Riley County, KS

County

2024 Population

71,946

US Senator

Jerry Moran

Republican Party

US Senator

Roger Marshall

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

25.5

1.19% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

19.9%

9.84% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$61,098

2.58% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$237,100

Population & Diversity

Riley County, KS is home to a population of 71.9k people, from which 95.7% are citizens.

As of 2024, 6.67% of Riley County, KS residents were born outside of the country (4.8k people).

In 2024, there were 11.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (53k people) in Riley County, KS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.57k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 3.1k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.7%

2024 Citizenship

95.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95.7% of Riley County, KS residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Riley County, KS was 95.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Riley County, KS compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Riley County, KS

White (Non-Hispanic)
53k ± 349
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
4.57k ± 385
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
3.1k ± 498

10%

Hispanic Population

7.21k people

10% of the people in Riley County, KS are hispanic (7.21k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Riley County, KS as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Kansas.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
84,373 ± 7,029 people
India
14,412 ± 2,940 people
Vietnam
10,201 ± 2,475 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kansas was Mexico, the natal country of 84,373 Kansas residents, followed by India with 14,412 and Vietnam with 10,201.

Foreign-Born Population

6.67%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

4.8k people

6.75%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

4.84k people

As of 2024, 6.67% of Riley County, KS residents (4.8k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Riley County, KS was 6.75%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Riley County, KS compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
2,268 ± 410
Vietnam
926 ± 245
Gulf War (1990s)
518 ± 149

Riley County, KS has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.45 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Riley County, KS.

Health

93% of the population of Riley County, KS has health coverage, with 51.9% on employee plans, 6.82% on Medicaid, 6.43% on Medicare, 19.7% on non-group plans, and 8.18% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Riley County, KS see 1,444 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,444 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1616 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 289 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,444 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Riley County, KS

Primary care physicians in Riley County, KS see an average of 1,444 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,444 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Riley County, KS in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Location of Health Services Facilities

Health Service Type

Top 5 Health Facilities Servicing the Greatest Number of Addresses

Health Practice Name
12345 Community Center Dr., Hayward, CA 94540 Census Tract # 4001
Health Practice Name
12345 Community Center Dr., Hayward, CA 94540 Census Tract # 4002
Health Practice Name
12345 Community Center Dr., Hayward, CA 94540 Census Tract # 4003
Health Practice Name
12345 Community Center Dr., Hayward, CA 94540 Census Tract # 4004
Health Practice Name
12345 Community Center Dr., Hayward, CA 94540 Census Tract # 4005

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.1% under 18 years, 41.5% between 18 and 34 years, 26.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 10.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50% were men and 50% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.97%

Uninsured

51.9%

Employer Coverage

6.82%

Medicaid

6.43%

Medicare

19.7%

Non-Group

8.18%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Riley County, KS grew by 6.63% from 6.54% to 6.97%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Riley County, KS changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 5.27 in Riley County, KS.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Riley County, KS.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 35.2% in Riley County, KS.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Riley County, KS.

Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 10.2% in Riley County, KS.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Riley County, KS.

Economy

The economy of Riley County, KS employs 35.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Riley County, KS were Educational Services (8,729 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (4,292 people), and Retail Trade (3,684 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($64,457), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($59,116), and Public Administration ($53,457).

Employment

Occupations

35.8k

2024 Value

± 1,627

2.23%

1 Year growth

± 6.34%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Riley County, KS grew at a rate of 2.23%, from 35k employees to 35.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Riley County, KS, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (4,846 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,276 people), and Management Occupations (3,154 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Riley County, KS.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kansas.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Kansas (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

35.8k

2024 Value

± 1,627

2.23%

1 Year growth

± 6.34%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Riley County, KS grew at a rate of 2.23%, from 35k employees to 35.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Riley County, KS, are Educational Services (8,729 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (4,292 people), and Retail Trade (3,684 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Riley County, KS, though some of these residents may live in Riley County, KS and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$38,859

Median earning men ± $3,410

$28,617

Median earning women ± $3,154

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($66,085), Public Administration ($59,688), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($59,340).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($49,954), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($48,833), and Construction ($41,250).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Kansas.

Y-Axis

3.11%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 1.44M people employed in Kansas. This represents a 3.11% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.9%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Kansas.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

120
Health Care and Social Assistance
114
Other Services (except Public Administration)
103
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$153k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$105k
Retail Trade
$77.5k
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

The student population of Riley County, KS in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 10,031 male students and 11,511 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Riley County, KS are White (4,867 and 81.3%), Hispanic or Latino (489 and 8.17%), Black or African American (203 and 3.39%), and Two or More Races (199 and 3.33%).

The largest universities in Riley County, KS by number of degrees awarded are Kansas State University (5,721 and 91.1%), Manhattan Area Technical College (354 and 5.64%), and Bellus Academy (171 and 2.72%).

The most popular majors in Riley County, KS are Elementary Education & Teaching (262 and 4.17%), General Marketing & Marketing Management (222 and 3.54%), and General Business Administration & Management (205 and 3.27%).

The median tuition costs are $18,226 for private four year colleges, and $10,243 and $27,590 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Riley County, KS, the percentage of applicants admitted was 81.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 27.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 21,542 (46.6% men and 53.4% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 21,542 students enrolled in Riley County, KS, 46.6% men and 53.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 16,236 records, of which 54% were women and 46% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Animal Sciences
171 degrees awarded
General Marketing & Marketing Management
159 degrees awarded
Elementary Education & Teaching
154 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Riley County, KS was General Animal Sciences with 171 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Riley County, KS according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Kansas State University
5,721 degrees awarded
Manhattan Area Technical College
354 degrees awarded
Bellus Academy
171 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Kansas State University with 5,721 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 2,799 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Riley County, KS, which is 0.805 times less than the 3,479 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 4,867 degrees mean that there were 9.95 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 489 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($18,226) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($3,300) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,800) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Riley County, KS was $237,100 in 2024, which is 0.713 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $231,200 to $237,100, a 2.55% increase. The homeownership rate in Riley County, KS is 46.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Riley County, KS have an average commute time of 16.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Riley County, KS is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 19.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Riley County, KS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.68%.

Housing

Property

$237,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$11,412

$12,763

Median Property Taxes

±$849

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Riley County, KS the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Riley County, KS compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

46.1%

Homeownership

2024

64%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 46.1% of the housing units in Riley County, KS were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 44.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Riley County, KS compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$61,098

Median Household Income

± $1,445

27.7k

Number of Households

± 1,363

In 2024, the median household income of the 27.7k households in Riley County, KS grew to $61,098 from the previous year's value of $59,560.

The following chart displays the households in Riley County, KS distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Riley County, KS is from Kansas.

0.459

2024 Wage GINI in Kansas

0.458

2023 Wage GINI in Kansas

In 2024, the income inequality in Kansas was 0.459 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.185% growth from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Kansas was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Kansas in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Kansas across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (64.5%)
Walked (13.6%)
Worked At Home (11.2%)

In 2024, 64.5% of workers in Riley County, KS drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (13.6%) and those who worked at home (11.2%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

16.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Riley County, KS have a shorter commute time (16.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.25% of the workforce in Riley County, KS have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Riley County, KS compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Riley County, KS distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Riley County, KS have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 19.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Riley County, KS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.68%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

19.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Riley County, KS (12.2k out of 61.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Riley County, KS is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 12.9% of the children was living in poverty in Riley County, KS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.1%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 259 in Riley County, KS. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 21.6% per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

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