Wilson County, Kansas Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wilson 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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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 91% of counties in Kansas
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 73% of counties in Kansas
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 83% of counties in Kansas
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wilson County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,505 | 2,945,842 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 14.8 | 35.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.64% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.7 | 38.7 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,517 | 1,173,585 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wilson County declined by 12.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,505 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wilson County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.3% of residents. That is 4.6 points above Kansas as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,502 17.7% -5.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,481 17.4% -3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,744 20.5% +1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,808 21.3% +4.6 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 50.2% of the people living in Wilson County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Kansas 50.0%
- Men 49.8% Kansas 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Wilson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Wilson County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Wilson County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,836 | $74,287 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.32% | 4.08% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wilson County is about 18% lower than in Kansas.
Housing
| Metric | Wilson County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $165,086 | $104,644 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $735 | $1,060 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.7% | 67.1% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wilson County is about 18.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $735 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wilson County spend about 33 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 137 hours, about 5.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wilson County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.4 | 17.2 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.9 | 34.4 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 137 | 143 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,246 | $4,448 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.2% | 11.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,009 | 4,500 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 816 | 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 Wilson 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
Wilson County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Wilson County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.8% | 31.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 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
Wilson County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Wilson County | Kansas Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 74.8 | 78.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.4% | 15.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.5% | 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).
Wilson County, KS Compared With Nearby Counties
How Wilson County, KS compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson County, KS | 8,505 | $60,836 #1/2 | $165,086 #1/2 | 16.4 min #2/2 |
| Montgomery County, KS | 30,940 | $56,995 | $31,389 | 13.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wilson County, Kansas.
How many people live in Wilson County, Kansas?
About 8,505 people live in Wilson County, Kansas, in 3,517 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Wilson County, Kansas mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wilson County, Kansas has 15 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 17% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Wilson County, Kansas an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($165,086 against $60,836), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $735 a month takes about 14% 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 Wilson County, Kansas?
Unemployment in Wilson County, Kansas is only 3.0%, 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 Wilson County, Kansas?
17.8% of adults in Wilson 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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