Cowley County, KS

County

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2024 Population

34,411

US Senator

Jerry Moran

Republican Party

US Senator

Roger Marshall

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

39.2

2.89% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

14.3%

2.89% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$57,878

0.661% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$120,900

8.33% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

15,180

0.302% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Cowley County, KS reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.7% of the residents in Cowley County, KS are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Cowley County, KS are Cowley County Community College (916 degrees awarded in 2023) and Southwestern College (155900) (428 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Cowley County, KS was $120,900, and the homeownership rate was 68.1%.

Most people in Cowley County, KS drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Cowley County, KS was 2 cars per household.

Cowley County, KS borders Butler County, KS, Chautauqua County, KS, Elk County, KS, Sedgwick County, KS, Sumner County, KS, Kay County, OK, and Osage County, OK.

United States Kansas Arkansas City-Winfield, KS

Population & Diversity

Cowley County, KS is home to a population of 34.4k people, from which 97.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.56% of Cowley County, KS residents were born outside of the country (1.57k people).

In 2024, there were 16.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (26.4k people) in Cowley County, KS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.61k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 1.49k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.7%

2024 Citizenship

97.6%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.7% of Cowley County, KS residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Cowley County, KS was 97.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cowley County, KS

White (Non-Hispanic)
26.4k ± 157
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
1.61k ± 357
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.49k ± 288

12.2%

Hispanic Population

4.18k people

12.2% of the people in Cowley County, KS are hispanic (4.18k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Cowley 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
83,075 ± 6,976 people
India
12,929 ± 2,785 people
Vietnam
10,325 ± 2,490 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Kansas was Mexico, the natal country of 83,075 Kansas residents, followed by India with 12,929 and Vietnam with 10,325.

Foreign-Born Population

4.56%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.57k people

4.86%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.68k people

As of 2024, 4.56% of Cowley County, KS residents (1.57k 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 Cowley County, KS was 4.86%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
754 ± 144
Gulf War (2001-)
428 ± 118
Gulf War (1990s)
319 ± 119

Cowley County, KS has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.76 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Cowley County, KS employs 15.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Cowley County, KS were Manufacturing (2,837 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,131 people), and Educational Services (2,015 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($86,541), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($71,741), and Information ($60,919).

Employment

Occupations

15.2k

2024 Value

± 776

−0.302%

1 Year decline

± 7.29%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cowley County, KS declined at a rate of −0.302%, from 15.2k employees to 15.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cowley County, KS, are Management Occupations (1,828 people), Production Occupations (1,612 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,361 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cowley 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

15.2k

2024 Value

± 776

−0.302%

1 Year decline

± 7.29%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cowley County, KS declined at a rate of −0.302%, from 15.2k employees to 15.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cowley County, KS, are Manufacturing (2,837 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,131 people), and Educational Services (2,015 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cowley County, KS, though some of these residents may live in Cowley County, KS and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,784

Median earning men ± $3,707

$31,786

Median earning women ± $1,981

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($73,750), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($66,172), and Manufacturing ($61,063).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($102,731), Construction ($65,625), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($59,417).

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

70
Other Services (except Public Administration)
46
Retail Trade
43
Health Care and Social Assistance

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

$258k
Manufacturing
$71.5k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$42.9k
Retail Trade

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

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kansas went to Donald J. Trump with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (41%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.23%).

Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall are the senators currently representing the state of Kansas. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Kansas is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Cowley County, KS. Showing the available data for Kansas.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (57.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (41%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (1.23%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Kansas went to Donald J. Trump with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (41%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.23%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Kansas for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Kansas

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Kansas.

Jerry Moran

Senator from Kansas

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Roger Marshall

Senator from Kansas

Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall are the senators currently representing Kansas.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Kansas over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Cowley County, KS awarded 1,344 degrees. The student population of Cowley County, KS in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,638 male students and 1,659 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cowley County, KS are White (805 and 63.4%), Hispanic or Latino (149 and 11.7%), Unknown (108 and 8.51%), and Two or More Races (87 and 6.86%).

The largest universities in Cowley County, KS by number of degrees awarded are Cowley County Community College (916 and 68.2%) and Southwestern College (155900) (428 and 31.8%).

The most popular majors in Cowley County, KS are Liberal Arts & Sciences (353 and 26.3%), Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (116 and 8.63%), and Welding Technology (85 and 6.32%).

The median tuition cost in Cowley County, KS for private four year colleges is $38,330.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Cowley County, KS, the percentage of applicants admitted was 65%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 23.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 3,297 (49.7% men and 50.3% 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 2023 there were 3,297 students enrolled in Cowley County, KS, 49.7% men and 50.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,913 records, of which 54.5% were women and 45.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT Paramedic)
24 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
350 degrees awarded
Industrial Radiologic Technology
24 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Cowley County, KS was Emergency Medical Technician (EMT Paramedic) with 24 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Cowley County Community College
916 degrees awarded
Southwestern College (155900)
428 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Cowley County Community College with 916 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 673 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cowley County, KS, which is 1 times more than the 671 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 805 degrees mean that there were 5.4 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 149 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 ($38,330) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($2,250) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($2,000) 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 Cowley County, KS was $120,900 in 2024, which is 0.363 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $111,600 to $120,900, a 8.33% increase. The homeownership rate in Cowley County, KS is 68.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Cowley County, KS have an average commute time of 21.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cowley County, KS is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cowley County, KS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.652%.

Housing

Property

$120,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,871

$9,117

Median Property Taxes

±$585

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 Cowley County, KS the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

68.1%

Homeownership

2024

61%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 68.1% of the housing units in Cowley County, KS were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 70.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Cowley 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.

$57,878

Median Household Income

± $3,114

13.4k

Number of Households

± 751

In 2024, the median household income of the 13.4k households in Cowley County, KS declined from $57,878 from the previous year's value of $58,263.

The following chart displays the households in Cowley 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 Cowley County, KS is from Kansas.

0.458

2023 Wage GINI in Kansas

0.462

2022 Wage GINI in Kansas

In 2023, the income inequality in Kansas was 0.458 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.893% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Kansas was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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 (77.7%)
Carpooled (14%)
Worked At Home (4.93%)

In 2024, 77.7% of workers in Cowley County, KS drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (14%) and those who worked at home (4.93%).

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

21.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cowley County, KS have a shorter commute time (21.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.7% of the workforce in Cowley County, KS have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Cowley 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 Cowley County, KS distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Cowley County, KS have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cowley County, KS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.652%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

14.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cowley County, KS (4.58k out of 32.1k 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 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 45 - 54.

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

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, 20.3% of the children was living in poverty in Cowley County, KS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.7%.

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
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

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 335 in Cowley County, KS. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 22.3 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

91.9% of the population of Cowley County, KS has health coverage, with 47% on employee plans, 15% on Medicaid, 13.2% on Medicare, 15.1% on non-group plans, and 1.56% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Cowley County, KS see 2,464 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,464 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1813 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 579 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,464 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Cowley County, KS

Primary care physicians in Cowley County, KS see an average of 2,464 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,464 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 26.4% under 18 years, 18.9% between 18 and 34 years, 36.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.5% were men and 50.5% were women.

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

Uninsured People

8.15%

Uninsured

47%

Employer Coverage

15%

Medicaid

13.2%

Medicare

15.1%

Non-Group

1.56%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cowley County, KS declined by 0.182% from 8.16% to 8.15%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Cowley 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 number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 75.4 in Cowley County, KS.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Cowley 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 41.8% in Cowley County, KS.

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