Floral Hall · National Register of Historic Places
Wayne Township’s story
Wayne Township in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1960 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Wayne TownshipJay County, IN
A town of 7,915. 2.7 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Indiana town.
4 bordering townsMap →
Floral Hall · Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
7,915
2025 Census estimate · −1.5% since 2020
Median home value
$111K
Census ACS
Household income
$59K
median
Median age
38.2
years
Jobs based here
4,664
Balanced
TownGrade
C+
#419 of 585 in IN
Is Wayne Township a good place to live?
Wayne Township gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $111K for a typical one, or 2 years of the county’s $55K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 419th among Indiana's 585 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 87% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 1 place on the National Register. 39% of working residents work locally in Wayne Township, above both the Indiana town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Wayne Township's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 98% of U.S. towns. On history, just 44 of Indiana’s 1,098 towns do better.
What makes Wayne Township stand out
Where Wayne Township beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Wayne Township9.4
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IN town3.6
Civic lifeA+
2.7 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Indiana town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Floral HallHistoryA+
1 historic place
1 place on the National Register
Listed for their history, architecture or both.
How Wayne Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Wayne Township is from typical.
HealthIndiana University Health Jay 1.3 miles awayDOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →Jobs & income$59K median household incomeCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 8.7% of households have no car; 4.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 48% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 1% conserved landCOpen →History1 place on the National RegisterA+Open →Civic life9.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Wayne Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wayne Township, and how to reach them.
PowerIndiana Michigan Power17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPortland Municipal Water PlantNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet9 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Wayne Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Indiana you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereJay County Circuit Court ClerkJay County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code4737147371 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Wayne Township.
HealthD
Wayne Township’s grade for health is a D
43% of adults have obesity in Wayne Township. Wayne Township beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 19% of adults smoke cigarettes in Wayne Township.
13%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Wayne Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 39% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 39% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Indiana
0 better22 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Wayne Township | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.6% | 8.1% |
| More smokers | 19.2% | 15.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.3% | 6.8% |
Indiana University Health Jay
1.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
15th
percentile among IN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB−
Public schools in Wayne Township beat 51% of Indiana districts
Its public schools are run by Jay School Corporation. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
51%of IN districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Jay ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–6 | Grades 3–6 | 529 | C+ |
| Jay County Christian Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 202 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IN on state tests and graduation
Climate
In Wayne Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Wayne Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 19° and about 19 inches of snow falls in a winter.
19″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–37°
Spring40–61°
Summer61–83°
Fall43–64°
Oct 15
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
About one in three of Wayne Township’s working residents commute to Portland
About one in 3 of Wayne Township’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Wayne Township is 19 minutes. Since 2013, Wayne Township has lost 936 jobs, to 4,664 in 2023.
39%work in town
| Wayne Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 7.8% | 11% |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Wayne Township39%
Portland34%
Indianapolis5%
Berne4%
Muncie3%
13 mi
median commute distance
4,664
jobs based in Wayne Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Wayne Township faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1985, 24 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Wayne Township.
48risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
24
paid flood claims since 1985
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC
Conserved land covers 0.8% of Wayne Township
0.7 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Hudson Family Park, at 45 acres.
0.8%conserved
0.8%
conserved · 201 of 23,635 acres
0.7 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hudson Family Park | 0.5 mi | 45 |
| 2. Portland Memorial Park | — | 18 |
| 3. Haynes Park | 0.1 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wayne Township
18pages on Wayne Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Wayne Township; the nearest are
Wright State University-Lake CampusUniversity or college · Public · Celina, OH24.8 mi$7,728 in-state tuitionIvy Tech Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Indianapolis77 mi$5,154 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Wayne Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
About Wayne Township
Township in Indiana, United States
Wayne Township is one of twelve townships in Jay County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 7,987 (up from 7,918 at 2010) and it contained 3,748 housing units.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 37 sq mi
- Elevation
- 902 ft
Wayne Township’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Wayne Township.
Greene TownshipNoble TownshipPike TownshipBearcreek TownshipWayne Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Township | #419 | C+ | A− | — | B− | D |
| Greene Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Noble Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pike Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bearcreek Township | — | — | A− | — | B− | D |
Bearcreek Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Wayne Township and Bearcreek Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Greene Township, Noble Township and Pike Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Wayne Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Wayne Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wayne Township, IN a good place to live?
Wayne Township grades C+ overall, better than 43% of U.S. towns and #419 of 585 in Indiana. It grades D for health and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Wayne Township, IN expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.