Simpson County vs Wayne County
A side-by-side comparison of Simpson County and Wayne County: population, income, housing, and more.
Simpson County and Wayne County are counties in Kentucky. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Simpson County has the higher population (19,786 vs 19,592 in Wayne County). Simpson County has the higher median household income ($57,392 vs $41,933 in Wayne County). Simpson County has the higher median home value ($195,700 vs $121,700 in Wayne County).
Population, income & housing
| Simpson County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,786 | 19,592 |
| Median age | 39.0 yrs | 43.4 yrs |
| Median household income | $57,392 | $41,933 |
| Median home value | $195,700 | $121,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,011 | $666 |
| Housing units | 8,456 | 10,144 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.3% | 72.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.8% | 13.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.9% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Simpson County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,183 → 19,786 (+8.8%) | 20,546 → 19,592 (-4.6%) |
| Median household income | $48,623 → $57,392 (+18.0%) | $34,914 → $41,933 (+20.1%) |
| Median home value | $135,200 → $195,700 (+44.7%) | $88,800 → $121,700 (+37.0%) |
| Median gross rent | $804 → $1,011 (+25.7%) | $538 → $666 (+23.8%) |
Simpson County
18,18319,786
$48,623$57,392
$135,200$195,700
$804$1,011
Wayne County
20,54619,592
$34,914$41,933
$88,800$121,700
$538$666
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Simpson County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 5 to 17 | 17.7% | 15.1% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.1% | 12.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.1% | 11.8% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 13.9% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.7% | 12.6% |
| 75 and over | 6.3% | 8.5% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Simpson County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 84.2% | 92.0% |
| Black or African American | 6.9% | 1.4% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| Asian | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| Two or more races | 5.2% | 1.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.4% | 4.4% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Simpson County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 10.8% | 20.6% |
| High school graduate | 40.5% | 40.2% |
| Some college or associate's | 32.0% | 25.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 10.5% | 7.7% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 6.3% | 6.0% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Simpson County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 79.5% | 76.9% |
| Carpooled | 12.8% | 11.4% |
| Public transit | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Walked | 1.6% | 0.6% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Worked from home | 5.2% | 9.4% |
| Other means | 0.7% | 1.2% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Simpson County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 79.0% | 67.3% |
| 1-unit, attached | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| 2 to 4 units | 6.1% | 4.2% |
| 5 to 19 units | 6.1% | 2.4% |
| 20 or more units | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Mobile home & other | 7.6% | 24.6% |
Poverty & households
| Simpson County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 15.1% | 24.3% |
| Average household size | 2.52 | 2.41 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 22 | 24 |
| Median year structure built | 1979 | 1986 |
Full profiles
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