Emporia, KS

Census Place

2024 Population

24,131

US Senator

Jerry Moran

Republican Party

US Senator

Roger Marshall

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

17.8%

3.61% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$52,704

0.157% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$132,700

4.08% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

Population & Diversity

Emporia, KS is home to a population of 24.1k people, from which 90.9% are citizens.

As of 2024, 13.6% of Emporia, KS residents were born outside of the country (3.29k people).

In 2024, there were 3.63 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (14.8k people) in Emporia, KS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.07k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 1.63k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

90.9%

2024 Citizenship

91.3%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 90.9% of Emporia, KS residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Emporia, KS was 91.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Emporia, KS

White (Non-Hispanic)
14.8k ± 276
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
4.07k ± 465
Other (Hispanic)
1.63k ± 356

30%

Hispanic Population

7.25k people

30% of the people in Emporia, KS are hispanic (7.25k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place 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

13.6%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

3.29k people

13.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

3.24k people

As of 2024, 13.6% of Emporia, KS residents (3.29k 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 Emporia, KS was 13.4%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
389 ± 104
Gulf War (2001-)
298 ± 130
Gulf War (1990s)
105 ± 70

Emporia, KS has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.31 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Emporia, KS employs 13.4k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Emporia, KS were Manufacturing (3,274 people), Retail Trade (1,739 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,726 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($81,117), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($59,549), and Public Administration ($53,000).

Employment

Occupations

13.4k

2024 Value

± 922

3.34%

1 Year growth

± 9.47%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Emporia, KS grew at a rate of 3.34%, from 12.9k employees to 13.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Emporia, KS, are Production Occupations (1,556 people), Material Moving Occupations (1,346 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,276 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Emporia, 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

13.4k

2024 Value

± 922

3.34%

1 Year growth

± 9.47%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Emporia, KS grew at a rate of 3.34%, from 12.9k employees to 13.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Emporia, KS, are Manufacturing (3,274 people), Retail Trade (1,739 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,726 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Emporia, KS, though some of these residents may live in Emporia, KS and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$39,541

Median earning men ± $4,504

$24,585

Median earning women ± $3,122

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($101,250), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($58,854), and Public Administration ($56,680).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($80,266), Public Administration ($42,292), and Construction ($40,625).

Education

The student population of Emporia, KS in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 2,494 male students and 3,857 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Emporia, KS are White (1,568 and 73.4%), Hispanic or Latino (173 and 8.1%), Unknown (146 and 6.83%), and Two or More Races (127 and 5.94%).

The largest universities in Emporia, KS by number of degrees awarded are Emporia State University (1,832 and 81.2%) and Flint Hills Technical College (423 and 18.8%).

The most popular majors in Emporia, KS are General Business Administration & Management (300 and 13.3%), Curriculum & Instruction (178 and 7.89%), and Library & Information Science (162 and 7.18%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $5,542 for in-state students and $13,855 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Emporia, KS, the percentage of applicants admitted was 97.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 22.9%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 6,351 (39.3% men and 60.7% 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 6,351 students enrolled in Emporia, KS, 39.3% men and 60.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,093 records, of which 61.1% were women and 38.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
212 degrees awarded
Curriculum & Instruction
178 degrees awarded
Library & Information Science
162 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Emporia, KS was General Business Administration & Management with 212 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Emporia State University
1,832 degrees awarded
Flint Hills Technical College
423 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Emporia State University with 1,832 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 760 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Emporia, KS, which is 0.508 times less than the 1,495 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 1,568 degrees mean that there were 9.06 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 173 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

Public, 4-year or above ($5,542) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,920) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,700) 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 Emporia, KS was $132,700 in 2024, which is 0.399 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $127,500 to $132,700, a 4.08% increase. The homeownership rate in Emporia, KS is 49.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Emporia, KS have an average commute time of 12.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Emporia, KS is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$132,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,967

$5,179

Median Property Taxes

±$507

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

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

Rent vs Own

49.9%

Homeownership

2024

62.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 49.9% of the housing units in Emporia, KS were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 50%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Emporia, 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.

$52,704

Median Household Income

± $4,498

10.4k

Number of Households

± 774

In 2024, the median household income of the 10.4k households in Emporia, KS declined from $52,704 from the previous year's value of $52,787.

The following chart displays the households in Emporia, 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 Emporia, 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 (76.7%)
Carpooled (11.3%)
Worked At Home (6.07%)

In 2024, 76.7% of workers in Emporia, KS drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.3%) and those who worked at home (6.07%).

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

12.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Emporia, KS have a shorter commute time (12.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.15% of the workforce in Emporia, KS have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

17.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Emporia, KS (4.12k out of 23.2k 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 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Emporia, 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.

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.

Keep Exploring