Oakland County vs Wayne County
A side-by-side comparison of Oakland County and Wayne County: population, income, housing, and more.
Oakland County and Wayne County are counties in Michigan. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Wayne County has the higher population (1,773,767 vs 1,272,294 in Oakland County). Oakland County has the higher median household income ($95,296 vs $59,521 in Wayne County). Oakland County has the higher median home value ($320,400 vs $170,200 in Wayne County).
Population, income & housing
| Oakland County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,272,294 | 1,773,767 |
| Median age | 41.2 yrs | 37.8 yrs |
| Median household income | $95,296 | $59,521 |
| Median home value | $320,400 | $170,200 |
| Median gross rent | $1,319 | $1,087 |
| Housing units | 557,978 | 796,119 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.3% | 64.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.2% | 26.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 8.7% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Oakland County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,253,185 → 1,272,294 (+1.5%) | 1,757,299 → 1,773,767 (+0.9%) |
| Median household income | $79,698 → $95,296 (+19.6%) | $47,301 → $59,521 (+25.8%) |
| Median home value | $242,700 → $320,400 (+32.0%) | $113,000 → $170,200 (+50.6%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,080 → $1,319 (+22.1%) | $875 → $1,087 (+24.2%) |
Oakland County
1,253,1851,272,294
$79,698$95,296
$242,700$320,400
$1,080$1,319
Wayne County
1,757,2991,773,767
$47,301$59,521
$113,000$170,200
$875$1,087
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Oakland County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.2% | 6.3% |
| 5 to 17 | 15.3% | 17.4% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.9% | 8.4% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.4% | 14.4% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.8% | 12.0% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.3% | 12.4% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.2% | 13.0% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.7% | 9.8% |
| 75 and over | 7.2% | 6.3% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Oakland County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 69.2% | 48.2% |
| Black or African American | 12.9% | 37.0% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 8.2% | 3.5% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 4.3% | 4.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.9% | 6.7% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Oakland County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 5.1% | 12.1% |
| High school graduate | 17.8% | 29.5% |
| Some college or associate's | 26.9% | 31.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 28.4% | 16.3% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 21.8% | 10.6% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Oakland County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 73.4% | 73.0% |
| Carpooled | 6.1% | 8.7% |
| Public transit | 0.3% | 2.2% |
| Walked | 1.1% | 1.7% |
| Bicycle | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Worked from home | 18.0% | 12.4% |
| Other means | 0.9% | 1.8% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Oakland County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 67.8% | 69.7% |
| 1-unit, attached | 6.4% | 6.0% |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.6% | 6.7% |
| 5 to 19 units | 10.8% | 7.4% |
| 20 or more units | 7.6% | 8.4% |
| Mobile home & other | 2.8% | 1.8% |
Poverty & households
| Oakland County | Wayne County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.7% | 20.1% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 2.53 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 26 | 25 |
| Median year structure built | 1975 | 1956 |
Full profiles
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