Ottawa County, KS

County

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2024 Population

5,819

US Senator

Jerry Moran

Republican Party

US Senator

Roger Marshall

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

42.4

0.235% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

10.4%

14.1% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$74,018

3.57% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$166,000

1.16% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

2,842

0.0352% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Ottawa 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.

99.5% of the residents in Ottawa County, KS are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Ottawa County, KS was $166,000, and the homeownership rate was 77.2%.

Most people in Ottawa County, KS drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Ottawa County, KS was 2 cars per household.

Ottawa County, KS borders Clay County, KS, Cloud County, KS, Dickinson County, KS, Lincoln County, KS, Mitchell County, KS, and Saline County, KS.

United States Kansas Salina, KS

Population & Diversity

Ottawa County, KS is home to a population of 5.82k people, from which 99.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.67% of Ottawa County, KS residents were born outside of the country (39 people).

In 2024, there were 35.1 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (5.4k people) in Ottawa County, KS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 154 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 76 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.5%

2024 Citizenship

99.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.5% of Ottawa County, KS residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Ottawa County, KS was 99.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ottawa County, KS

White (Non-Hispanic)
5.4k ± 12
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
154 ± 28
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
76 ± 46

3.33%

Hispanic Population

194 people

3.33% of the people in Ottawa County, KS are hispanic (194 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Ottawa 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

0.67%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

39 people

1.18%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

68 people

As of 2024, 0.67% of Ottawa County, KS residents (39 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 Ottawa County, KS was 1.18%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
110 ± 39
Gulf War (1990s)
67 ± 35
Gulf War (2001-)
39 ± 29

Ottawa County, KS has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.64 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Ottawa County, KS employs 2.84k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Ottawa County, KS were Health Care & Social Assistance (541 people), Manufacturing (320 people), and Finance & Insurance (303 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($94,318), Wholesale Trade ($60,179), and Finance & Insurance ($56,563).

Employment

Occupations

2.84k

2024 Value

± 245

0.0352%

1 Year growth

± 11.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ottawa County, KS grew at a rate of 0.0352%, from 2.84k employees to 2.84k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ottawa County, KS, are Management Occupations (374 people), Sales & Related Occupations (366 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (250 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ottawa 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

2.84k

2024 Value

± 245

0.0352%

1 Year growth

± 11.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ottawa County, KS grew at a rate of 0.0352%, from 2.84k employees to 2.84k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ottawa County, KS, are Health Care & Social Assistance (541 people), Manufacturing (320 people), and Finance & Insurance (303 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Ottawa County, KS, though some of these residents may live in Ottawa County, KS and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,664

Median earning men ± $3,817

$45,820

Median earning women ± $3,704

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($92,841), Wholesale Trade ($61,161), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($59,938).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($53,281), Construction ($52,708), and Public Administration ($52,679).

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

17
Other Services (except Public Administration)
11
Retail Trade
10
Construction

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

$11.7k
Wholesale Trade
$7.84k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$3.33k
Finance and Insurance

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 Ottawa 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Ottawa County, KS was $166,000 in 2024, which is 0.499 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $164,100 to $166,000, a 1.16% increase. The homeownership rate in Ottawa County, KS is 77.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Ottawa County, KS have an average commute time of 23.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Ottawa County, KS is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 14.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ottawa County, KS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 9.93%.

Housing

Property

$166,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$8,615

$1,858

Median Property Taxes

±$172

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

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

Rent vs Own

77.2%

Homeownership

2024

65.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 77.2% of the housing units in Ottawa County, KS were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 78%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Ottawa 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.

$74,018

Median Household Income

± $12,077

2.41k

Number of Households

± 216

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.41k households in Ottawa County, KS declined from $74,018 from the previous year's value of $76,755.

The following chart displays the households in Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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 (80%)
Worked At Home (7.67%)
Carpooled (7.56%)

In 2024, 80% of workers in Ottawa County, KS drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (7.67%) and those who carpooled to work (7.56%).

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

23.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ottawa County, KS have a shorter commute time (23.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.21% of the workforce in Ottawa County, KS have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 14.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Ottawa County, KS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 9.93%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

10.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ottawa County, KS (592 out of 5.69k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Ottawa County, KS is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

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, 11.3% of the children was living in poverty in Ottawa County, KS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.2%.

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 58.6 in Ottawa County, KS. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 166 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

93.4% of the population of Ottawa County, KS has health coverage, with 50.2% on employee plans, 10.1% on Medicaid, 17.7% on Medicare, 14.3% on non-group plans, and 1.05% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Ottawa County, KS see 2,919 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,919 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1449 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1939 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.9% were men and 48.1% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,919 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Ottawa County, KS

Primary care physicians in Ottawa County, KS see an average of 2,919 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,919 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.9% under 18 years, 16% between 18 and 34 years, 38.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.9% were men and 48.1% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.64%

Uninsured

50.2%

Employer Coverage

10.1%

Medicaid

17.7%

Medicare

14.3%

Non-Group

1.05%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Ottawa County, KS grew by 7.72% from 6.16% to 6.64%.

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