Smith County, Kansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Smith 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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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Smith County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,552 | 2,945,842 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4.0 | 35.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.51% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.1 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,578 | 1,173,585 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Smith County declined by 9.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 3,552 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Smith County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 25.7% of residents. That is 9.0 points above Kansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 548 15.4% -7.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 533 15.0% -5.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 740 20.8% +2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 912 25.7% +9.0 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 49.5% of the people living in Smith County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Kansas 50.0%
- Men 50.5% Kansas 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Smith County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Smith County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Smith County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,473 | $74,287 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.08% | 4.08% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.0% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Smith County is about 20% lower than in Kansas.
Housing
| Metric | Smith County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $56,136 | $104,644 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $634 | $1,060 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.8% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Smith County is about 7.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $634 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Smith County spend about 17 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 72 hours, about 3.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Smith County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 8.6 | 17.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 17.2 | 34.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 72 | 143 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,221 | $4,448 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 3.9% | 11.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 383 | 4,500 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 154 | 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 Smith County is 9 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
Smith County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Smith County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.2% | 31.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.21 | 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
Smith County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Smith County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.7 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.8% | 15.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.3% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Smith County, Kansas.
How many people live in Smith County, Kansas?
About 3,552 people live in Smith County, Kansas, in 1,578 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 48.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Smith County, Kansas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Smith County, Kansas has 4 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 5% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Smith County, Kansas an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($56,136 against $59,473), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $634 a month takes about 13% 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 Smith County, Kansas?
Unemployment in Smith County, Kansas is only 1.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Smith County, Kansas?
22.2% of adults in Smith County, Kansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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