Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Waynesboro grades D− overall, ranked 87th of 99 in Mississippi, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $32K, and 28% of residents live below the poverty line. Waynesboro’s violent crime rate is 9.3 per 1,000 residents, above both the Mississippi town median (2.2) and the median of U.S. towns (1.7). Waynesboro's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns. Among 99 Mississippi towns, just 1 have a lower median household income than Waynesboro.
Where Waynesboro beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Waynesboro | MS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 19.8% | 11.2% |
Where Waynesboro’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Mississippi), ordered by how far Waynesboro is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 156 in 1880, 4,567 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waynesboro, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Waynesboro.
Waynesboro draws workers from Laurel and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has household incomes well below the Mississippi norm.
Against the 747 U.S. towns with household incomes like Waynesboro’s, it is less healthy than 75%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
46% of Waynesboro adults sleep under 7 hours. Only 7 of the 101 Mississippi towns we compare have a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Waynesboro. 11% of Waynesboro adults binge drink.
| Waynesboro | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 27% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 36% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 52% | 45% | 35% |
| What stands out | Waynesboro | MS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.5% | 13.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 19.8% | 11.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Wayne County School District. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Wayne County High School, with 775 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waynesboro Riverview SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 491 | C |
| Wayne County High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 775 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MS on state tests and graduation
3,453 jobs are based in Waynesboro, 2.1 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 3 of Waynesboro’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Waynesboro is 27 minutes. Jobs based in Waynesboro fell to 3,453 in 2023, 237 fewer than in 2013.
| Waynesboro | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 31% | 19% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 23 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Waynesboro.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Waynesboro home is worth about $142,000, up 21.7% in a year, 27% below the Mississippi typical home. Waynesboro’s median rent is $708 a month.
| Waynesboro | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $708 a month | $909 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 62% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Waynesboro has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 92°, January nights drop to 37° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Waynesboro's reported crime rate is well above Mississippi's. 42 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
The median household earns $31,684, against $56,447 across Mississippi, one input to its D for jobs and income.
Adults 18 to 34 are 27% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (37% statewide). 17% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Waynesboro.
| Waynesboro | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 17% | 25% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 24% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 19% | 17% | 18% |
| Median age | 39.1 years | 37 years | 40.5 years |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.1 points. Across Mississippi, 51.5% of residents are women.
| Waynesboro | MS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.2% | 12.1% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.8% | 11.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.3% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.8% | 12.6% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.5% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.9% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.6% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11% | 10.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.8% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 18.3% | 12.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36% | 29.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.6% | 21.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.4% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 9.1% | 15.3% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.6% | 9.9% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,500, single groups can be off by several points
1.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Waynesboro | Mississippi towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 2.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. South Side Park | 0.3 mi | 6 |
| 2. West Side Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Waynesboro; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Waynesboro residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Mississippi.
8 notable people were born in Waynesboro.
City in Mississippi, United States
Waynesboro () is a city in Wayne County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 census, Waynesboro had a population of 4,567. It is the county seat of Wayne County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Waynesboro grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #87 of 99 in Mississippi. It grades D− for health and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 3.8 years of the area's median household income ($37,619 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
8 notable people were born here, including Benito Jones and Jeff Branson.