Bourbon County, Kansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Bourbon 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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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 88% of counties in Kansas
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 88% of counties in Kansas
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Bourbon County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,394 | 2,945,842 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 22.5 | 35.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.31% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.9 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,840 | 1,173,585 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Bourbon County declined by 3.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 14,394 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Bourbon County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.8% of residents. That is 2.0 points below Kansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,000 20.8% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 2,550 17.7% -3.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,676 18.6% -0.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,821 19.6% +2.9 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 51.2% of the people living in Bourbon County and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% Kansas 50.0%
- Men 48.8% Kansas 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Bourbon County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Bourbon County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Bourbon County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,363 | $74,287 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.80% | 4.08% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Bourbon County is about 20% lower than in Kansas.
Housing
| Metric | Bourbon County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $187,500 | $104,644 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $752 | $1,060 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.0% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Bourbon County is about 20.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $752 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Bourbon County spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 112 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Bourbon County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.4 | 17.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.8 | 34.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 112 | 143 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,457 | $4,448 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.1% | 11.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,808 | 4,500 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 268 | 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 Bourbon County is 13 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
Bourbon County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Bourbon County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.7% | 31.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 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
Bourbon County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Bourbon County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.8 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.8% | 15.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.2% | 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).
Bourbon County, KS Compared With Nearby Counties
How Bourbon County, KS compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbon County, KS | 14,394 | $59,363 #1/2 | $187,500 #1/2 | 13.4 min #2/2 |
| Crawford County, KS | 39,008 | $52,478 | $10,543 | 12.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Bourbon County, Kansas.
How many people live in Bourbon County, Kansas?
About 14,394 people live in Bourbon County, Kansas, in 5,840 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 37.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Bourbon County, Kansas urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Bourbon County, Kansas has 23 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 26% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Bourbon County, Kansas?
The median home costs 3.2 times the median household income ($187,500 against $59,363), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $752 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 Bourbon County, Kansas have a college degree?
21.7% of adults in Bourbon 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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