Atchison County, Kansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Atchison County, KS Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 83% of counties in Kansas
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Atchison County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,208 | 2,945,842 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 37.4 | 35.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.26% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.2 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,735 | 1,173,585 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Atchison County declined by 0.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 16,208 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Atchison County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 26.6% of residents. That is 3.8 points above Kansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,316 26.6% +3.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,665 16.4% -4.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,076 19.0% +0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,782 17.2% +0.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Kansas, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.5% of the people living in Atchison County and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Kansas 50.0%
- Men 48.5% Kansas 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Atchison County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Atchison County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Atchison County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,466 | $74,287 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.61% | 4.08% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Atchison County is about 17% lower than in Kansas.
Housing
| Metric | Atchison County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $110,984 | $104,644 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $764 | $1,060 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.9% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Atchison County is about 12.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $764 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Atchison County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 135 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Atchison County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.2 | 17.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.5 | 34.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 135 | 143 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,196 | $4,448 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 11.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,291 | 4,500 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 398 | 662 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Kansas:
Wichita County (7.0 min), Scott County (7.1 min), Greeley County (7.2 min).
Slowest:
Linn County (31.3 min), Miami County (30.8 min), Jefferson County (30.3 min).
The average commute time in Atchison County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 17 minutes in Kansas.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Atchison County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Atchison County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.2% | 31.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.52 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Kansas:
Johnson County (0.4), Douglas County (0.4), Riley County (0.3).
Lowest:
Seward County (0.2), Grant County (0.2), Kearny County (0.2).
Health
Atchison County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Atchison County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.9 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.7% | 15.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.8% | 18.7% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Kansas:
Johnson County (0.8), Riley County (0.8), Douglas County (0.8).
Lowest:
Wyandotte County (0.8), Woodson County (0.8), Chautauqua County (0.8).
Atchison County, KS Compared With Nearby Counties
How Atchison County, KS compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atchison County, KS | 16,208 | $61,466 #2/2 | $110,984 #1/2 | 16.2 min #1/2 |
| Leavenworth County, KS | 83,123 | $88,191 | $88,571 | 22.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Atchison County, Kansas.
What is the population of Atchison County, Kansas?
About 16,208 people live in Atchison County, Kansas, in 5,735 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Atchison County, Kansas urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Atchison County, Kansas has 37 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 43% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Atchison County, Kansas?
The median home costs 1.8 times the median household income ($110,984 against $61,466), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $764 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Atchison County, Kansas have a college degree?
19.2% of adults in Atchison County, Kansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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