Wayne County Demographics

A map of Wayne County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	849,427	857,132	47.9%	47.8%
Black	648,007	669,277	36.6%	37.3%
Hispanic	121,653	117,649	6.9%	6.6%
Multiracial	76,532	72,338	4.3%	4.0%
Asian	64,744	64,604	3.7%	3.6%
Native American/Other	11,896	12,561	0.7%	0.7%

Wayne County, Michigan has an estimated population of 1,772,259, a slight decrease from the 1,793,561 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 47.9% White, 36.6% Black, 6.9% Hispanic, 4.3% Multiracial, 3.7% Asian, and 0.7% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Wayne County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Wayne is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably more diverse than Michigan overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Wayne County, that probability was 62.5% in 2020 and 62.9% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Wayne County is ranked the most populous county in Michigan, out of 83 counties. Wayne County was ranked the 1st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Wayne County's White Population

849,427 residents of Wayne County, or 47.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Wayne County is significantly lower than in Michigan overall, where 72.4% of the population is White. Wayne County ranks 83rd statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wayne County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Wayne County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 47.9%.

Wayne County is less White than neighboring Oakland County (68.2% White), Monroe County (88.5% White), Macomb County (74.1% White), Washtenaw County (67.2% White), and Lucas County (66.1% White).

Wayne County's Black Population

648,007 residents of Wayne County, or 36.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Wayne County is significantly higher than in Michigan overall, where 13.1% of the population is Black. Wayne County ranks 1st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wayne County's Black population has declined by an estimated 3.2%. Black residents' share of Wayne County's population has decreased from 37.3% to 36.6%.

Wayne County is more Black than neighboring Oakland County (12.7% Black), Monroe County (2.2% Black), Macomb County (12.7% Black), Washtenaw County (11.3% Black), and Lucas County (18.9% Black).

Wayne County's Asian Population

64,744 residents of Wayne County, or 3.7% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Wayne County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 3.4% of the population is Asian. Wayne County ranks 5th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wayne County's Asian population has remained roughly the same. Asian residents' share of Wayne County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.7%.

Wayne County is more Asian than neighboring Monroe County (0.4% Asian), and Lucas County (1.7% Asian). Wayne County is less Asian than neighboring Oakland County (8.5% Asian), Macomb County (5.1% Asian), and Washtenaw County (9.2% Asian).

Wayne County's Hispanic Population

121,653 residents of Wayne County, or 6.9% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Wayne County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 5.9% of the population is Hispanic. Wayne County ranks 12th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wayne County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 3.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Wayne County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 6.9%.

Wayne County is more Hispanic than neighboring Oakland County (5% Hispanic), Monroe County (4.4% Hispanic), Macomb County (3.2% Hispanic), and Washtenaw County (5.8% Hispanic). Wayne County is less Hispanic than neighboring Lucas County (7.8% Hispanic).

Wayne County's Native American/Other Population

11,896 residents of Wayne County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Wayne County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Wayne County ranks 51st statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wayne County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 5.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Wayne County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Wayne County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Monroe County (0.5% Native American/Other), Macomb County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Lucas County (0.5% Native American/Other).

Wayne County's Multiracial Population

76,532 residents of Wayne County, or 4.3% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Wayne County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Wayne County ranks 46th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Wayne County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 5.8%. Multiracial residents' share of Wayne County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 4.3%.

Wayne County is more Multiracial than neighboring Monroe County (4.1% Multiracial). Wayne County is less Multiracial than neighboring Oakland County (4.8% Multiracial), Macomb County (4.4% Multiracial), Washtenaw County (5.8% Multiracial), and Lucas County (4.9% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.