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
median household income $65,009, 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
Unique to this place
What stands out about Lawrence
What changed most since 1990
Poverty rate24.1% → 17.4%(−6.8 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
White share85.8% → 73.0%(−12.7 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
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
Over time
Lawrence, decade by decade
Lawrence 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
65,657
$54,962
$164,405
44.0%
32.4
2000
80,098
$63,155
$205,483
47.7%
39.7
2010
87,643
$59,399
$248,729
52.6%
45.9
2020
94,934
$67,387
$248,226
54.9%
56.2
2024
96,051
$65,009
$292,700
55.8%
55.9
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.
