Thomas County, KS

County

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2024 Population

7,885

US Senator

Jerry Moran

Republican Party

US Senator

Roger Marshall

Republican Party

2024 Poverty Rate

6.49%

5.81% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$71,325

3.06% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$172,700

4.1% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

4,392

3.68% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Thomas 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.

96.3% of the residents in Thomas County, KS are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Thomas County, KS are Colby Community College (569 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Thomas County, KS was $172,700, and the homeownership rate was 75.2%.

Most people in Thomas County, KS drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 11.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Thomas County, KS was 2 cars per household.

Thomas County, KS borders Decatur County, KS, Gove County, KS, Logan County, KS, Rawlins County, KS, Sheridan County, KS, and Sherman County, KS.

United States Kansas

Population & Diversity

Thomas County, KS is home to a population of 7.89k people, from which 96.3% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.15% of Thomas County, KS residents were born outside of the country (327 people).

In 2024, there were 26.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (6.83k people) in Thomas County, KS than any other race or ethnicity. There were 256 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 239 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.3%

2024 Citizenship

96.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.3% of Thomas County, KS residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Thomas County, KS was 96.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Thomas County, KS

White (Non-Hispanic)
6.83k ± 109
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
256 ± 35
White (Hispanic)
239 ± 135

8.4%

Hispanic Population

662 people

8.4% of the people in Thomas County, KS are hispanic (662 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Thomas 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

4.15%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

327 people

4.33%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

343 people

As of 2024, 4.15% of Thomas County, KS residents (327 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 Thomas County, KS was 4.33%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
92 ± 66
Vietnam
43 ± 38
Gulf War (1990s)
15 ± 22

Thomas County, KS has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 2.14 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Thomas County, KS employs 4.39k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Thomas County, KS were Health Care & Social Assistance (714 people), Retail Trade (615 people), and Educational Services (596 people), and the highest paying industries were Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($250,001), Wholesale Trade ($72,447), and Transportation & Warehousing ($67,625).

Employment

Occupations

4.39k

2024 Value

± 477

3.68%

1 Year growth

± 15%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Thomas County, KS grew at a rate of 3.68%, from 4.24k employees to 4.39k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Thomas County, KS, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (580 people), Sales & Related Occupations (489 people), and Management Occupations (484 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Thomas 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

4.39k

2024 Value

± 477

3.68%

1 Year growth

± 15%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Thomas County, KS grew at a rate of 3.68%, from 4.24k employees to 4.39k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Thomas County, KS, are Health Care & Social Assistance (714 people), Retail Trade (615 people), and Educational Services (596 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Thomas County, KS, though some of these residents may live in Thomas County, KS and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,922

Median earning men ± $5,104

$33,029

Median earning women ± $4,668

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($163,125), Wholesale Trade ($103,294), and Information ($78,846).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($51,417), Public Administration ($46,444), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($34,231).

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

30
Other Services (except Public Administration)
30
Retail Trade
21
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

$33.7k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$20.7k
Wholesale Trade
$19k
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 Thomas 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 Thomas County, KS awarded 569 degrees. The student population of Thomas County, KS in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 405 male students and 970 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Thomas County, KS are White (374 and 68.1%), Unknown (90 and 16.4%), Hispanic or Latino (50 and 9.11%), and Black or African American (23 and 4.19%).

The largest universities in Thomas County, KS by number of degrees awarded are Colby Community College (569 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Thomas County, KS are Liberal Arts & Sciences (171 and 30.1%), Veterinary Office Management/Administration (88 and 15.5%), and Wind Energy Technology/Technician (50 and 8.79%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 1,375 students enrolled in Thomas County, KS, 29.5% men and 70.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,071 records, of which 75.2% were women and 24.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
169 degrees awarded
Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician And Veterinary Assistant
29 degrees awarded
Energy Systems Installation And Repair Technology/Technician
20 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Thomas County, KS was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 169 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Colby Community College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

569 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Colby Community College with 569 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 209 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Thomas County, KS, which is 0.581 times less than the 360 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 374 degrees mean that there were 4.16 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 90 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

Public, 2-year ($2,696) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,500) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,018) 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 Thomas County, KS was $172,700 in 2024, which is 0.519 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $165,900 to $172,700, a 4.1% increase. The homeownership rate in Thomas County, KS is 75.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Thomas County, KS have an average commute time of 11.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Thomas County, KS is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 7.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Thomas County, KS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.499%.

Housing

Property

$172,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$16,455

$2,362

Median Property Taxes

±$308

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

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

Rent vs Own

75.2%

Homeownership

2024

67.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 75.2% of the housing units in Thomas County, KS were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 76.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Thomas 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.

$71,325

Median Household Income

± $9,792

3.14k

Number of Households

± 388

In 2024, the median household income of the 3.14k households in Thomas County, KS declined from $71,325 from the previous year's value of $73,575.

The following chart displays the households in Thomas 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 Thomas 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 (82.4%)
Worked At Home (9.6%)
Carpooled (4.44%)

In 2024, 82.4% of workers in Thomas County, KS drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.6%) and those who carpooled to work (4.44%).

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

11.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Thomas County, KS have a shorter commute time (11.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.865% of the workforce in Thomas County, KS have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 7.9% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Thomas County, KS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator grew 0.499%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

6.49% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Thomas County, KS (485 out of 7.47k 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 Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Thomas 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, 8.7% of the children was living in poverty in Thomas County, KS. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.8%.

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 234 in Thomas County, KS. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 39.4 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

89.6% of the population of Thomas County, KS has health coverage, with 53.9% on employee plans, 7.43% on Medicaid, 14.1% on Medicare, 13.5% on non-group plans, and 0.67% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Thomas County, KS see 1,969 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,969 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1973 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 562 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,969 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Thomas County, KS

Primary care physicians in Thomas County, KS see an average of 1,969 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,969 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 27.6% under 18 years, 22.8% between 18 and 34 years, 31.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.6% were men and 49.4% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10.4%

Uninsured

53.9%

Employer Coverage

7.43%

Medicaid

14.1%

Medicare

13.5%

Non-Group

0.67%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Thomas County, KS declined by 16.1% from 12.4% to 10.4%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2014, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 178 in Thomas County, KS.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Thomas 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 34.3% in Thomas County, KS.

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