Brown County, Kansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Brown 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 averageLess healthy than 70% of counties in Kansas
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Brown County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,343 | 2,945,842 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 16.3 | 35.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.61% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.4 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,794 | 1,173,585 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Brown County declined by 6.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 9,343 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Brown County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.6% of residents. That is 4.9 points above Kansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,643 17.6% -5.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,639 17.5% -3.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,852 19.8% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,019 21.6% +4.9 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 50.8% of the people living in Brown County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% Kansas 50.0%
- Men 49.2% Kansas 50.0%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Brown County
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Economy
Brown County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Brown County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,476 | $74,287 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.53% | 4.08% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Brown County is about 15% lower than in Kansas.
Housing
| Metric | Brown County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $110,267 | $104,644 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $645 | $1,060 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.3% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Brown County is about 14.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $645 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Brown 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 4.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Brown 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 | $3,467 | $4,448 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.1% | 11.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,145 | 4,500 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 228 | 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 Brown 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
Brown County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Brown County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.2% | 31.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 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
Brown County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Brown County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.9% | 15.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.1% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Brown County, Kansas.
What is the population of Brown County, Kansas?
About 9,343 people live in Brown County, Kansas, in 3,794 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Brown County, Kansas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Brown County, Kansas has 16 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 19% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Brown County, Kansas an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.7 times the median household income ($110,267 against $63,476), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $645 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Brown County, Kansas have a college degree?
19.2% of adults in Brown 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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