What stands out worked out from the figures below

Wayne has the highest household income ($93k).

Fayette has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.8%).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Wayne	Fayette
People
Population	1,101Lowest	1,383Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-5%Lowest ME: +2.6%	+1.8%Highest ME: +2.6%
Median age	55.6±5.3Lowest 24% above ME	58.8±4.2Highest 31% above ME
	Fayette and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1%	15.7%±4.4Highest ME: 18.1%
	Fayette and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	29.2%±3.8Lowest ME: 22.4%	37.2%±5.4Highest ME: 22.4%
	Fayette and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	48.8%Highest ME: 36.2%	39.3%Lowest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8%	2.8%±2Lowest ME: 5.8%
	Wayne and Fayette are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME	$59,500±$17kLowest 20% below ME
	Wayne and Fayette are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$362,800±$29kHighest 22% above ME	$257,600±$48kLowest 13% below ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$983±$554 14% below ME	$983±$816 14% below ME
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,289Highest 8% above ME	$3,160Lowest 4% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4%	46.8%±43.7Highest ME: 48.4%
	Fayette and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.9% ME: 10.7%	7.9% ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	89.9%Highest ME: 74.3%	88.7%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME	1986Highest 9 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minLowest 24% above ME	33 minHighest 33% above ME
Work from home	26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9%	22.1%±7.1Lowest ME: 15.9%
	Wayne and Fayette are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	RSU 38	Fayette Public Schools
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

ME average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.