Pawnee County, Kansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Pawnee 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 73% of counties in Kansas
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D
Income Well below averageLeast wealthy county in Kansas
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 75% of counties in Kansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Pawnee County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,144 | 2,945,842 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8.1 | 35.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.33% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.2 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,391 | 1,173,585 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Pawnee County declined by 3.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 6,144 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Pawnee County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.0% of residents. That is 4.2 points above Kansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,179 19.2% -3.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,251 20.4% -0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,412 23.0% +4.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,271 20.7% +4.0 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 44.7% of the people living in Pawnee County and men 55.3%.
- Women 44.7% Kansas 50.0%
- Men 55.3% Kansas 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Pawnee County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Pawnee County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Pawnee County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,833 | $74,287 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.16% | 4.08% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.2% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Pawnee County is about 15% lower than in Kansas.
Housing
| Metric | Pawnee County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $178,261 | $104,644 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $794 | $1,060 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.2% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Pawnee County is about 18.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $794 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Pawnee County spend about 23 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 97 hours, about 4.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Pawnee County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.7 | 17.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 23.3 | 34.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 97 | 143 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,012 | $4,448 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.5% | 11.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,258 | 4,500 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 199 | 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 Pawnee County is 12 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
Pawnee County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Pawnee County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.3% | 31.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.20 | 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
Pawnee County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Pawnee County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.2 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.6% | 15.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.9% | 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).
Pawnee County, KS Compared With Nearby Counties
How Pawnee County, KS compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pawnee County, KS | 6,144 | $62,833 #1/2 | $178,261 #1/2 | 11.7 min #1/2 |
| Barton County, KS | 25,097 | $58,469 | $74,649 | 11.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Pawnee County, Kansas.
How many people live in Pawnee County, Kansas?
About 6,144 people live in Pawnee County, Kansas, in 2,391 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 46.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
How densely populated is Pawnee County, Kansas?
Averaged over its land area, Pawnee County, Kansas has 8 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 9% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Pawnee County, Kansas?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($178,261 against $62,833), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $794 a month takes about 15% 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 Pawnee County, Kansas?
Unemployment in Pawnee County, Kansas is only 1.2%, 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 Pawnee County, Kansas?
17.3% of adults in Pawnee County, Kansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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