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COUNTY

Cowley County

Kansas · 34,382 residents (2025 est.) · 1,126 sq mi
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The short version

Cowley County is a county of 34,411 people in Kansas. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $120,900. 25% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. There are 31 people per square mile. The foreign-born share is 5%. Median rent is $809 a month.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
25% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
34,411
−5%since 2000
from 36,291 in 2000
34,382 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
31 / sq mi
+1%since 2009
from 30 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
39.2
+6%since 2000
from 37.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,126 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
34K35K35K36K37K19902000201020202024Cowley County
202434K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(1,860)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.4%(1,854)
US avg: 6%
10 to 148.5%(2,909)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.3%(2,847)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.5%(2,233)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3410.4%(3,585)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.8%(4,402)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.3%(3,884)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.6%(4,319)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.8%(3,731)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.4%(1,848)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.7%(939)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$57,878
−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,406 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$32,882
+88%since 2000
from $17,509 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
37.7%
+15.6 ptssince 2009
from 22.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
14.3%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 12.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.478
+15%since 2010
from 0.415 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade18.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Information9.3%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance6.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade5.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing5.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction4.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Other services4.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical4.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration3%
US avg: 4.8%
Education & health services2.5%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.8%
US avg: 0.4%
Arts, entertainment, food0.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing0.7%
US avg: 2.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$120,900
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $55,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$809
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $417 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
68.1%
−2.7 ptssince 2000
from 70.8% in 2000
31.9% rent
Vacancy rate
14.6%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 16.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.40 people
+1%since 2009
from 2.38 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
16.6%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 17.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
45.5%
+8.0 ptssince 2009
from 37.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.1
+11%since 2009
from 1.9 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
31
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic88.4%(32,091)
Black2.7%(971)
Hispanic / Latino3.6%(1,304)
Asian1.5%(550)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic76.9%(26,447)
Black2.4%(820)
Hispanic / Latino12.2%(4,184)
Asian1.5%(532)
Other7.1%(2,428)
Diversity Score
49
+48%since 2009
from 33 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
20
−13%since 2020
from 23 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican9.2%(3,174)
Salvadoran0.5%(173)
Puerto Rican0.4%(154)
Colombian0.4%(135)
Guatemalan0.3%(115)
Dominican0.2%(68)
Honduran0.1%(48)
Ecuadorian0.1%(21)
Bolivian0%(16)
Argentine0%(11)
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Laotian0.8%(271)
Vietnamese0.4%(129)
Chinese0.1%(49)
Thai0.1%(37)
Japanese0.1%(29)
Filipino0%(15)
Pacific Islander origin
Chuukese0.3%(97)
Ancestry
German17.4%(5,973)
Irish11.9%(4,102)
American11.7%(4,015)
English11.4%(3,937)
French2%(677)
Scottish1.8%(604)
Italian1.5%(529)
Dutch1.4%(490)
Swedish1%(335)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(255)
Czech0.7%(249)
Polish0.7%(245)
+ 26 more ancestry groups with data
British0.6%(201)
Welsh0.6%(193)
West Indian0.5%(159)
Norwegian0.3%(111)
Russian0.3%(101)
Haitian0.3%(87)
Swiss0.2%(86)
Nigerian0.2%(85)
Jamaican0.2%(72)
Danish0.2%(63)
Austrian0.2%(60)
Brazilian0.1%(40)
Hungarian0%(11)
Belgian0%(10)
Greek0%(7)
Arab0%(5)
Finnish0%(3)
Somali0%(1)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
24.5%
+6.3 ptssince 2000
from 18.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
90.6%
+5.1 ptssince 2000
from 85.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
8.4%
+2.7 ptssince 2000
from 5.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.1 min
+39%since 2000
from 15.1 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
77.7%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 80.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
14.0%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 13.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
4.9%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.3%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.0%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 6.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.9%
−3.5 ptssince 2011
from 7.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
57.8%
−4.1 ptssince 2011
from 61.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 71.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
17.9%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 15.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
34.1%
+6.6 ptssince 2009
from 27.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.6%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 49.1% in 2009
Female
49.4%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 50.9% in 2009
Foreign born
4.6%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
8.0%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 12.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
18.8%
+2.5 ptssince 2012
from 16.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
8.1%
−4.8 ptssince 2013
from 12.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
84.3%
+14.2 ptssince 2017
from 70.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
92.9%
+3.4 ptssince 2020
from 89.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.5%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 85.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
93.8%
+2.2 ptssince 2016
from 91.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.3%
−1.9 ptssince 2016
from 6.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.6%(4,548)
Married48.9%(6,825)
Widowed4.4%(618)
Divorced14%(1,952)
Women 15+
Never married24.2%(3,356)
Married48.1%(6,661)
Widowed10.2%(1,416)
Divorced17.4%(2,412)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
8.1%
−4.8 ptssince 2013
from 12.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
53.8%
−3.5 ptssince 2020
from 57.3% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.3%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 17.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 20.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
20.1%
+3.8 ptssince 2020
from 16.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.2%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 2.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
69.9%
−1.8 ptssince 2020
from 71.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
37.8%
+4.2 ptssince 2020
from 33.6% 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)20.3%(428)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.1%(444)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.6%(794)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War8.6%(181)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.4%(30)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,109 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 Cowley County

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Pop 32,178
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Pop 36,916
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Pop 33,451
Fulton County
Pop 32,901
Places similar to Cowley County
Head to head

Compare Cowley County to nearby counties

COWLEY COUNTY VS
Chautauqua County
Income$56,438−2%
Home value$65,500−46%
Population3,321−90%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COWLEY COUNTY VS
Kay County
Income$58,423+1%
Home value$124,700+3%
Population43,490+26%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COWLEY COUNTY VS
Elk County
Income$64,609+12%
Home value$68,500−43%
Population2,458−93%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
COWLEY COUNTY VS
Sumner County
Income$63,951+10%
Home value$135,100+12%
Population22,312−35%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Cowley County, Kansas?

Cowley County, Kansas has about 34,411 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Cowley County, Kansas?

The typical household in Cowley County, Kansas earns about $57,878 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Cowley County, Kansas expensive?

In Cowley County, Kansas, the median home is worth about $120,900, and the typical rent is about $809 a month.

How educated are people in Cowley County, Kansas?

About 24.5% of adults age 25 and over in Cowley County, Kansas hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Cowley County, Kansas?

About 14.3% of people in Cowley County, Kansas live below the federal poverty line.

Has Cowley County, Kansas grown since 1990?

Yes, Cowley County, Kansas has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 2,504 residents, a change of about -7 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →