Colby is a city of 5,387 people in Kansas. This skews young, with a median age of 32.3. Getting to work takes 10 minutes on average. The typical home is worth $163,000, having more than doubled since 2000. Renters pay $750 a month at the median. 5% of locals were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $63,494, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.3
US median: 38.9
Average education
37% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Colby
What changed most since 1990
Adults with a bachelor's degree14.9% → 37.0%(+22.2 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Median home value (2024 dollars)$115,923 → $163,000(+41%)US over the same years: +67%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)78.8%(78)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)55.6%(55)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era24.2%(24)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.1%(6)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3%(3)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 99 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Colby, decade by decade
Colby population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
5,396
$52,950
$115,923
14.9%
4.9
2000
5,450
$63,057
$140,996
23.9%
10.2
2010
5,387
$60,896
$122,854
23.3%
16.4
2020
5,570
$75,148
$154,656
23.6%
31.0
2024
5,387
$63,494
$163,000
37.0%
33.0
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
