Wayne County
General Overview
Formed in 1823, Wayne County is best known as the birthplace of the Church of Latter Day Saints, an important stop on the Underground Railroad, and as a fertile and productive fruit growing region. Situated on the shore of Lake Ontario, Wayne is the northeastern-most county in the Finger Lakes region. Wayne is the third-largest county by population in the region, after Monroe and Ontario, and the largest in the region by land area.
Trends in Wayne County largely mirror the region, with declining median income, a shrinking and aging population, and increasing child poverty; yet, homes are affordable and most crime rates are falling. Although tourism revenue is the lowest in the region and has fallen substantially, the county is home to several interesting spots, including Chimney Bluffs State Park and Hill Cumorah, an historic site where Joseph Smith said he found the golden tablets which were the basis for the Book of Mormon and which hosts an annual Mormon pageant.
Demographic Overview
Wayne’s population is falling, but is still higher than most counties in the region:
· In 2014, Wayne was home to 92,100 residents, making it the third largest county in the region behind Monroe and Ontario. Wayne accounted for 8% of the total regional population.
· Wayne lost just under 2% of its population from 2000 to 2014, in comparison to increases nationally (13%), statewide (4%), and for the region as a whole (2%). However, Wayne’s population shrank less than some other counties surrounding Monroe.
Wayne County's population is aging:
· The number of residents aged 60 to 84 grew by 43% from 2000 to 2014, while the 85 and older age group grew by 31%. Both figures are comparable to large increases nationally, regionally, and for most regional counties.
· During the same period, Wayne’s population under 20 shrank by 20% (a greater decrease than for the state and region), while its population aged 20 to 39 declined by 16% (also more than the state and region).
Despite increases in its Asian and Hispanic population, Wayne remains primarily white:
· From 2000 to 2014, Wayne’s Asian and Hispanic populations grew by 39% and 64% respectively, while the African American and white populations shrank by 3% each.
· Wayne, with a population that is 94% white, is less diverse than the state (70% white) and region (83% white). Hispanics made up 4% of the total population, African Americans 3%, and Asian residents just 0.7%.
Wayne has seen a drop in the share of households composed of married couples with children:
· In 2010-14, 20% of Wayne households were composed of married couples with children, above the region (18%) and on par with the state. The rate is 6 points lower than in 2000.
· Over the same period, the share of households composed of married couples without children and those living alone grew to 33% and 25% respectively in 2010-14.
Arts, Culture and Leisure
Wayne has both the lowest tourism revenue per resident in the region and the greatest decrease since 2005:
· In 2014, tourism revenue was $410 per resident, well below the state ($3,170), region ($1,280), and every county in the region.
· Wayne’s revenue per resident fell by 16% from 2005 to 2014, compared to increases for the state (15%) and region (5%).
Wayne County also had the largest regional decrease in recreational tourism revenue, dropping from $30 per resident in 2005 to $18 in 2014 (the lowest rate in the region).
Children and Youth
Child poverty was relatively low in Wayne but increased more than the nation and state:
· In 2010-14, 18% of Wayne’s children lived below the poverty line, lower than for the region (21%), state, and nation (both 22%).
· From 2000 to 2010-14, the poverty rate increased by 7 points, a larger increase than for the nation (5 points), state (2 points), and on par with the region.
Consistent with regional trends, Wayne County has experienced an increase in the proportion of single-parent families:
· In 2010-14, 35% of Wayne families were headed by a single parent, on par with the nation and a bit below the state (37%) and region (39%).
· Wayne’s rate rose by 7 points from 2000 to 2010-14, a greater increase than the state (4 points) and similar to the region (8 points) and nation (6 points).
In 2013, 74% of Wayne mothers received prenatal care in the first trimester, on par with the nation and state and slightly below the region (78%).
The rate of pregnancies among 15- to 19-year-olds declined throughout the decade from 4.9% in 2000 to 2.7% in 2013. Wayne’s 2013 rate was below the state (3.7%) and region (2.9%).
Wayne’s rate of low-weight births in 2013 (8%) was close to the region (7%), and rose by 2 points from 2000 (versus no change for the state, region, and nation).
Community Engagement
Voter registration in Wayne County exceeded state, national, and regional rates:
· In 2014, 80% of eligible voting-age adults were registered to vote, higher than for the state (76%), region (79%), and most counties in the region.
· Wayne’s voter registration rate fell by 5 points from 2000, a larger decrease than for the state and nation (both down 3 points over that period).
In the 2014 midterm election, 36% of eligible voters in Wayne turned out to vote, down 4 points from 2010 but higher than for the state (25%) and region (35%). Turnout for the 2012 presidential election (52%) was higher than most of the surrounding counties and the state (46%) but just below the nation (54%) and the region as a whole (55%).
Charitable giving in Wayne County lagged behind some regional counties, but exceeded others:
· On average, Wayne County residents gave about $580 in 2013, far below the nation ($1,270), state ($1,640) and region ($910) but above some regional counties.
· Charitable giving fell 30% since 2002, compared to 11% decreases at the state and national level and a 23% decline regionally.
Economy
The unemployment rate has fallen since the Great Recession, but is still higher than the region:
· In 2014, the unemployment rate in Wayne was 6.2%, on par with the nation and state but above the region (5.8%).
· The unemployment rate fell 2.7 points from its peak in 2010, but remains more than 2 points above its low of 3.8% in 2000. Wayne made significant progress from 2013 to 2014, with the rate falling by 1.4 points.
In Wayne, total jobs declined 2% from 2001 to 2014, though some sectors performed better than others relative to the region:
· Wayne’s 2% decline compares to growth of 12% for the nation, 13% for the state, and 2% for the region as a whole.
· Two of Wayne’s three largest sectors – Manufacturing and Government – shrank, by 16% and 3% respectively, compared to decreases of 34% and 2% for the region. The other largest sector – Trade, Transportation, and Utilities – grew by 3%, compared to regional growth of 7%.
· Wayne’s share of regional jobs was disproportionately lower than its share of regional population – in 2014, Wayne had 8% of the total regional population, but made up just 5% of the total regional jobs.
Wayne’s growth in average salary outpaced the region:
· From 2000 to 2014, the average salary in Wayne grew by 7%, compared to increases of 6% for the nation, 7% for the state, and no change for the region. However, Wayne’s salary grew less than several regional counties.
· In 2014, Wayne’s average salary was $38,900, lower than the nation ($51,400), state ($65,900), and region ($45,100).
Education
Prekindergarten participation has increased dramatically and is now higher than the state and region:
· In 2014, 59% of eligible children participated in prekindergarten, higher than the rate for the state (44%), region (40%), and most regional counties.
· Wayne’s rate rose by 54 points from 2001 to 2014, a much greater increase than for the state and region (both up by 29 points over that period).
Performance on state tests was mixed, but generally on par or worse than the region:
· Students outperformed the region on Grade 8 math (21% passing for Wayne, 17% for the region), but fared worse on 3rd grade English (24% vs. 29%) and 4th grade math (35% vs. 45%).
· A notable exception was on the Regents Math exam, for which 80% of Wayne students passed, versus 70% for the region. The passing rate in Wayne was also a bit higher on Regents English (86%) than in the region (84%).
The four-year graduation rate in Wayne was 87% in 2014, higher than for the state (79%) and region (84%).
Wayne County adults age 25 and over had less formal education than in the region, state or nation:
· In 2010-14, 53% of adults in Wayne had attended at least some college, compared to 61% in the region and 58% in the state and nation. Wayne also had a much lower rate of adults who had attained a bachelor’s or higher (21%) than the state (34%), nation (29%), and region (31%).
· However, Wayne’s adults are becoming more educated: the rate of adults who had attended at least some college rose by 7 points from 2000 to 2010-14, while the rate of adults without a GED or High School Diploma fell by 7 points over the same period.
Total spending per student by school districts in Wayne County was $20,100 in 2014, below the state ($21,800) but above the region ($19,800). Wayne’s rate rose by 43% from 2000 to 2014, similar to the state (44%) but more than the region (39%).
Financial Self-Sufficiency
Wayne’s median household income, once among the highest in the region, has fallen considerably since 2000:
· In 2010-14, the median household income in Wayne was $51,600, below the nation ($53,500), state ($58,700), and region ($57,800).
· From 2000 to 2010-14, median income fell by 18% in Wayne, a greater decrease than nationally (10%), statewide (5%), and for the region (6%). Wayne’s drop was matched by Monroe and exceeded every other county in the region.
Despite increasing from 2000, the poverty rate in Wayne is lower than the state, nation, and region:
· In 2010-14, 12% of Wayne residents lived below the poverty line, versus 16% for the state and nation and 14% for the region.
· Wayne’s rate rose by 3 points from 2000 to 2010-14, a greater increase than for the state (1 point) but less than for the region (4 points).
Similar to trends in other regional counties, Wayne experienced an increase in the number of residents receiving temporary assistance, up 31% from 2001 to 1.2% in 2014.
In 2014, Wayne served 10.4 emergency meals per resident—more than quintuple the number served per resident in 2000.
Health
The rate of uninsured has fallen slightly and remains below the state and nation:
· In 2013, 10% of Wayne residents lacked health insurance, on par with the region and below the 17% nationwide and 12% statewide.
· Wayne’s rate fell by 1 point from 2008 to 2013, on par with the state and compared to unchanged rates for the nation and region.
· Wayne had a comparatively low rate of people enrolled in Medicaid:
· In 2013, 17% of residents were enrolled in Medicaid, below the state (27%) and region (20%).
· The rate rose by 11 points from 2000, similar to the region (10 points) and a bit below the state (13 points).
Like other counties in the region, the mortality rate has fallen in Wayne, but remains relatively high:
· In 2013, there were 711 deaths per 100,000 residents, above the rate of 621 for the state and 670 for the region.
· The rate fell by 18% from 2000 to 2013, on par with the regional decrease but smaller than the statewide decrease of 22%.
The rate of chlamydia infections has doubled since 2001, but remains lower than the state, region, and most regional counties.
Wayne has a lower number of doctors per 10,000 residents (9) than the state, (37), region (32), and every regional county besides Seneca. The rate fell from 2002 to 2014, in contrast to increases for the state, region, and all but one other regional county.
Housing
Median home values have fallen in Wayne and remain lower than the nation and state:
· In 2010-14, the median home value in Wayne was $110,400, below the nation ($175,700), state ($283,700), and region ($126,600).
· Wayne’s median home value fell by 5% from 2000 to 2010-14, slightly more than the regional decrease (4%) and in contrast to increases for the state and nation.
In 2010-14, the homeownership rate in Wayne was 78%, unchanged from 2000. This rate was higher than the region (68%), state (54%), and nation (64%).
Although housing and rent have become more unaffordable over time, both are more affordable in Wayne than the state, nation, and region:
· In 2010-14, the ratio of median home value to median income was 1.8, lower than the region (1.9), state (3.5), and nation (2.6). A ratio below 3 or 4 is considered affordable.
· The ratio rose by 13% from 2000 to 2010-14, a smaller decrease than for the nation, state, and region.
· In 2010-14, 33% of renters’ income went to rent, on par with the nation but below the state and region. A rate of 30% or below is considered affordable. The rate rose by 6 points from 2000 to 2010-14, an increase on par with the region and slightly smaller than in the state and nation.