Shawnee County, Kansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Shawnee 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 average
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C
Income Below average
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 92% of counties in Kansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Shawnee County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 178,025 | 2,945,842 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 320.1 | 35.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.04% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.1 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 75,458 | 1,173,585 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Shawnee County grew by 2.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 178,025 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Shawnee County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 20.8% of residents. That is 2.0 points below Kansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 37,045 20.8% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 35,007 19.7% -1.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 34,991 19.7% +0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 33,846 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 51.4% of the people living in Shawnee County and men 48.6%.
- Women 51.4% Kansas 50.0%
- Men 48.6% Kansas 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Shawnee County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Shawnee County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Shawnee County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,459 | $74,287 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.35% | 4.08% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Shawnee County is about 8% lower than in Kansas.
Housing
| Metric | Shawnee County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $152,982 | $104,644 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,000 | $1,060 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 66.8% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Shawnee County is about 12.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,000 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Shawnee County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 135 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Shawnee County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.2 | 17.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.5 | 34.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 135 | 143 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,194 | $4,448 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.2% | 11.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,217 | 4,500 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,198 | 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 Shawnee County is 16 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
Shawnee County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Shawnee County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.1% | 31.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.29 | 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
Shawnee County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Shawnee County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.5 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.4% | 15.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.7% | 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).
Shawnee County, KS Compared With Nearby Counties
How Shawnee County, KS compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee County, KS | 178,025 | $68,459 #2/2 | $152,982 #2/2 | 16.2 min #1/2 |
| Douglas County, KS | 120,302 | $70,602 | $291,236 | 17.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Shawnee County, Kansas.
What is the population of Shawnee County, Kansas?
About 178,025 people live in Shawnee County, Kansas, in 75,458 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 38.1, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Shawnee County, Kansas urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Shawnee County, Kansas has 320 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 3.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Shawnee County, Kansas?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($152,982 against $68,459), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,000 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Shawnee County, Kansas?
Unemployment in Shawnee County, Kansas is only 4.1%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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