The Town Files

Wayne, Michigan

Township in Cass County · population 2,576 (2020 Census)

Map: where Wayne is in MichiganWayne
Median home
$207,900
Household income
$61,210
Jan low / Jul high
16° / 82°
Snow a year
76 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
12
Median age
50.0

Wayne is a township of 2,576 people in Cass County, Michigan. The median home is worth $207,900, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better transit than 91% of Michigan towns.

How Wayne ranks

Percentile among Michigan towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Michigan towns.

Wayne lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement18th pctFamilies15th pctQuiet67th pctWalkability59th pctFirst-time buyers64th pctYoung professionals62nd pctVibrancy52nd pctHip & trendy66th pctCollege town2nd pctUpscale4th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit91st pctDriving33rd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Wayne is worth $207,900, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 3.4 times the median household income of $61,210, which is more affordable than 22% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,080 a month. 87.1% of households own their home.

Wayne vs Cass County vs typical Michigan townWayneCass CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$207,900$218,000$193,900Household income$61,210$70,443$69,792Monthly rent$1,080$916$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingWayneTypical Michigan town
Median home value$207,900$193,900
Median rent$1,080$955
Median household income$61,210$69,792
Home value ÷ income3.4×2.8×
Homeownership87.1%86.8%
Median year built19731975
Seasonal / vacation homes13.8%—

Who lives in Wayne

PeopleWayneTypical Michigan town
Median age50.043.7
Age 65 and over26.7%20.7%
Under 1820.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher17.0%21.5%
Below the poverty line21.2%10.4%
Veterans6.5%—
Born outside the U.S.2.5%—
Work from home7.2%9.1%
Average commute24.7 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband84.2%88.8%

Weather in Wayne

July highs average 81.5°F and January lows 16.2°F. About 41.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 75.7 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 145 nights at or below freezing.

Wayne monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing31°16°Jan34°18°Feb44°25°Mar57°36°Apr69°47°May78°57°Jun82°60°Jul80°58°Aug74°51°Sep61°40°Oct47°31°Nov36°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.127.12.415.82.47.23.71.24.24.34.14.13.44.30.32.95.42.818.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Dowagiac 1 W station (5.1 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wayne since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on June 5, 2010 about 4.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 7, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Wayne by decade11950s01960s31970s11980s21990s12000s32010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 19 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 16, 2026.

Severe weather in Cass County since 1996

Storm events in Cass County since 1996 by typeHail41Flood6Tornado13Blizzard4High Wind12Ice Storm5Heavy Snow25Flash Flood9
NOAA Storm Events Database, Cass County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 3 deaths recorded.

Cass County has been included in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
June 30, 2004Severe StormDR-1527: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
January 10, 2001SnowstormEM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Cass County

Cass County had 9,373 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,894 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Wayne itself the ACS puts it at 13.2%.

Largest industries in Cass CountyManufacturing2,023 jobs · $56,947Hotels & restaurants1,156 jobs · $18,546Retail793 jobs · $33,036Other services598 jobs · $56,878Construction361 jobs · $58,582Administrative & support350 jobs · $51,983
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Cass County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Cass 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Wayne

Wayne questions

Is Wayne, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Wayne scores better for retirees than 18% of Michigan towns and quieter than 67%. 26.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.0).

How much does a house cost in Wayne?

The median owner-occupied home in Wayne is valued at $207,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $61,210, so homes cost about 3.4 times income. Median rent is $1,080 a month.

What is the weather like in Wayne?

July highs average 81.5°F and January lows 16.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 41.7 inches of precipitation a year and 75.7 inches of snow.

Does Wayne get tornadoes?

12 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wayne since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on June 5, 2010. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Wayne's Census boundary (GEOID 2602784920). Comparisons use the median of Michigan towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.