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.
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.
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.
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.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Kansas was:
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.
50K
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150K
200K
250K
300K
350K
400K
450K
500K
550K
600K
Race | Population | Percentage (of total) |
---|---|---|
White | 2,341,474 | 79.75% |
Two or more races | 215,150 | 7.33% |
Black or African American | 163,581 | 5.57% |
Other race | 102,461 | 3.49% |
Asian | 88,513 | 3.01% |
Native American | 22,015 | 0.75% |
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 2,729 | 0.09% |
White
Two or more races
Black or African American
Other race
Asian
Native American
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
Household Type | Count | Average Size | Owner | Renter |
---|---|---|---|---|
All | 1,148,640 | 2.48 | 66.9 | 33.1 |
Married | 571,578 | 3.15 | 84.3 | 15.7 |
Non Family | 415,745 | 1.24 | 49 | 51 |
Female | 111,176 | 3.32 | 47.8 | 52.2 |
Male | 50,136 | 3.24 | 58.3 | 41.7 |
3.1
Average Family Size
2.48
Average Household Size
66.9%
Rate of Home Ownership
Married
Male
Female
NonFamily
owner
renter
Male
Female
Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
---|---|---|
9th to 12th Grade | 91,336 | 4.74% |
Associates Degree | 171,665 | 8.91% |
Bachelors Degree | 417,263 | 21.66% |
Graduate Degree | 251,002 | 13.03% |
High School Graduate | 494,733 | 25.68% |
Less Than 9th Grade | 67,033 | 3.48% |
Some College | 433,488 | 22.5% |
Less Than 9th Grade
9th to 12th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Associates Degree
Bachelors Degree
Graduate Degree
High School Graduation Rate
Bachelors Rate
Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
---|---|---|---|
White | 1,517,780 | 1,442,360 | 568,601 |
Hispanic | 185,010 | 127,380 | 28,398 |
Black | 102,169 | 90,542 | 22,677 |
2+ Races | 97,484 | 82,588 | 25,156 |
Other Race | 58,590 | 36,584 | 8,032 |
Asian | 57,112 | 48,544 | 29,521 |
Native American | 13,297 | 10,898 | 2,408 |
Islander | 1,559 | 1,319 | 166 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 95.03%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 51.69%.
All
Male
Female
Name | Average | Male | Female |
---|---|---|---|
Bachelors Degree | $58,777 | $72,521 | $49,325 |
Graduate Degree | $71,617 | $90,153 | $62,662 |
High School Graduate | $36,397 | $44,023 | $27,860 |
Less Than 9th Grade | $32,127 | $37,535 | $23,130 |
Overall | $46,846 | $55,301 | $38,963 |
Some College | $42,332 | $51,844 | $34,417 |
$46,846
Average Earnings
$55,301
Average Male
$38,963
Average Female
Only English
Spanish
Other Indo-European Languages
Asian and Pacific Island Languages
Other Languages
88.2% of Kansas residents speak only English, while 11.8% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 7.76% of the population.
rate
Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
---|---|---|---|
White | 2,119,470 | 196,019 | 9.25% |
Hispanic | 361,280 | 66,495 | 18.41% |
Multiple | 209,299 | 35,797 | 17.1% |
Black | 151,302 | 35,321 | 23.34% |
Other | 101,146 | 20,737 | 20.5% |
Asian | 86,338 | 10,987 | 12.73% |
Native | 20,532 | 3,971 | 19.34% |
Islander | 2,623 | 526 | 20.05% |
11.58%
Overall Poverty Rate
10.39%
Male Poverty Rate
12.77%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in Kansas is Black, with 23.34% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in Kansas is White, with 9.25% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.66%. Among those working part-time, it was 17.22%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 19.2%.
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Less Than 9th Grade | 22.73% |
High School | 12.6% |
Some College | 8.49% |
Bachelors or Greater | 3.8% |
rate
Rate | Poverty |
---|---|
Female Unemployed | 34.43% |
Male Unemployed | 28.12% |
Female Employed | 7.65% |
Male Employed | 5.22% |
Households
Families
MarriedFamilies
NonFamilies
Name | Median | Mean |
---|---|---|
Families | $89,535 | $113,772 |
Households | $69,747 | $94,263 |
Married Families | $102,812 | $128,537 |
Non Families | $40,520 | $56,071 |
mean
median
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
51.1%
Overall Marriage Rate
52.0%
Male Marriage Rate
50.2%
Female Marriage Rate
male
female
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.
Married
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
NeverMarried
Second Gulf War
First Gulf War
Vietnam
Korea
World War II
163,472
Number of Veterans
149,336
Male Veterans
14,136
Female Veterans
War | Veterans |
---|---|
Vietnam | 58,221 |
Second Gulf War | 42,275 |
First Gulf War | 37,766 |
Korea | 10,709 |
World War II | 2,712 |
count
Age Group | Veterans |
---|---|
65 to 74 | 41,952 |
75+ | 39,764 |
35 to 54 | 37,383 |
55 to 64 | 28,106 |
18 to 34 | 16,267 |
count
Name | Veterans | % of Total |
---|---|---|
White | 140,841 | 7.77% |
Black | 11,033 | 9.16% |
Hispanic | 8,039 | 3.46% |
2+ Races | 7,130 | 5.7% |
Other Race | 2,048 | 2.87% |
Asian | 1,106 | 1.63% |
Native American | 1,006 | 6.2% |
Islander | 308 | 16.2% |
Less Than 9th Grade
High School Graduate
Some College
Bachelors or Greater
7.03%
Veteran Poverty Rate
31.22%
Veteran Disability Rate
LaborForceParticipation
66.2%
Labor Force Participation
62.7%
Employment Rate
4%
Unemployment Rate
LaborForceParticipation
LaborForceParticipation
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.
Europe
Asia
Africa
Oceania
Latin America
North America
59.27%
Born in Kansas
92.94%
Native Born
7.06%
Foreign Born
4.05%
Non Citizen
3.01%
Naturalized
92.94% of Kansas residents were born in the United States, with 59.27% having been born in Kansas. 4.05% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.