The Town FilesWayne Lakes, Ohio
Village in Darke County · population 693 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $143,600
- Household income
- $52,500
- Jan low / Jul high
- 19° / 85°
- Snow a year
- 17 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 22
- Median age
- 52.4
Wayne Lakes is a village of 693 people in Darke County, Ohio. The median home is worth $143,600, below the typical Ohio town ($171,100). It ranks better transit than 75% of Ohio towns, quieter than 70% of Ohio towns.
How Wayne Lakes ranks
Percentile among Ohio towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Ohio towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Wayne Lakes is worth $143,600, below the typical Ohio town ($171,100). Homes cost about 2.7 times the median household income of $52,500, which is more affordable than 48% of Ohio towns. Median rent is $730 a month. 84.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Wayne Lakes | Typical Ohio town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $143,600 | $171,100 |
| Median rent | $730 | $914 |
| Median household income | $52,500 | $67,019 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.7× | 2.6× |
| Homeownership | 84.7% | 71.7% |
| Median year built | 1966 | 1965 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Wayne Lakes
| People | Wayne Lakes | Typical Ohio town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 52.4 | 40.6 |
| Age 65 and over | 30.9% | 19.1% |
| Under 18 | 17.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 8.9% | 21.3% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 7.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 5.5% | — |
| Work from home | 5.7% | 8.6% |
| Average commute | 31.7 min | 23.3 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.1% | 90.9% |
Weather in Wayne Lakes
July highs average 84.6°F and January lows 19.0°F. About 40.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 17.1 inches of snow (typical Ohio town: 23.8 in). Expect about 12 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 126 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wayne Lakes since 1950, compared with 16 for the typical Ohio town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on November 22, 1992 about 6.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 25, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 33 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on May 18, 2000.
Severe weather in Darke County since 1996
Darke County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for tornado, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 2, 2024 | Tornado | DR-4777: Tornadoes |
| March 31, 2020 | Biological | DR-4507: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3457: Covid-19 |
| June 18, 2019 | Tornado | DR-4447: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslide |
| June 30, 2012 | Severe Storm | EM-3346: Severe Storms |
Jobs and pay in Darke County
Darke County had 18,394 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,442 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Wayne Lakes itself the ACS puts it at 2.8%.
Towns near Wayne Lakes
- New Madison, OH4.5 mi · 840 people · home $109,900
- Arcanum, OH6.1 mi · 2,347 people · home $148,700
- Greenville, OH6.1 mi · 12,786 people · home $157,800
- New Paris, OH13.3 mi · 1,494 people · home $86,800
- Ansonia, OH13.3 mi · 1,160 people · home $118,900
- Lewisburg, OH13.4 mi · 1,745 people · home $155,800
- Union City, OH13.9 mi · 1,582 people · home $72,100
- Fountain City, IN14.3 mi · 714 people · home $96,200
Wayne Lakes questions
Is Wayne Lakes, Ohio a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Wayne Lakes scores better for retirees than 52% of Ohio towns and quieter than 70%. 30.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 52.4).
How much does a house cost in Wayne Lakes?
The median owner-occupied home in Wayne Lakes is valued at $143,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $52,500, so homes cost about 2.7 times income. Median rent is $730 a month.
What is the weather like in Wayne Lakes?
July highs average 84.6°F and January lows 19.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.3 inches of precipitation a year and 17.1 inches of snow.
Does Wayne Lakes get tornadoes?
22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Wayne Lakes since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on November 22, 1992. The typical Ohio town has had 16.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)