CensusEasy
CITY

Lawrence

Kansas · 96,367 residents (2025 est.) · 34.3 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Lawrence metro area
The short version

Lawrence is home to 96,051 people in Kansas. This skews young, with a median age of 29.3. This is an unusually credentialed place: 56% of adults have a four-year degree. 44% of homes are owner-occupied. 72% were living in the same home a year earlier. There are 2,804 people per square mile.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 29.3
US median: 38.9
More educated
56% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 42%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
96,051
+20%since 2000
from 80,098 in 2000
96,367 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,804 / sq mi
+7%since 2009
from 2,628 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
29.3
+16%since 2000
from 25.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
34.3 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
63K72K81K90K99K19902000201020202024Lawrence
202496K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.3%(4,114)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.9%(4,692)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.7%(4,469)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 199.2%(8,836)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2419.7%(18,879)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3415.3%(14,648)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.8%(12,258)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 548.8%(8,456)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 647.8%(7,528)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.4%(7,148)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.1%(3,901)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.2%(1,122)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$65,009
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,669 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$39,194
+102%since 2000
from $19,378 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
43.4%
+18.7 ptssince 2009
from 24.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
17.4%
−1.5 ptssince 2000
from 18.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.476
−4%since 2010
from 0.498 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.8%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade7%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services5.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Wholesale trade5%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration4.4%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance3.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.1%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$292,700
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $112,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,091
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $555 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
43.6%
−2.3 ptssince 2000
from 45.9% in 2000
56.4% rent
Vacancy rate
6.7%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.15 people
−9%since 2009
from 2.35 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
16.8%
−9.6 ptssince 2009
from 26.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
50.5%
−6.8 ptssince 2009
from 57.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.5
+6%since 2009
from 4.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
52
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic82.1%(65,774)
Black5%(3,989)
Hispanic / Latino3.6%(2,921)
Asian3.8%(3,013)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic73%(70,152)
Black4.8%(4,586)
Hispanic / Latino7.9%(7,614)
Asian5.1%(4,932)
Other9.1%(8,767)
Diversity Score
56
+34%since 2009
from 42 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.4%(5,172)
Puerto Rican0.8%(761)
Spaniard0.5%(469)
Colombian0.2%(155)
Peruvian0.1%(131)
Venezuelan0.1%(130)
Honduran0.1%(109)
Cuban0.1%(98)
Nicaraguan0.1%(54)
Argentine0.1%(52)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese1.7%(1,619)
Asian Indian0.8%(766)
Vietnamese0.7%(702)
Korean0.5%(514)
Filipino0.3%(293)
Laotian0.3%(248)
Pakistani0.3%(247)
Thai0.1%(102)
Uzbek0.1%(66)
Bangladeshi0.1%(60)
Japanese0%(46)
Taiwanese0%(38)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(32)
Mongolian0%(20)
Cambodian0%(15)
Pacific Islander origin
Tongan0%(17)
Ancestry
German27.8%(26,739)
English14.9%(14,303)
Irish14.1%(13,531)
Italian3.2%(3,108)
American3.1%(2,982)
Scottish3%(2,898)
French2.6%(2,470)
Swedish2.2%(2,067)
Polish2%(1,906)
Czech1.3%(1,206)
Dutch1.2%(1,134)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian1.1%(1,074)
Arab1%(980)
Welsh1%(972)
Swiss0.7%(686)
Russian0.7%(651)
British0.6%(599)
Danish0.6%(567)
Iraqi0.4%(391)
Canadian0.4%(341)
Belgian0.3%(306)
Hungarian0.3%(282)
Austrian0.3%(275)
Greek0.3%(254)
Nigerian0.2%(234)
Iranian0.2%(214)
West Indian0.2%(171)
Syrian0.2%(163)
Moroccan0.2%(151)
Ukrainian0.2%(145)
Brazilian0.1%(131)
Croatian0.1%(115)
Jamaican0.1%(115)
Portuguese0.1%(107)
Slovak0.1%(106)
Finnish0.1%(102)
Turkish0.1%(89)
Lithuanian0.1%(84)
Slovene0.1%(83)
Lebanese0.1%(54)
Romanian0.1%(49)
Ethiopian0%(32)
Egyptian0%(27)
Haitian0%(27)
Serbian0%(17)
Kenyan0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
55.8%
+8.1 ptssince 2000
from 47.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
95.6%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 92.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
26.9%
+6.2 ptssince 2000
from 20.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.8 min
+50%since 2000
from 13.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
67.6%
−6.7 ptssince 2009
from 74.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.1%
−3.3 ptssince 2009
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.9%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
15.5%
+11.5 ptssince 2009
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.6%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.2%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
8.4%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 6.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.4%
−3.2 ptssince 2011
from 7.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
70.0%
−1.1 ptssince 2011
from 71.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.9%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 81.5% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.6%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 17.4% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
49.0%
+8.9 ptssince 2009
from 40.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.8%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Female
51.2%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Foreign born
7.3%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 7.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.4%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.2%
+1.9 ptssince 2012
from 9.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
8.9%
−4.6 ptssince 2013
from 13.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.6%
+5.7 ptssince 2017
from 85.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.6%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 96.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
72.4%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 70.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
89.9%
+0.9 ptssince 2016
from 89.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.1%
−0.7 ptssince 2016
from 3.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married53.5%(21,692)
Married38.7%(15,680)
Widowed1.3%(531)
Divorced6.5%(2,627)
Women 15+
Never married48.5%(20,510)
Married37.2%(15,735)
Widowed5.1%(2,159)
Divorced9.1%(3,842)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
8.9%
−4.6 ptssince 2013
from 13.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
62.7%
−2.2 ptssince 2020
from 64.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 18.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
13.5%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 12.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
9.7%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 9.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.6%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
78.6%
−2.5 ptssince 2020
from 81.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
22.4%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 21.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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)32.7%(1,163)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)23.3%(830)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era28.9%(1,031)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.6%(57)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(19)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 3,562 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
Drill deeper

Places similar to Lawrence

Fort Myers
Pop 101,581
Homestead
Pop 86,242
Warner Robins
Pop 87,761
Melbourne
Pop 87,097
Places similar to Lawrence
Head to head

Compare Lawrence to nearby cities

LAWRENCE VS
Gardner
Income$96,818+49%
Home value$306,200+5%
Population26,154−73%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAWRENCE VS
Basehor
Income$116,769+80%
Home value$349,900+20%
Population8,249−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAWRENCE VS
Topeka
Income$56,956−12%
Home value$144,200−51%
Population125,795+31%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAWRENCE VS
Olathe
Income$114,009+75%
Home value$364,700+25%
Population150,025+56%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Lawrence, Kansas?

Lawrence, Kansas has about 96,051 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Lawrence, Kansas?

The typical household in Lawrence, Kansas earns about $65,009 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Lawrence, Kansas expensive?

In Lawrence, Kansas, the median home is worth about $292,700, and the typical rent is about $1,091 a month.

How educated are people in Lawrence, Kansas?

About 55.8% of adults age 25 and over in Lawrence, Kansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Lawrence, Kansas?

About 17.4% of people in Lawrence, Kansas live below the federal poverty line.

Has Lawrence, Kansas grown since 1990?

Yes, Lawrence, Kansas has grown since 1990. The population has added about 30,394 residents, a change of about 46 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
Kansas

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →