Wayne is a city in Wayne County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2020 census, Wayne had a population of 5,973. It is the county seat of Wayne County and the home of Wayne State College.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Wayne ranks

All →

#2Best schools in NE #4Shortest commute in NE #5Most remote workers in NE All NE rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code68787

Area code402

Living in Wayne

Housing in Wayne

$247K▲ 6.8% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Wayne home is worth about $247,000, up 6.8% in a year, 12% below the Nebraska typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Wayne

A⁻

Safety Grade A-

Wayne reports less crime per resident than 80% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

Violent crime per 1,000

Wayne 1

Nebraska 2.2

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Wayne 3.8

Nebraska 14

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Wayne

Full picture →

51% of Wayne’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Wakefield (6%), Norfolk (5%) and Omaha (5%). Half commute less than 1 miles.

Wakefield

Norfolk

Omaha

Lincoln

51%Work in townlive and work in Wayne 1 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 3,093Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Wayne →

Health in Wayne

B⁺

Health Grade B+

Healthier than 72% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 97% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Nebraska

7better than NE·8worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 17 are too close to call.

Conditions 7▲ 1▼ 4 close Habits 1▼ 3 close Care 3▼ 4 close Mind 2▼ 3 close Everyday needs 1▼ 3 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

5.8%Fewer adults who have had cancerNE 8.3% · better 17.9%Fewer adults with arthritisNE 24% · better 18.9%More older adults who have lost all their teethNE 12.4% · worse

Care nearby

Providence Medical CenterWayne · 0.3 mi · ER · rural critical access

Midtown Health Center - Wayne State CollegeWayne · 0.3 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Wayne · CMS · HRSAHealth in Wayne →

Natural hazards in Wayne

High

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes🌡️ Heat waves

0Does Wayne flood?no paid flood claims on record 2Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Wayne

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Wayne →

Climate in Wayne

Full climate →

Wayne has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

33° / 14°Winter

60° / 36°Spring

83° / 61°Summer

62° / 38°Fall

How much snow does Wayne get?About 32 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 11, with the last in spring around Apr 29.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.6° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Wayne →

Schools in Wayne

All Wayne schools →

B⁺

School Grade B+

The public schools Wayne’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 66% of Nebraska’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

#2Best public schoolsof 57 in NE

DistrictWAYNE COMMUNITY SCHOOLSSchools6

Wayne Elementary School A-Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 499 students St. Mary Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades PK–6 · 40 students Wayne Junior High School C+Middle · Grades 7–8 · 148 students Wayne High School A+High · Grades 9–12 · 323 students Wayne Early Learning CenterPrekindergarten · Grades PK · 46 students Tower SchoolOther · Grades PK–12

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within NE. Ratings are from neighbors.