillet Watershed and the Little Wabash Watershed. A watershed, or drainage basin, is the land area that drains directly to a common stream, river, or lake. Several major streams flow through the county, including Skillet Fork and the Little Wabash River.

Sam Dale Lake is located in the northeastern corner of the county and provides recreational opportunities such as fishing, hunting, picnicking, and camping. The lake is part of the Sam Dale Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area which is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. There are 5 miles of shoreline trails in the park and an abundance of wildlife. As of April 2023, Wayne County is home to 14 threatened or endangered species.

The climate of Illinois is continental with cold winters, warm and humid summers, and moderate spring and fall temperatures. Changes in temperature, humidity, cloudiness, and wind direction occur frequently. The southern Illinois climate region averages over 40 days above 90°F and 80 days below 32°F per year. Wayne County on average experiences its warmest temperatures in July and coldest temperatures in January. Rainfall peaks in the late spring, and the most snowfall occurs between December and February. Average annual rainfall is 48.00 inches; average annual snowfall is 11.6 inches.

Wayne County has a population of 15,872 and a population density of 22.2 inhabitants per square mile according to the 2022 U.S. Census population estimates. Between 2010 and 2020, Wayne County’s population decreased by 3.5%. Keenes, Mill Shoals, and Sims have experienced the most significant decrease in population. Mount Erie is the only community whose population has increased since 2010. Overall, nearly 1,000 people have left Wayne County over the last two decades.

Wayne County's population grew exponentially between 1820-1870 with the onset of the Industrial Revolution, bringing jobs and consequently people into the county. The county’s population reached its peak population of 27,626 in 1900. Population declined rapidly between 1900 and 1930, rebounding slightly in 1940. Since 1980, Wayne County has been losing population, albeit at a slower rate than the declines between 1900-1930 and 1940-1970.

A large portion of the county’s population is between the ages of 40-69 years. The median age of the county is 42.9 years old, which is older than the state’s median age of 39.1 years. The small bulge in the pyramid between the ages of 0 and 19 could indicate future population growth.

Golden Gate has the largest percentage of older residents; half of the village’s population is 65 years or older. Mill Shoals has the largest percentage of younger residents, which could indicate future population growth.

Wayne County’s racial composition is predominantly white. Nearly 2% of the population identifies as Hispanic/Latino.

The median household income in Wayne County is $51,540, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. Nearly 15% of Wayne County residents live below the poverty line, and 11.4% do not have health insurance.

Nearly 90% of Wayne County residents have attained at least a high school graduate level education. Wayne City and Fairfield have the largest percentage of people with an associate's, bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree. Golden Gate has the largest percentage of people without a high school, or equivalent, degree.

Fairfield has the largest proportion of housing units in the county. Nearly one-third of Fairfield’s housing are rental properties. Mobile home occupancy in Wayne County is nearly 25%, the highest percentage among any county in Illinois. The median rent in Wayne County is $604, which is below the Illinois median rent of $1,097. The percentage of households without vehicle access is highest in Golden Gate and over 10% in Fairfield.

Industry in Wayne County is dominated by educational services and healthcare, accounting for 28% of employment in the county. Manufacturing, retail trade, agriculture, and retail trade follow as the next largest employment sectors, combining to employ 49% of Wayne County residents.

Fairfield Memorial Hospital is the largest employer in the county, employing nearly 300 people. Two manufacturing companies, also based in Fairfield, employ nearly 100 people combined.

Over 10% of Wayne County residents work in agriculture. Wayne County lies in the corn belt region and corn and soybeans dominate most of its land area. Roughly 66% of the total land in Wayne County is used for farmland. Of this farmland, 85% is used for cropland, 3% for pastureland, 8% for woodland, and 4% for other.

The number of farms decreased by 12% and the area of farmland decreased by 18% since 2017. The average farm size also decreased but by only 6%, possibly indicating a decline in large farms.