Wayne County, Michigan
Among the top 4% of US counties for getting around.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 12% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade C, better than 48% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade F, better than 3% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A+, better than 96% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 50% of US counties
- top 1% for airport distance
- top 7% for walkability
- bottom 1% for monthly owner costs
Wayne County is a county in Michigan with about 1,782,000 residents. It grades A+ for getting around and F for safety & wellbeing. Standout strengths include airport distance, walkability, and comfortable days. It rates lower on natural disaster risk and monthly owner costs.
- The median home value in Wayne County is $159k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Wayne County is $57k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Wayne County is $1k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Wayne County has a violent crime rate of 2591/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Wayne County is 25 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Warm summers · Cold winters · Moderate rain · Snowy
very cold
cold
cool
comf.
warm
comf.
cool
cold
v.cold
63%28%clearovercast
Precipitation 3.4 in2.1 in
humid 90%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$57k39th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$43kbetter than 80% of US counties
Home Value$159k49th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$1kbetter than 20% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$441kbetter than 0% of US counties
Property Tax Rate1.73%better than 8% of US counties
Income Tax5.32%better than 41% of US counties
State 4.30% + Local 1.02%
Sales Tax6.00%better than 84% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden12.09%better than 17% of US counties
Unemployment9.0%better than 7% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)26°F26th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)74°F31st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation34.1 in31st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall36.9 inbetter than 22% of US counties
Sunny Days190 daysbetter than 10% of US counties
Summer Humidity61°Fbetter than 71% of US counties
Comfortable Days99 daysbetter than 91% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk99.0better than 1% of US counties
Air Quality61 AQIbetter than 1% of US counties
School Quality63.4better than 66% of US counties
Violent Crime2591/100kbetter than 2% of US counties
Property Crime2612/100kbetter than 6% of US counties
Community
Population1,781,64199th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age37.720th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6094th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9413th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+394th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)48.7%14th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)37.4%94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)6.3%59th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)3.4%91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)4.2%67th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time25 minbetter than 44% of US counties
Walkability10.2/20better than 93% of US counties
Airport Distance8 mibetter than 99% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access85.7%better than 66% of US counties
Amenities Nearby3.36better than 57% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 33% of US counties
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Frequently asked questions
- Is Wayne County an affordable place to live?
- Wayne County is relatively affordable. Its cost-of-living index is $43k, better than 80% of comparable areas. Median rent is $1k.
- Is Wayne County safe?
- Wayne County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 2591/100k (better than 2%). Property crime is 2612/100k.
- What is the weather like in Wayne County?
- Wayne County averages 74°F in July and 26°F in January, with 34.1 in of annual precipitation and about 190 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Wayne County?
- Public-school quality in Wayne County is above average, scoring better than 66% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Wayne County?
- The average one-way commute in Wayne County is 25 min.