Rice County, Kansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rice 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.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Rice County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,350 | 2,945,842 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 12.9 | 35.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.77% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.1 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,714 | 1,173,585 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rice County declined by 7.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 9,350 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rice County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.4% of residents. That is 0.5 points above Kansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,184 23.4% +0.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,557 16.7% -4.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,804 19.3% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,778 19.0% +2.3 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 49.4% of the people living in Rice County and men 50.6%.
- Women 49.4% Kansas 50.0%
- Men 50.6% Kansas 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Rice County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Rice County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Rice County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,898 | $74,287 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.85% | 4.08% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rice County is about 15% lower than in Kansas.
Housing
| Metric | Rice County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $14,343 | $104,644 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $753 | $1,060 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.4% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rice County is about 1.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $753 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rice County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 110 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Rice County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.2 | 17.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.4 | 34.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 110 | 143 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,404 | $4,448 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.0% | 11.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,149 | 4,500 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 703 | 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 Rice 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
Rice County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Rice County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.7% | 31.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 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
Rice County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Rice County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.6 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.4% | 15.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.2% | 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).
Rice County, KS Compared With Nearby Counties
Rice County, KS is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 9,350 residents against a local median of 30,205. Rice County, KS's median home price, at $14,343, runs 81% below the $74,649 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $160,042 on median home price, so Rice County, KS sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Rice County, KS has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice County, KS | 9,350 | $62,898 #2/4 | $14,343 #4/4 | 13.2 min #3/4 |
| Reno County, KS | 61,553 | $60,794 | $184,782 | 13.8 min |
| McPherson County, KS | 30,205 | $78,479 | $24,740 | 11.5 min |
| Barton County, KS | 25,097 | $58,469 | $74,649 | 11.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rice County, Kansas.
How many people live in Rice County, Kansas?
About 9,350 people live in Rice County, Kansas, in 3,714 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 37.1, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Rice County, Kansas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Rice County, Kansas has 13 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 15% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Rice County, Kansas an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.2 times the median household income ($14,343 against $62,898), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $753 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Rice County, Kansas have a college degree?
20.7% of adults in Rice 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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