Kansas Population 2024

2,944,376

Although the last official Census was carried out in 2010, estimates are released every year and in 2015, it was estimated that the population of Kansas had reached 2,911,641. Kansas currently has a growth rate of 0.57% annually, which ranks 31st among all 50 states.

At the time of the 2010 Census, the survey revealed that there were 2,853,118 people living in Kansas, and that represented a rise of 6.1% on the 2000 figure of 2,688,418.

Kansas Population Density and Area

Situated in an almost central location in the United States, Kansas is the 15th largest state in the country with regards to pure surface area, but in terms of population, sparsely spread numbers mean that it is only the 33rd most populous US state. The population density statistics make for interesting reading. From an overall surface area of 82,277 square miles (213,096 square kilometers), there is an average of 34.9 people per square mile. That makes Kansas the 40th most densely populated state in the US -- so, overall, the state consists of lots of wide-open country.

The center of population is in Chase County, three miles north of Strong City, although the most populous city is Wichita, with a population of over 389,000, followed by Overland Park (186,515), Kansas City (151,306) and Topeka (127,265).

The rural population of Kansas continues to decline in a process known as rural flight. The past few decades have been marked by a migration from the countryside to the cities. Kansas now has more than 6,000 ghost towns and dwindling communities, while communities in Johnson County (home to metropolitan Kansas City) are some of the fastest-growing in the United States.

Kansas Gender and Religion Statistics

In terms of age, the Kansas population is very in line with the United States as a whole. The population under the age of 18 is estimated at around 25%, while the percentage of persons 65 years and over is currently 14.6%. This means that, like much of the country, Kansas will be dealing with an aging population in the coming years. The median age in Kansas is approximately 36.2 years of age, with a slight gender gap in the population with 50.3% females and 49.7% males.

In terms of religious preferences, Kansas is seen to be 76% inclined toward Christian based faiths, 4% non-Christian based faiths, and 20% unaffiliated with any religion.

Kansas Boundary, Census, and Statehood History

Most of present-day Kansas was included in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, forming part of Louisiana and then Missouri Territory. Kansas Territory was organized in 1854, and included part of present-day Colorado. Kansas was admitted as a State on January 29, 1861 with essentially its present boundaries. Census coverage of Kansas began in 1860 and included the whole State by 1880. The 1860 census reported Kansas and Colorado Territory in terms of their 1861 boundaries.

Kansas Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Kansas was:

  • White: 81.4%
  • Two or more races: 6.12%
  • Black or African American: 5.64%
  • Other race: 3.03%
  • Asian: 3%
  • Native American: 0.74%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.07%

Kansas Population History

Early population records are openly available from 1860 when it was confirmed that 107,206 people resided in the state. It’s fair to assume that growth prior to 1860 had been healthy and just ten years later, the 1870 Census showed a leap in the Kansas population of 239.9% to 364,399.

Further significant growth throughout the rest of the 19th century took those figures to just under 1.5 million, and while steady increases have generally been recorded ever since, they have slowed down from Kansas' early growth spurt.

Kansas Population Growth

For most of the 20th century, Kansas has enjoyed healthy population growth even if the percentage rises haven’t been as high as some areas in the country. In 2007, natural growth figures were released and they showed that in the seven years from the previous Census of 2000, there had been an increase of 93,899 people. This figure was calculated by taking a total of 246,484 births minus 152,585 deaths and a fall due to net migration of 20,742 people.

Kansas Population Projections

Estimates show that the Kansas population in 2016 had exceeded 2.9 million. The total population in the state has grown by 6% during the last decade, with most of this increase occurring in Johnson County and counties around Wichita, Kansas State University and Fort Riley.

According to some sociologists, though, this growth is not necessarily a good thing as Kansas will continue to see an increase in its aging population and greater loss in rural areas. Unlike many fast-growing states with a lot of uncertainty, Kansas' population trends are generally stable and easy to predict. While the population of Kansas will continue to rise, it is still not keeping pace with the United States as a whole, or many other states in the country.

Based on growth over the last decade, it's projected that the Kansas population will surpass 3 million by 2025.

At the birth of Kansas, the state was home to one of the most wide and diverse set of Native American tribes. In fact, the name Kansas derives from the Kansa tribe who originally lived in the area. Their numbers have heavily declined, though, and today nearly 87% of Kansas residents classify themselves as white, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native populations were recorded at just 1.2%.

11.6% of the total population of Kansas is of Hispanic or Latino origin of any race. People of Mexican descent live primarily in southwest Kansas and account for up to half of the population in some counties. Many of the African Americans in the state are descended from Exodusters, who were newly freed blacks who left the South for Kansas after the Civil War.

Kansas Growth Rate

Kansas Population Rank

Kansas Population 2024

Kansas Facts

Population

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100K

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250K

300K

350K

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Kansas County Growth

Based on data from the 2010 Census and 2015 estimates from the Census Bureau, the counties in the state of Kansas have experienced both increases and decreases in population. While the majority of the counties have shown population declines during the 5-year period, there are some areas that have shown growth. The most significant growth was recorded in Pottawatomie County, with 7.29% growth. Growth also was reported in Greeley County along the western border of the state, showing 5.72% growth. Other counties that posted larger percentages of growth during this time period include Johnson, Douglas, and Riley Counties.

As far as decreases in population, Elk County's 9.33% decline was the highest in the state. Hamilton County's 8.54% was also at the top of the list, followed by other counties primarily located along the western border and in the southeast, including Morton, Wilson, Woodson, and Montgomery.

Kansas Population by County

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White2,386,76681.4%
Two or more races179,4566.12%
Black or African American165,2915.64%
Other race88,7873.03%
Asian87,9463%
Native American21,6570.74%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander2,1960.07%

White

Two or more races

Black or African American

Other race

Asian

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Kansas Population by Race

Kansas Population Pyramid 2024

Kansas Median Age

37

Total

36

Male

38.1

Female

Kansas Adults

There are 2,217,948 adults, (464,028 of whom are seniors) in Kansas.

Kansas Age Dependency

67.2

Age Dependency Ratio

26.5

Old Age Dependency Ratio

40.7

Child Dependency Ratio

Kansas Sex Ratio

Female1,463,94749.93%
Male1,468,15250.07%

Kansas Population by Age

Kansas Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All1,139,7382.5166.633.4
Married571,9323.178416
Non Family407,3531.2548.651.4
Female111,2223.3546.953.1
Male49,2313.2958.641.4

3.12

Average Family Size

2.51

Average Household Size

66.6%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Kansas Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Kansas Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Kansas Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 94.91%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 51.43%.

Kansas Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$43,070

Average Earnings

$50,999

Average Male

$35,533

Average Female

Kansas Earnings by Educational Attainment

Kansas Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Kansas Language

88.23% of Kansas residents speak only English, while 11.77% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 7.73% of the population.

Kansas Language

Kansas Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White2,136,869194,2929.09%
Hispanic353,97465,21018.42%
Black154,51736,70223.75%
Multiple174,42230,22617.33%
Other87,45717,63520.16%
Asian86,22711,71313.58%
Native20,0583,90419.46%
Islander2,10543420.62%

11.48%

Overall Poverty Rate

10.17%

Male Poverty Rate

12.78%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Kansas

The race most likely to be in poverty in Kansas is Black, with 23.75% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Kansas is White, with 9.09% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.64%. Among those working part-time, it was 17.01%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 18.67%.

Kansas Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade21.97%
High School11.99%
Some College8.51%
Bachelors or Greater3.61%

Kansas Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed32.88%
Male Unemployed26.29%
Female Employed7.69%
Male Employed5.16%

Kansas Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Kansas Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Kansas Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

51.6%

Overall Marriage Rate

52.5%

Male Marriage Rate

50.7%

Female Marriage Rate

Kansas Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Kansas Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Kansas Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Kansas Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

167,573

Number of Veterans

153,931

Male Veterans

13,642

Female Veterans

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Kansas Veterans by War

count

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Kansas Veterans by Age

count

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Kansas Veterans by Race

Kansas Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

6.76%

Veteran Poverty Rate

30.78%

Veteran Disability Rate

Kansas Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

66.6%

Labor Force Participation

63.1%

Employment Rate

4.1%

Unemployment Rate

Kansas Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Kansas Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Kansas Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

59.43%

Born in Kansas

93.01%

Native Born

6.99%

Foreign Born

4.04%

Non Citizen

2.96%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

93.01% of Kansas residents were born in the United States, with 59.43% having been born in Kansas. 4.04% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Kansas Place of Birth

  1. Kansas State Data Center
  2. US Census State Population Estimates - Most recent state estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  3. US Census County Population Estimates - Most recent county estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
  4. American Community Survey (2009 - 2013)
  5. Census QuickFacts
  6. Historical Populations of States and Counties (1790 - 1990)

Sources