United States › Ottawa MICROPOLITAN AREA
Ottawa Micro Ottawa, KS · 1 counties · 26,299 residents (2025 est.) · 572 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Ottawa is home to 26,106 people. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. 25% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. 2% of people across the metro were born outside the United States. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $198,700. Density works out to 46 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
25% 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 from 24,784 in 2000
26,299 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 43 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
from 36.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
22K 23K 24K 25K 27K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Ottawa Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $77,207
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,052 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $17,311 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 25.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 7.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.364 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Professional, scientific, technical 8.2%
Transportation & warehousing 5.2%
Education & health services 3.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 3.2%
Public administration 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.2%
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$198,700
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $76,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$1,042
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $465 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 73.5% in 2000
27.8% rent
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.51 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 23.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 32.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.4 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 93.6%(23,193)
Hispanic / Latino 2.6%(650)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 88.9%(23,210)
Hispanic / Latino 4.8%(1,264)
from 18 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 13 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 Ancestry
+ 20 more ancestry groups with data from 16.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 85.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.8% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 19.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 77.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 15.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 1.9% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 6.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 70.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 77.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 14.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 27.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 13.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 10.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 67.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 88.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 87.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 97.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 29.1%(3,095)
Women 15+
Never married 22.7%(2,390)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 10.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 64.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 16.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 19.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 14.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 75.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 31.4% 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%(551)
Gulf War (1990s) 18.4%(328)
Share of the 1,778 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.
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In this metro
Largest cities What's inside
1 component county Drill deeper
Metros similar to Ottawa Head to head
Compare Ottawa side by side OTTAWA VS
Fallon
Income $79,163 +3%
Home value $329,900 +66%
Population 25,851 −2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OTTAWA VS
Marshall
Income $75,303 −2%
Home value $200,700 +1%
Population 25,684 −2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OTTAWA VS
Fredericksburg
Income $76,162 −1%
Home value $460,700 +132%
Population 28,527 +8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
OTTAWA VS
Lexington
Income $70,472 −9%
Home value $171,043 −14%
Population 26,255 same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Ottawa, KS? Ottawa, KS has about 26,106 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Ottawa, KS? The typical household in Ottawa, KS earns about $77,207 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Ottawa, KS expensive? In Ottawa, KS, the median home is worth about $198,700, and the typical rent is about $1,042 a month.
How educated are people in Ottawa, KS? About 24.6% of adults age 25 and over in Ottawa, KS hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Ottawa, KS? About 8.7% of people in Ottawa, KS live below the federal poverty line.
Has Ottawa, KS grown since 1990? Yes, Ottawa, KS has grown since 1990. The population has added about 4,112 residents, a change of about 19 percent over that period.
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