Jobs, pay and daily life in Wayne, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Wayne is a city in Nebraska with 6,121 residents. The median household earns $53,702 a year and the median rent is $792 a month, which is 17.7% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Wayne compares. Among the 40 largest places in Nebraska, Wayne is #31 by population, #39 for household income (#1 = highest), #39 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #2 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Wayne County, is #59 of 93 counties for average pay ($45,234).
Wayne has 6,121 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Nebraska. It covers 3 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,106 people per square mile. The median age is 23.2, 38% younger than the state median (23.2 against 37.2).
The median gross rent is $792 a month (rent plus utilities), 26% below the state median ($792 against $1,072). Over a year that is 17.7% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $228,900, which is 4.3 times the median household income ($53,702). 42.4% of households own their home, 36% below the state average (42.4% against 66.5%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Wayne County was 2.2%. 67.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Wayne County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 69.7% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 11.0% walk, 15.4% work from home. 2.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 68% below the state average (2.2% against 7.0%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
35.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, about the same as the state share (35.6% against 34.6%). 8.2% of residents were born outside the United States, about the same as the state share (8.2% against 8.0%). The poverty rate is 19.9%, 88% above the state rate (19.9% against 10.6%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 77°F (25.1°C), and the coolest is Jan at 22°F (-5.5°C). About 740 mm (29 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (115 mm) and Jan the driest (16 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Norfolk (26 miles, rent 10% higher); Dakota Dunes (32 miles, rent 55% higher); North Sioux City (33 miles, rent 39% higher); South Sioux City (34 miles, rent 42% higher). Rent differences are against Wayne; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Nebraska (294) →State guide: NebraskaCountry guideWayne CountyNebraska rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 294 federal postings open in Nebraska (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 33.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.6% |
| Retail trade | 12.5% |
| Manufacturing | 9.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 9.4% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 5.1% |
| Construction | 4.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.5% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 3.1% |
| Other services | 2.5% |
| Information | 1.1% |
| Public administration | 1.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Wayne lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 9,844 | $804 million | $81,717 | 4,188 | 281 | $45,234 | -0.2% | 2.2% | 5,636 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 819 | 33.4% | $56,463 | 2.38 |
| Health care and social assistance | 460 | 18.7% | $46,014 | 0.77 |
| Retail trade | 450 | 18.3% | $22,706 | 1.08 |
| Wholesale trade | 182 | 7.4% | $67,540 | 1.10 |
| Finance and insurance | 140 | 5.7% | $62,173 | 0.82 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 126 | 5.1% | $45,702 | 3.72 |
| Construction | 103 | 4.2% | $46,860 | 0.47 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 77 | 3.1% | $44,946 | 0.43 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 50 | 2.0% | $23,592 | 0.40 |
| Information | 32 | 1.3% | $38,160 | 0.41 |
| Real estate and rental | 15 | 0.6% | $36,850 | 0.23 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 69.7% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 11.0% |
| Work from home | 15.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 2.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,702 |
| Income per person | $25,437 |
| Median gross rent per month | $792 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 17.7% |
| Median home value | $228,900 |
| Homeowners | 42.4% |
| Poverty rate | 19.9% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 4.55%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 23.2 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 35.6% |
| Born abroad | 8.2% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 67.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -5.5 | 22 | 16 |
| Feb | -4.1 | 25 | 21 |
| Mar | 3.0 | 37 | 39 |
| Apr | 9.6 | 49 | 79 |
| May | 15.8 | 60 | 109 |
| Jun | 22.0 | 72 | 115 |
| Jul | 25.1 | 77 | 70 |
| Aug | 23.5 | 74 | 97 |
| Sep | 18.9 | 66 | 78 |
| Oct | 10.2 | 50 | 60 |
| Nov | 3.0 | 37 | 28 |
| Dec | -3.7 | 25 | 28 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk | NE | 26 mi | 26,054 | $58,884 | $875 |
| Dakota Dunes | SD | 32 mi | 3,936 | $136,125 | $1,225 |
| North Sioux City | SD | 33 mi | 3,045 | $71,908 | $1,098 |
| South Sioux City | NE | 34 mi | 13,907 | $68,223 | $1,127 |
| Sioux City | IA | 36 mi | 86,101 | $68,906 | $976 |
| Vermillion | SD | 38 mi | 11,878 | $50,456 | $764 |
| Yankton | SD | 49 mi | 15,540 | $67,804 | $790 |
| Schuyler | NE | 54 mi | 6,578 | $80,399 | $1,049 |
| Le Mars | IA | 57 mi | 10,640 | $74,701 | $929 |
| Columbus | NE | 58 mi | 24,488 | $64,626 | $892 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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6,121 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$792 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 17.7% of the median household income.
$53,702 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
2.2% (BLS county, Wayne County (latest month 2026M09)).
Nebraska. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.