The county economy from official statistics, with source and year on every table.
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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Wayne County is a county of Missouri with 10,862 residents. Its economy produced $260 million in 2024 (ranked #98 of 115 counties) and had 2,269 jobs with an average annual pay of $38,066 (#104 for pay). The unemployment rate was 4.4% in 2026M09.
Wayne County produced about $260 million of goods and services in 2024, which is 0.1% of the combined output of the 115 counties of Missouri that BEA reports (about 0.2% of the state's population lives here), and ranks it 98th of 115 on that measure. Per resident that is $23,917, 67% below the state average; the average for all counties of the state taken together is $72,469. In current dollars output grew -1.8% from 2023 to 2024, before adjusting for inflation. The gap between its output rank (98th) and its output-per-resident rank (110th) shows that population is large relative to the value of what is produced here.
BLS counts 2,269 jobs located in Wayne County on average in 2024, spread over 388 employer sites (about 6 jobs per site). That is 0.21 jobs for every resident, below the 0.30 of the typical county in Missouri, which tells you whether the county is a place people mostly commute to for work or a place they commute from. The average annual pay per job was $38,066, 39% below the average of all counties in the state ($38,066 against $62,295). Average pay is total wages divided by jobs, so it is pulled up by high earners and counts part-time jobs as whole jobs; it is not the pay of a typical worker. The number of jobs rose 0.7% from 2023 to 2024.
The three largest private industries are accommodation and food services (29.3% of private jobs, $20,063 a year on average), manufacturing (28.7% of private jobs, $36,473 a year on average), retail trade (23.6% of private jobs, $28,587 a year on average). Together they hold 81.5% of private-sector jobs. Among industries with at least 3% of jobs, the best paying is transportation and warehousing at $46,301 a year, followed by manufacturing ($36,473). Several of the biggest employers pay well below the county average: accommodation and food services ($20,063). Jobs there are plentiful but the pay is lower than the headline average suggests.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate in Wayne County was 4.4%, 35% above the average of the state's counties (4.4% against 3.3%). The labour force (people working or looking for work) numbered 3,921. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 4.4% (2026M09) to 6.8% (2026M01); the latest month is preliminary and BLS revises it. These county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month across years.
The median household income was $47,226 (ACS 2020–2024), 33% below the state median ($47,226 against $70,702). None of the largest places of the guide has this as its main county, which usually means a smaller or more rural county; the figures above still describe the whole county.
Counties close to Wayne County in output are Dade County, Daviess County, Saint Clair County, Holt County. Compare their jobs, pay and unemployment on their own pages.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ | Rank among the 115 counties of Missouri ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,862 | 81 of 115 |
| GDP 2024 | $260 million | 98 of 115 |
| GDP per resident | $23,917 | 110 of 115 |
| Jobs (QCEW 2024) | 2,269 | 91 of 115 |
| Average annual pay | $38,066 | 104 of 115 |
| Job change vs 2023 | +0.7% | 58 of 115 |
| Unemployment rate (lower is better) | 4.4% | 108 of 115 |
| Median household income | $47,226 | 108 of 115 |
Federal jobs in Missouri (989) →All cities of MissouriState guide: Missouri
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.
None of the 80 largest places of Missouri has this as its main county, so the guide has no city page here. County figures on the other tabs are complete.
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 265 | 29.3% | $20,063 | 1.28 |
| Manufacturing | 259 | 28.7% | $36,473 | 1.39 |
| Retail trade | 213 | 23.6% | $28,587 | 0.94 |
| Construction | 53 | 5.9% | $32,551 | 0.45 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 38 | 4.2% | $46,301 | 0.40 |
| Administrative and waste services | 35 | 3.9% | $32,327 | 0.26 |
| Professional and technical services | 24 | 2.7% | $36,768 | 0.15 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 17 | 1.9% | $12,179 | 0.45 |
A location quotient above 1 means the industry is more concentrated here than in the US. BLS withholds sectors with too few employers.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Labour force | 3,921 |
| Employed residents | 3,749 |
| Unemployed residents | 172 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% |
| Jobs located in the county (QCEW) | 2,269 |
| Employer sites | 388 |
Residents employed and jobs located here differ: many residents commute to other counties.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP 2024 ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Unemployment ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Louis County | 995,569 | $114,807 million | $115,318 | 596,676 | $75,926 | 3.6% |
| Jackson County | 719,976 | $65,089 million | $90,404 | 375,574 | $71,613 | 3.3% |
| Saint Charles County | 414,535 | $26,419 million | $63,732 | 162,611 | $60,105 | 2.9% |
| Greene County | 303,375 | $24,469 million | $80,655 | 178,374 | $57,254 | 3.1% |
| Saint Louis City | 288,512 | $40,403 million | $140,039 | 221,464 | $79,002 | 4.0% |
| Clay County | 258,122 | $17,310 million | $67,060 | 111,855 | $63,093 | 2.8% |
| Jefferson County | 229,458 | $6,906 million | $30,095 | 49,458 | $49,615 | 3.0% |
| Boone County | 188,043 | $13,935 million | $74,104 | 98,657 | $59,677 | 2.7% |
| Jasper County | 124,357 | $7,433 million | $59,767 | 59,244 | $50,009 | 3.2% |
| Cass County | 110,773 | $4,298 million | $38,803 | 30,655 | $48,331 | 2.8% |
| Platte County | 110,371 | $9,635 million | $87,296 | 48,079 | $59,070 | 2.8% |
| Franklin County | 105,950 | $6,419 million | $60,582 | 39,312 | $51,695 | 3.0% |
| Christian County | 92,915 | $2,964 million | $31,895 | 20,678 | $44,911 | 2.9% |
| Buchanan County | 83,568 | $6,731 million | $80,543 | 45,842 | $58,558 | 3.5% |
| Cape Girardeau County | 82,735 | $5,359 million | $64,776 | 41,463 | $51,752 | 2.9% |
| Cole County | 77,032 | $7,420 million | $96,323 | 54,302 | $55,952 | 2.7% |
| Saint Francois County | 66,999 | $2,449 million | $36,560 | 23,026 | $43,743 | 3.7% |
| Lincoln County | 63,057 | $1,859 million | $29,484 | 12,799 | $53,839 | 3.1% |
| Newton County | 60,118 | $3,082 million | $51,262 | 21,297 | $53,349 | 3.2% |
| Taney County | 56,529 | $3,723 million | $65,852 | 28,634 | $41,907 | 3.9% |
| Johnson County | 54,732 | $2,621 million | $47,879 | 16,239 | $46,500 | 3.1% |
| Pulaski County | 53,894 | $3,008 million | $55,804 | 13,323 | $47,536 | 3.3% |
| Phelps County | 45,194 | $2,138 million | $47,313 | 19,225 | $50,599 | 3.2% |
| Callaway County | 44,741 | $2,701 million | $60,365 | 14,917 | $56,776 | 2.7% |
| Camden County | 43,667 | $2,352 million | $53,857 | 17,655 | $46,820 | 3.4% |
| Pettis County | 43,397 | $3,342 million | $77,004 | 19,456 | $48,616 | 3.2% |
| Butler County | 42,020 | $2,004 million | $47,683 | 18,133 | $46,285 | 4.0% |
| Webster County | 40,500 | $1,257 million | $31,035 | 8,569 | $45,339 | 3.2% |
| Howell County | 40,383 | $1,761 million | $43,605 | 15,361 | $44,674 | 4.1% |
| Lawrence County | 38,593 | $1,343 million | $34,799 | 8,920 | $47,246 | 3.2% |
| Scott County | 37,933 | $2,219 million | $58,501 | 16,179 | $49,793 | 3.4% |
| Warren County | 37,177 | $1,226 million | $32,981 | 8,212 | $50,631 | 3.1% |
| Laclede County | 36,390 | $2,066 million | $56,768 | 13,577 | $47,063 | 3.8% |
| Barry County | 35,033 | $2,070 million | $59,076 | 13,187 | $45,851 | 3.6% |
| Lafayette County | 33,115 | $1,158 million | $34,957 | 8,809 | $44,138 | 3.0% |
| Polk County | 32,444 | $1,168 million | $36,014 | 9,503 | $46,113 | 3.1% |
| Stone County | 32,048 | $1,132 million | $35,313 | 7,300 | $38,944 | 3.8% |
| Stoddard County | 28,470 | $1,478 million | $51,927 | 9,951 | $45,866 | 3.7% |
| Marion County | 28,457 | $1,627 million | $57,174 | 12,904 | $50,856 | 3.2% |
| Dunklin County | 27,493 | $1,154 million | $41,974 | 9,137 | $36,543 | 4.9% |
| Adair County | 25,301 | $1,105 million | $43,665 | 9,656 | $45,054 | 3.6% |
| Miller County | 25,269 | $1,051 million | $41,582 | 8,005 | $44,073 | 2.9% |
| Texas County | 25,161 | $753 million | $29,928 | 5,867 | $41,291 | 3.7% |
| Audrain County | 24,548 | $1,183 million | $48,177 | 8,074 | $47,465 | 3.2% |
| Randolph County | 24,365 | $1,588 million | $65,172 | 9,202 | $49,618 | 3.2% |
| McDonald County | 23,701 | $981 million | $41,405 | 5,686 | $44,246 | 3.7% |
| Washington County | 23,470 | $580 million | $24,701 | 5,002 | $40,224 | 3.7% |
| Saline County | 23,231 | $1,304 million | $56,128 | 8,879 | $45,958 | 2.8% |
| Ray County | 23,145 | $651 million | $28,142 | 4,007 | $47,361 | 2.9% |
| Crawford County | 22,797 | $965 million | $42,315 | 6,634 | $48,075 | 3.6% |
| Henry County | 22,328 | $1,061 million | $47,519 | 8,123 | $48,739 | 3.1% |
| Morgan County | 21,717 | $846 million | $38,947 | 4,784 | $38,671 | 3.7% |
| Clinton County | 21,414 | $575 million | $26,855 | 4,455 | $48,055 | 3.0% |
| Nodaway County | 20,774 | $1,012 million | $48,708 | 8,431 | $42,806 | 2.3% |
| Benton County | 20,151 | $613 million | $30,418 | 3,736 | $38,196 | 4.5% |
| Vernon County | 19,687 | $1,138 million | $57,804 | 6,582 | $46,600 | 3.1% |
| Perry County | 18,976 | $1,328 million | $69,990 | 9,542 | $50,010 | 2.7% |
| Wright County | 18,965 | $579 million | $30,519 | 4,649 | $39,897 | 3.9% |
| Sainte Genevieve County | 18,571 | $871 million | $46,919 | 6,113 | $57,481 | 2.6% |
| Andrew County | 18,065 | $399 million | $22,082 | 2,810 | $40,237 | 3.0% |
| Pike County | 17,711 | $684 million | $38,636 | 5,398 | $44,932 | 3.6% |
| Dallas County | 17,551 | $408 million | $23,220 | 2,784 | $35,760 | 3.9% |
| Cooper County | 16,824 | $633 million | $37,642 | 4,872 | $41,936 | 2.9% |
| Bates County | 16,186 | $626 million | $38,704 | 3,673 | $42,876 | 3.1% |
| New Madrid County | 15,731 | $1,369 million | $87,052 | 7,504 | $44,792 | 4.2% |
| Moniteau County | 15,262 | $666 million | $43,649 | 4,087 | $47,661 | 2.6% |
| Macon County | 15,163 | $750 million | $49,439 | 4,831 | $43,944 | 3.1% |
| Pemiscot County | 14,958 | $611 million | $40,824 | 4,806 | $39,855 | 4.9% |
| Gasconade County | 14,746 | $581 million | $39,428 | 5,134 | $39,679 | 3.0% |
| Cedar County | 14,615 | $459 million | $31,393 | 3,486 | $40,789 | 3.5% |
| Dent County | 14,539 | $486 million | $33,406 | 3,795 | $42,359 | 3.5% |
| Livingston County | 14,364 | $742 million | $51,651 | 6,156 | $44,944 | 2.9% |
| Osage County | 13,402 | $609 million | $45,428 | 4,306 | $50,573 | 2.4% |
| Madison County | 12,729 | $368 million | $28,914 | 3,585 | $40,593 | 3.6% |
| Douglas County | 11,965 | $286 million | $23,917 | 2,558 | $37,095 | 3.6% |
| Mississippi County | 11,902 | $426 million | $35,752 | 3,074 | $42,184 | 4.9% |
| Linn County | 11,852 | $541 million | $45,688 | 4,078 | $44,083 | 3.0% |
| Barton County | 11,690 | $520 million | $44,446 | 3,521 | $43,856 | 3.0% |
| Montgomery County | 11,426 | $479 million | $41,951 | 3,225 | $49,334 | 2.9% |
| DeKalb County | 10,876 | $417 million | $38,378 | 2,586 | $46,221 | 3.3% |
| Wayne County | 10,862 | $260 million | $23,917 | 2,269 | $38,066 | 4.4% |
| Ripley County | 10,708 | $285 million | $26,644 | 2,859 | $31,859 | 3.7% |
| Bollinger County | 10,559 | $235 million | $22,299 | 1,794 | $41,371 | 2.9% |
| Ralls County | 10,428 | $804 million | $77,066 | 3,599 | $52,377 | 2.8% |
| Howard County | 10,147 | $295 million | $29,087 | 2,438 | $43,039 | 3.0% |
| Lewis County | 9,924 | $308 million | $31,066 | 2,401 | $43,339 | 3.6% |
| Grundy County | 9,787 | $390 million | $39,849 | 2,890 | $42,317 | 2.8% |
| Saint Clair County | 9,587 | $257 million | $26,832 | 1,710 | $39,737 | 3.4% |
| Iron County | 9,446 | $371 million | $39,275 | 3,472 | $47,965 | 3.8% |
| Caldwell County | 8,927 | $277 million | $31,073 | 1,886 | $42,251 | 2.8% |
| Ozark County | 8,873 | $195 million | $21,938 | 1,512 | $33,721 | 4.4% |
| Monroe County | 8,734 | $289 million | $33,091 | 1,849 | $42,014 | 3.3% |
| Oregon County | 8,673 | $289 million | $33,332 | 2,535 | $36,248 | 3.6% |
| Hickory County | 8,585 | $228 million | $26,607 | 1,520 | $36,375 | 5.3% |
| Daviess County | 8,477 | $264 million | $31,109 | 1,886 | $42,310 | 2.6% |
| Maries County | 8,450 | $243 million | $28,790 | 1,381 | $40,788 | 2.7% |
| Carroll County | 8,411 | $420 million | $49,913 | 2,658 | $42,929 | 3.3% |
| Harrison County | 8,190 | $309 million | $37,706 | 2,475 | $41,474 | 2.9% |
| Dade County | 7,641 | $274 million | $35,874 | 1,675 | $39,568 | 3.1% |
| Chariton County | 7,390 | $379 million | $51,347 | 1,837 | $42,334 | 3.0% |
| Shannon County | 7,177 | $190 million | $26,524 | 1,562 | $35,970 | 4.6% |
| Clark County | 6,675 | $201 million | $30,105 | 1,423 | $35,719 | 3.0% |
| Gentry County | 6,245 | $301 million | $48,228 | 2,177 | $44,102 | 2.5% |
| Reynolds County | 6,010 | $228 million | $37,914 | 1,757 | $46,798 | 3.8% |
| Shelby County | 5,986 | $214 million | $35,775 | 1,781 | $44,151 | 2.3% |
| Sullivan County | 5,857 | $619 million | $105,654 | 2,348 | $50,473 | 3.1% |
| Carter County | 5,297 | $163 million | $30,743 | 1,472 | $36,121 | 4.1% |
| Atchison County | 5,187 | $425 million | $81,864 | 1,616 | $45,066 | 2.3% |
| Scotland County | 4,686 | $236 million | $50,376 | 1,268 | $42,746 | 2.3% |
| Putnam County | 4,642 | $188 million | $40,492 | 993 | $43,210 | 3.0% |
| Holt County | 4,240 | $246 million | $58,084 | 1,314 | $46,316 | 3.1% |
| Schuyler County | 4,038 | $181 million | $44,906 | 811 | $41,217 | 2.3% |
| Knox County | 3,756 | $163 million | $43,356 | 900 | $41,462 | 3.4% |
| Mercer County | 3,482 | $137 million | $39,230 | 814 | $44,042 | 2.8% |
| Worth County | 1,934 | $74 million | $38,215 | 357 | $33,466 | 3.3% |
10,862 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024).
$260 million in 2024 (BEA, current dollars).
4.4% in 2026M09 (BLS, not seasonally adjusted; the latest month may be revised).
2,269 jobs on average in 2024 with an average annual pay of $38,066 (BLS QCEW).