Kansas

Kansas by the Numbers:
Key Statistical Data and Facts

Key Details

• Kansas is the 35th most populated state in the US, with a population of 2,937,150 as of 2022. 
• The median value of owner-occupied units was $164,800 while renters paid a median gross rent of $545. 
• Whites are the majority racial group, accounting for 74.3% of residents, while Hispanics make up 13%. 
• Laura Kelley was elected as the 48th governor of Kansas in 2018. She was reelected in 2022. 
• Republicans control the state's legislature and governor's office. Laura Kelly (D) won reelection in 2022 as the 48th governor of Kansas. 
• During the 2020 presidential election Donald Trump won 56.18% of votes in Kansas. As of 2023, there are 1,960,236 registered voters in Kansas, with Republicans making up almost half of all registered voters. 
• Approximately 35.4% of residents aged 25 and older have a Bachelor's degree or higher 

Kansas Population Demographics

Set in the Midwestern US, Kansas is the 35th most populated state. According to Census Bureau estimates, in 2022, the Sunflower State was home to approximately 2,937,150 residents, higher than the 2,853,100 residents recorded in 2010. Roughly one out of residents (23.5%) was 18 years and under, while one out of 6 (17.2%) was aged 65 years and older. Kids aged five years and younger made up 5% of the population, while foreign-born residents accounted for 7% of the state. Like most US states, Kansas had a near-even gender split, with females making up 49.8% of the state.  

Kansas Housing

1,292,622 housing units

As of 2022, Kansas has 1,292,622 housing units.

66%

Between 2017 and 2021, the state had a 66% homeownership rate.

$164,800

The median value of owner-occupied units was $164,800

$1,467

While the median selected owner's cost ranged from $545 (without a mortgage) to $1,467 (with a mortgage).

$545

Roughly 7.1% of houses had a value of $500,000 and more, while 25% were valued at $99,000 or less. Renters paid a median gross rent of $545.

Kansas Racial Demographics

Elections in Kansas

Kansans have a history of voting for officials from either party. Between 2003 and 2022, three of the last five governors sworn into office have been Democrats. However, as of 2023, Republicans control the state's legislature, while the Democratic party controls the governor's office. The positions of secretary of state and attorney general are filled by Republicans.  

In 2018, Laura Kelley was elected as the 48th governor of Kansas. She won reelection in 2022, defeating her Republican opponent Derek Schmidt. As of 2023, Daniel Hawkins (R) and Ty Masterson (R) serve as the State Speaker of the House and President of the Senate, respectively.  

2020 Presidential Election 

During the 2020 presidential elections, Republican candidate Donald Trump won the elections in Kansas. He won 56.18% of the votes (771,406), defeating his Democrat opponent, Joe Biden. Donald Trump scored victories in every county except Douglas, Johnson, Riley, Shawnee, and Wyandotte.  

Donald Trump

Donald Trump

Kansas Voting Statistics

As of January 2023, Kansas has 1,960,236 registered voters, according to data from the Kansas Secretary of State. Almost half of the voters are affiliated with the Republican party. Approximately 878,671 registered as Republicans, while 516,160 registered as Democratic. Kansas also had 541,342 unaffiliated voters and 24,060 affiliated with the libertarian party.  

General Election

How Educated is Kansas

Per 2020 census estimates, 91.6% of residents in Kansas aged 25 years and older have a high school graduate diploma or higher, while 35.4% have a Bachelor's degree or higher. A breakdown of the data reveals that 25.4% of residents aged 25 years and older had only a high school degree, while 8% had an associate's degree. Approximately 22% had a bachelor's degree, while 13.4% of residents within the age group had a graduate or professional degree.

As of 2023, Kansas has over 85 colleges and universities, including three dozen public high education institutions. The University of Kansas has the highest enrollment, with 26,000+ students, ahead of Kansas State University and Wichita State University, with 20,000+ and 15,000+ students.

Kansas Employment Rate

Per 2020 Census estimates, Kansas has a 62.1% employment rate, higher than the US average. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2023, Kansas's unemployment rate stood at 2.9%. Out of an estimated civilian workforce of 1,521,400 workers, 1,477,000 were employed, while 43,800 were unemployed. The Trade, transportation, and utility services sector accounted for the most jobs, with 274,900 workers, ahead of Government services with 255,500 workers.

Other top-employing sectors include Professional and Business Services (183,000) and manufacturing, with 172,600 jobs. Between 2022 and 2023, Kansas recorded job growth across all industries, with the exception of Information, which shrank by 2.7%. 

Average Income in Kansas

Between 2017 and 2021, Kansas had a median income of $64,521 and a mean income of $86,580. Non-family households earned a median income of $36,685 and a mean income of $50,523, while married-couple families earned a median and mean income of $95,458 and $119,449.

Per US Census data, approximately 6.5% of households earned $200,000 or more, while 6.7% earned between $150,000 and $199,999. In comparison, 11.7% of households earned between $10,000 and $14,000, while 5.7% earned less than $10,0000.  Roughly one out of five households (19%) earned between $50,000 to $74,999, while one out of six (13.4%) earned between $75,000 and $99,999.

Families in Kansas

Kansas Marriage Rates

In comparison, one out of two women older than 65 years were married, compared to 6.5 women out of ten between the ages of 35 and 64 years. The marriage rate was lowest for males and females aged 19 and below, with less than 2.1% married.

Kansas Divorce Rates

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, in 2021, Kansas had a divorce rate of 1.9 per 1,000 residents. In 2021, 11% of the population were divorced, and 1.2% were separated. A breakdown of the figures reveals that 9.8% of the males 15 years and over were divorced, compared to 12.3% of females in the same age group. The divorce percentages for males and females were highest between the ages of 45 and 64 years, with an average of 18%. Conversely, the rate was lower for residents aged 15 to 34 years, with less than 4.1%.

Life Expectancy in Kansas

As of 2020, Kansas has a life expectancy (at birth) of 76.4 years, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Heart disease was the leading cause of death, accounting for 6,315 deaths in 2021. Other major causes include cancer, Covid-19, and accidents. The firearm injury death rate was 17.3 per 100,000, while the drug overdose death rate was 24.3 per 100,000.  

Approximately 36% of births recorded in 2021 were to unmarried mothers, with a 9.83 preterm birth rate and a 29.6 cesarean birth rate. The fertility rate for women between the ages of 15 and 44 was 61 births per 100 women, while the teenage birth rate (15 to 19 years) was 16.3 births per 100 females.  

Kansas Crime Rates

As of 2021, Kansas has a crime index rate of 27.2 offenses per 1,000 residents. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation recorded  67,928 property crimes and 13,422 violent crimes, according to the data submitted to the FBI crime index. Compared to the previous year, total property crime declined by 7.5% while violent crime dipped by 2.1%. Larceny theft accounted for approximately 73% of total property crimes, with 49,663 offenses. Aggravated assault/battery was the most recurring crime, accounting for 10,985 offenses, 1.9% higher than recorded in the previous year.

Kansas Incarceration Rate

298 per 100,000 residents

According to the National Institute of Corrections, in 2020, Kansas had an incarceration rate of 298 per 100,000 residents, lower than the national average.

8.779 inmates

Its prison system had a population of 8.779 inmates with 3,562 employees.

15,874 residents

The state also had 15,874 residents on probation and 5,428 out on parole.

97

With 97 jails located across over 100 counties

$8,049,800

Kansas had a prison budget of approximately $8,049,800.

Kansas Bankruptcy Rate

2022

3,189 bankruptcy filings

In 2022, Kansas recorded 3,189 bankruptcy filings, the lowest number filed in two decades. It includes 1,542 Chapter 7 filings, twenty-seven Chapter 11 filings, and 1,614 Chapter 13 filings. According to the American Banking Institute, the number of bankruptcies recorded in 2022 was almost half the number recorded in 2019 and a third of the number recorded in 2010. Kansas also recorded 94 business bankruptcy cases. It included 52 filed Chapter 7 cases, twenty-five Chapter 11 cases, and eleven Chapter 14 cases.  

Weird Laws in Kansas

Like most states in the US, Kansas has its share of laws that some might find weird. For instance, in Topeka, it's illegal to whistle at night. Some other odd or strange laws include: