Cowley County, Kansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Cowley 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 75% of counties in Kansas
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 87% of counties in Kansas
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Cowley County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,411 | 2,945,842 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 30.4 | 35.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.55% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.9 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,387 | 1,173,585 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Cowley County grew by 1.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 34,411 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Cowley County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.2% of residents. That is 0.6 points below Kansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,641 22.2% -0.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,481 18.8% -2.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,700 19.5% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,230 18.1% +1.4 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 49.8% of the people living in Cowley County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Kansas 50.0%
- Men 50.2% Kansas 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Cowley County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Cowley County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Cowley County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,252 | $74,287 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.09% | 4.08% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Cowley County is about 23% lower than in Kansas.
Housing
| Metric | Cowley County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $13,801 | $104,644 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $809 | $1,060 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.1% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Cowley County is about 1.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $809 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Cowley County spend about 30 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 125 hours, about 5.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Cowley County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.0 | 17.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.1 | 34.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 125 | 143 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,885 | $4,448 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 11.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 4,500 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 424 | 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 Cowley County is 15 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
Cowley County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Cowley County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.0% | 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
Cowley County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Cowley County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.4% | 15.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.9% | 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).
Cowley County, KS Compared With Nearby Counties
Cowley County, KS is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 34,411 residents against a local median of 43,624. The measure that sets Cowley County, KS apart most is median home price: $13,801, 85% below the local median of $95,090.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 15.0 min against a local median of 22.3 min, 33% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 33% below the local median it puts Cowley County, KS at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $127,255 on median home price, so Cowley County, KS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cowley County, KS has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowley County, KS | 34,411 | $57,252 #4/4 | $13,801 #4/4 | 15.0 min #2/4 |
| Kay County, OK | 43,624 | $58,650 | $46,731 | 13.0 min |
| Butler County, KS | 68,284 | $79,609 | $173,986 | 22.3 min |
| Sumner County, KS | 22,353 | $65,474 | $95,090 | 23.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cowley County, Kansas.
How many people live in Cowley County, Kansas?
About 34,411 people live in Cowley County, Kansas, in 13,387 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 37.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Cowley County, Kansas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Cowley County, Kansas has 30 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 35% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Cowley County, Kansas an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.2 times the median household income ($13,801 against $57,252), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $809 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Cowley County, Kansas?
Unemployment in Cowley County, Kansas is only 3.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Cowley County, Kansas?
22.0% of adults in Cowley 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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