Spencer County vs Wayne County
A side-by-side comparison of Spencer County and Wayne County: population, income, housing, and more.
Spencer 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.
Spencer County has the higher population (19,875 vs 19,592 in Wayne County). Spencer County has the higher median household income ($98,333 vs $41,933 in Wayne County). Spencer County has the higher median home value ($297,600 vs $121,700 in Wayne County).
Population, income & housing
| Spencer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,875 | 19,592 |
| Median age | 43.3 yrs | 43.4 yrs |
| Median household income | $98,333 | $41,933 |
| Median home value | $297,600 | $121,700 |
| Median gross rent | $954 | $666 |
| Housing units | 7,599 | 10,144 |
| Homeownership rate | 86.6% | 72.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.1% | 13.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 4.9% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Spencer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,680 → 19,875 (+6.4%) | 20,546 → 19,592 (-4.6%) |
| Median household income | $80,166 → $98,333 (+22.7%) | $34,914 → $41,933 (+20.1%) |
| Median home value | $213,300 → $297,600 (+39.5%) | $88,800 → $121,700 (+37.0%) |
| Median gross rent | $649 → $954 (+47.0%) | $538 → $666 (+23.8%) |
Spencer County
18,68019,875
$80,166$98,333
$213,300$297,600
$649$954
Wayne County
20,54619,592
$34,914$41,933
$88,800$121,700
$538$666
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Spencer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.3% | 5.6% |
| 5 to 17 | 17.4% | 15.1% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.2% | 7.5% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.1% | 12.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.2% | 11.8% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.8% | 12.3% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.1% | 13.9% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.0% | 12.6% |
| 75 and over | 5.0% | 8.5% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Spencer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.2% | 92.0% |
| Black or African American | 0.9% | 1.4% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Asian | 0.4% | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Two or more races | 2.5% | 1.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.6% | 4.4% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Spencer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 6.7% | 20.6% |
| High school graduate | 38.3% | 40.2% |
| Some college or associate's | 32.9% | 25.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 13.7% | 7.7% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 8.4% | 6.0% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Spencer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 83.4% | 76.9% |
| Carpooled | 4.1% | 11.4% |
| Public transit | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Walked | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Worked from home | 10.5% | 9.4% |
| Other means | 1.0% | 1.2% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Spencer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 89.6% | 67.3% |
| 1-unit, attached | 0.1% | 1.0% |
| 2 to 4 units | 1.9% | 4.2% |
| 5 to 19 units | 2.1% | 2.4% |
| 20 or more units | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Mobile home & other | 5.6% | 24.6% |
Poverty & households
| Spencer County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.4% | 24.3% |
| Average household size | 2.80 | 2.41 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 32 | 24 |
| Median year structure built | 1998 | 1986 |
Full profiles
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