METRO AREA
Lawrence Metro
Lawrence, KS · 1 counties · 120,920 residents (2025 est.) · 456 sq mi
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The short version
Lawrence is a metro area of 120,302 people. This skews young, with a median age of 31.6. This is an unusually credentialed place: 53% of adults have a four-year degree. That puts it in the top 10% of US metro areas for household income. Owners hold 50% of the housing stock. People stay put here: 75% were in the same home a year ago.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 31.6
US median: 38.9
More educated
53% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 47%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
120,302
+20%since 2000
from 99,962 in 2000
120,920 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
456 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024120K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.3%(5,229)
5 to 95.3%(6,319)
10 to 145.1%(6,136)
15 to 198.8%(10,595)
20 to 2416.9%(20,297)
25 to 3413.9%(16,667)
35 to 4412.7%(15,241)
45 to 549.5%(11,447)
55 to 649.7%(11,649)
65 to 748.6%(10,387)
75 to 844.1%(4,897)
85 and over1.2%(1,438)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$69,746
+2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,547 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
47.1%
+19.0 ptssince 2009
from 28.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.7%
Retail trade7.5%
Other services5.8%
Wholesale trade5.4%
Public administration4.4%
Finance & insurance4.1%
Professional, scientific, technical3.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.1%
Construction0.9%
Education & health services0.6%
Manufacturing0.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$309,400
+47%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $115,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.4
+15%since 2009
from 3.8 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.
49
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic84.6%(84,543)
Black4.1%(4,148)
Hispanic / Latino3.3%(3,268)
Asian3.1%(3,095)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic76%(91,455)
Black4.2%(5,014)
Hispanic / Latino7.2%(8,640)
Asian4.3%(5,198)
Other8.3%(9,995)
51
+40%since 2009
from 36 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
22
−7%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
Mexican4.8%(5,728)
Puerto Rican0.7%(881)
South American0.5%(590)
Spaniard0.4%(475)
Central American0.2%(273)
Colombian0.1%(155)
Peruvian0.1%(134)
Venezuelan0.1%(130)
Honduran0.1%(128)
Cuban0.1%(106)
Argentine0%(60)
Nicaraguan0%(54)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0%(44)
Bolivian0%(41)
Guatemalan0%(38)
Salvadoran0%(23)
Costa Rican0%(16)
Chilean0%(15)
Panamanian0%(14)
Dominican0%(8)
Asian origin
Chinese1.4%(1,664)
Vietnamese0.7%(879)
Asian Indian0.6%(772)
Korean0.4%(514)
Filipino0.2%(293)
Laotian0.2%(248)
Pakistani0.2%(247)
Thai0.1%(110)
Uzbek0.1%(66)
Japanese0.1%(61)
Bangladeshi0%(60)
Taiwanese0%(38)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Ancestry
German28.2%(33,924)
English15.3%(18,444)
Irish14.3%(17,185)
American3.6%(4,389)
Italian3.1%(3,698)
Scottish3%(3,568)
French2.6%(3,074)
Swedish2.1%(2,500)
Polish1.8%(2,130)
Norwegian1.2%(1,497)
Dutch1.2%(1,444)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(1,362)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh1.1%(1,314)
Czech1.1%(1,284)
Subsaharan African1%(1,206)
British0.8%(983)
Arab0.8%(980)
Swiss0.6%(757)
Danish0.6%(738)
Russian0.5%(658)
French Canadian0.4%(519)
Iraqi0.3%(391)
Belgian0.3%(361)
Canadian0.3%(349)
Hungarian0.3%(326)
Greek0.3%(310)
Austrian0.2%(294)
Nigerian0.2%(234)
Iranian0.2%(214)
West Indian0.2%(200)
Lithuanian0.2%(182)
Syrian0.1%(163)
Ukrainian0.1%(163)
Croatian0.1%(157)
Moroccan0.1%(151)
Brazilian0.1%(147)
Portuguese0.1%(147)
Finnish0.1%(131)
Jamaican0.1%(115)
Slovak0.1%(114)
Turkish0.1%(89)
Slovene0.1%(84)
Romanian0.1%(65)
Lebanese0%(54)
Latvian0%(38)
Ethiopian0%(32)
Barbadian0%(29)
Egyptian0%(27)
Haitian0%(27)
Serbian0%(17)
Palestinian0%(15)
Ghanaian0%(10)
Cape Verdean0%(8)
Kenyan0%(6)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
95.6%
+3.2 ptssince 2000
from 92.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.8%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 79.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
97.4%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 96.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married47.9%(24,314)
Married43.5%(22,088)
Widowed1.4%(720)
Divorced7.2%(3,642)
Women 15+
Never married43.5%(22,537)
Married42.2%(21,867)
Widowed5.5%(2,862)
Divorced8.8%(4,588)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
18.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 17.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
1.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 2.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
78.8%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 81.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
24.2%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 22.6% 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)31.4%(1,624)
Gulf War (1990s)26.8%(1,385)
Vietnam era35.4%(1,827)
Korean War2.3%(121)
World War II0.6%(30)
Share of the 5,168 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
In this metro
Largest cities
What's inside
1 component county
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Lawrence
Augusta
Pop 129,067
Lewiston
Pop 116,487
Elizabethtown
Pop 128,666
St. Simons
Pop 118,524
Places similar to LawrenceHead to head
Compare Lawrence side by side
LAWRENCE VS
Augusta
Income$69,077−1%
Home value$238,200−23%
Population129,067+7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAWRENCE VS
Lewiston
Income$67,873−3%
Home value$252,800−18%
Population116,487−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAWRENCE VS
Elizabethtown
Income$67,578−3%
Home value$220,770−29%
Population128,666+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAWRENCE VS
St. Simons
Income$66,040−5%
Home value$257,539−17%
Population118,524−2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Lawrence, KS?
Lawrence, KS has about 120,302 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Lawrence, KS?
The typical household in Lawrence, KS earns about $69,746 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Lawrence, KS expensive?
In Lawrence, KS, the median home is worth about $309,400, and the typical rent is about $1,099 a month.
How educated are people in Lawrence, KS?
About 53.2% of adults age 25 and over in Lawrence, KS hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Lawrence, KS?
About 14.7% of people in Lawrence, KS live below the federal poverty line.
Has Lawrence, KS grown since 1990?
Yes, Lawrence, KS has grown since 1990. The population has added about 38,504 residents, a change of about 47 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024