Rooks County, Kansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rooks 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 | Rooks County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 4,813 | 2,945,842 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5.4 | 35.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.87% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.3 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,136 | 1,173,585 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rooks County declined by 6.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 4,813 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rooks County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.8% of residents. That is 4.1 points above Kansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 823 17.1% -5.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 824 17.1% -3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,098 22.8% +4.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 991 20.6% +3.9 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 50.7% of the people living in Rooks County and men 49.3%.
- Women 50.7% Kansas 50.0%
- Men 49.3% Kansas 50.0%
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Economy
Rooks County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Rooks County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,119 | $74,287 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.49% | 4.08% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.0% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rooks County is about 11% lower than in Kansas.
Housing
| Metric | Rooks County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $36,071 | $104,644 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $676 | $1,060 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.3% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rooks County is about 4.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $676 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rooks County spend about 21 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 89 hours, about 3.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Rooks County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 10.6 | 17.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 21.3 | 34.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 89 | 143 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,750 | $4,448 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.8% | 11.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,309 | 4,500 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 110 | 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 Rooks County is 11 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
Rooks County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Rooks County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.4% | 31.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.15 | 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
Rooks County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Rooks County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.1% | 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).
Rooks County, KS Compared With Nearby Counties
How Rooks County, KS compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rooks County, KS | 4,813 | $66,119 #1/2 | $36,071 #2/2 | 10.6 min #2/2 |
| Ellis County, KS | 28,920 | $63,623 | $99,285 | 10.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rooks County, Kansas.
How big is Rooks County, Kansas by population?
About 4,813 people live in Rooks County, Kansas, in 2,136 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 46.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Rooks County, Kansas urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Rooks County, Kansas has 5 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 6% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Rooks County, Kansas?
The median home costs 0.5 times the median household income ($36,071 against $66,119), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $676 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Rooks County, Kansas?
Unemployment in Rooks County, Kansas is only 2.0%, 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 Rooks County, Kansas?
21.4% of adults in Rooks 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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