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Kansas population and demographics

Kansas had a population of 2,977,220 on July 1, 2025, the 18th smallest of the 50 states and DC, according to the Census Bureau's latest official estimates (Vintage 2025). Between July 2024 and July 2025 the population grew by 11,968 people (+0.40%), and the state now has 39,234 more residents than in April 2020 (+1.34%).1

Midwest region, West North Central division

In 2025 the population was 70.2% white, 14.4% Hispanic or Latino, 5.6% two or more races, 5.3% Black and 3.1% Asian (all groups other than Hispanic are non-Hispanic).2 The median age is 38.4 years3, the median household income $77,8244 and the poverty rate 10.2%5.

Other official counts of Kansas's population
Official population figures for Kansas
MeasurePeople
Population estimate, July 1, 2025 (headline)2,977,220
Population estimate, July 1, 20242,965,252
2020 Census count, April 1, 20202,937,880
Estimates base, April 1, 20202,937,986
American Community Survey, 2025 1-year2,977,222
American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year average2,947,197

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; Census Bureau, 2020 Census apportionment results and historical resident population 1910-2020; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B01003; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table B01003. The July 2025 estimate is the official current figure. The census is a count at one date; the estimates carry it forward with births, deaths and migration; the ACS is a survey weighted to the estimates, so its total is shown with a margin of error (±, 90% confidence) or controlled to the estimate.

Kansas reached its largest population on record in 2025, yet since 2020 it has grown more slowly than any of its four neighbors: births and net migration from abroad make up for a net loss to other states in every year since 2020. It is a state of married couples and children, of prices well below the national level, and of few residents on SNAP or Medicaid, while a larger share go without health insurance than in any other Midwest state.

Data as of October 29, 2026 (newest release used on this page).

Kansas is home to 0.87% of everyone in the United States. Its population is larger than Nebraska; smaller than Colorado, Missouri and Oklahoma1, and its July 2025 estimate is the highest the state has recorded, at any census or in any annual estimate. Kansas kept its 49 House seats after the 2020 Census. All figures on this page describe the state as a whole; the site does not publish figures for Wichita, Kansas City, Garden City or other cities and counties.

Population since 2010: Kansas and its four neighbors (2010 = 100)
Population since 2010: Kansas and its four neighbors (2010 = 100). Kansas: 100.0 in 2010 to 104.1 in 2025; Colorado: 100.0 in 2010 to 119.1 in 2025; Missouri: 100.0 in 2010 to 104.6 in 2025; Nebraska: 100.0 in 2010 to 110.3 in 2025; Oklahoma: 100.0 in 2010 to 109.7 in 2025100.0105.0110.0115.020102014201820222025

Source: Census Bureau, Intercensal Estimates of the Resident Population for States, 2000-2010; Census Bureau, Intercensal Estimates of the Resident Population for States, 2010-2020; Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. July 1 estimates: intercensal series for 2000–2019, Vintage 2025 for 2020–2025.

Show the numbers
YearKansasColoradoMissouriNebraskaOklahoma
2010100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0
2011100.5101.4100.3100.8100.7
2012101.1102.8100.5101.6101.5
2013101.5104.3100.8102.4102.4
2014101.8105.9101.1103.3103.0
2015102.2107.8101.3104.1103.8
2016102.4109.5101.6105.0104.2
2017102.4111.0102.0105.7104.3
2018102.5112.5102.2106.3104.5
2019102.6113.6102.5106.8104.9
2020102.8114.7102.7107.3105.5
2021102.8115.2102.9107.3106.2
2022102.8116.0103.1107.8107.1
2023103.2117.1103.5108.6108.1
2024103.7118.7104.1109.6109.0
2025104.1119.1104.6110.3109.7

Slower growth than every neighbor since 2020

Between the April 2020 census base and July 2025, Kansas added 39,234 residents, a rise of 1.34%, 1.8 percentage points below the US figure (3.10%). Each bordering state grew faster over the same period: Missouri by 1.88%, Nebraska by 2.86%, Colorado by 4.11% and Oklahoma by 4.14%1. Slow growth is not new. From the 2010 Census to the 2020 Census the state grew by 3.0%, 4.4 percentage points below the US figure (7.4%)6.

The components of change show why the total moves so little. Since April 2020, Kansas recorded 180,137 births and 161,805 deaths, a natural increase of 18,332. Net international migration added 44,277. Moves between states went the other way: −24,277, lower than every bordering state (Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma)1.

How Kansas's population changed, April 2020 to July 2025
Births+180,137
Deaths−161,805
Net domestic migration−24,277
Net international migration+44,277
Residual (estimation adjustment)+902
Total change+39,234

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Each bar starts where the previous one ended. The residual is the part of the change the Census Bureau cannot assign to a component.

Show the numbers
ComponentPeople
Births180,137
Deaths−161,805
Net domestic migration−24,277
Net international migration44,277
Residual (estimation adjustment)902
Total change39,234

The domestic loss was largest in the year to June 2022, at −7,185, and has narrowed since: −5,284 in 2023, −4,775 in 2024 and −519 in the year to June 2025, close to a balance. Net international migration fell in the same year, from 15,548 to 7,440. The result was growth of 11,968 in the year to July 2025, or 0.40%1.

Components of population change in Kansas, 2020–2025
PeriodBirthsDeathsNatural changeNet domesticNet international
Apr 2020–Jun 202134,17832,7811,397−4,6102,068
Jul 2021–Jun 202234,40433,2321,172−7,1856,270
Jul 2022–Jun 202334,68130,2214,460−5,28412,815
Jul 2023–Jun 202433,95729,1224,835−4,77515,548
Jul 2024–Jun 202534,41629,4654,951−5197,440

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Estimate years run from July 1 to June 30; the first covers April 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.

Births keep the balance positive. Kansas recorded 11.6 per 1,000 residents in the year to June 2025, a birth rate tied for 9th highest among the states and 9% above the US figure (10.6 per 1,000 residents). Its death rate was 9.9 per 1,000 residents. Kansas is one of 33 states, plus the District of Columbia, that recorded more births than deaths in the year to June 20251.

Missouri on both sides of the ledger

Survey data on individual moves show a state that trades people evenly with the rest of the country. In 2024, 83,083 people aged one and over moved to Kansas from another state and 82,986 moved the other way, a difference of 97 (±10,76612) that the survey cannot distinguish from zero.

Top origins and destinations of people moving to and from Kansas, 2024

Moved to Kansas from

Missouri21,660 ±3,165
Colorado6,987 ±2,091
Texas6,355 ±1,985
Oklahoma5,414 ±2,204
California5,217 ±1,468
Arizona4,068 ±2,270
Nebraska3,236 ±1,585
Tennessee2,515 ±1,468

Left Kansas for

Missouri18,446 ±3,129
Texas9,920 ±3,535
Florida4,722 ±1,935
Oklahoma4,459 ±996
Illinois3,693 ±1,865
Minnesota3,171 ±2,188
Iowa2,460 ±1,764
Georgia2,411 ±1,521

Source: Census Bureau, State-to-State Migration Flows, 2024. People aged 1 and over who lived in another state a year earlier (and the reverse). Survey estimates: whiskers show the 90% margin of error.

Show the numbers
StateMoved in fromMoved out to
Missouri21,660 ±3,16518,446 ±3,129
Colorado6,987 ±2,091–
Texas6,355 ±1,9859,920 ±3,535
Oklahoma5,414 ±2,2044,459 ±996
California5,217 ±1,468–
Arizona4,068 ±2,270–
Nebraska3,236 ±1,585–
Tennessee2,515 ±1,468–
Florida2,512 ±1,0654,722 ±1,935
Illinois–3,693 ±1,865
Minnesota–3,171 ±2,188
Iowa–2,460 ±1,764
Georgia–2,411 ±1,521

Missouri dominates the exchange in both directions: 21,660 people moved from Missouri to Kansas and 18,446 moved from Kansas to Missouri. The inflow from Missouri was statistically larger than the flow from Colorado, and the outflow to Missouri was statistically larger than the flow to Texas. More Kansans moved to Texas (9,920) than Texans moved to Kansas (6,35512), but the margins of error of the two flows overlap.

Federal tax returns give a slightly different reading for 2022 to 2023: a net flow of −4,048 people, lower than every bordering state (Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma), and a net income flow of −$361 million13, because the households that left reported more income than those that arrived. The two sources cover different years and different people, so they need not agree.

Moves from other states are more common than nationally. In 2025, 3.2% of Kansans had lived in another state a year earlier, 1.1 percentage points above the US figure (2.1%)14. Still, most residents were born in Kansas: 57.8%, down from 59.0% in 2024. Of those born elsewhere in the country, the largest group came from other Midwest states (14.8% of all residents, 7.9 percentage points above the US figure (6.9%)15).

Census history: a fast start, a slower century

The first census to count the area of present-day Kansas, in 1860, found 107,206 people. Thirty years later the count had reached 1,428,108, and Kansas ranked 19th of 50 among the present states. Since then Kansas has grown more slowly than most states, and its rank has slipped. The 1940 Census counted 1,801,028 residents, fewer than the 1,880,99916 of 1930, and by 2020 Kansas ranked 35th of 516.

Population of Kansas, 1860–2025
Population of Kansas, 1860–2025. Kansas: 107K in 1860 to 3.0M in 202501.0M2.0M1860192019802025

Source: Census Bureau, Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals by Race, 1790 to 1990; Census Bureau, 2020 Census apportionment results and historical resident population 1910-2020; Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Census counts every ten years (April 1); estimates for July 1 after 2020.

Show the numbers
YearKansas
1860107,206
1870364,399
1880996,096
18901,428,108
19001,470,495
19101,690,949
19201,769,257
19301,880,999
19401,801,028
19501,905,299
19602,178,611
19702,246,578
19802,363,679
19902,477,574
20002,688,418
20102,853,118
20202,937,880
20212,938,966
20222,938,034
20232,949,749
20242,965,252
20252,977,220

What percent of Kansas is white, Hispanic and Black

Most Kansans are white and not Hispanic: 70.2% in the 2025 American Community Survey, 15.2 percentage points above the US figure (55.0%). The share has been falling: it is down from 71.8% in 20242 and down from 81.6% in 200517.

Hispanic or Latino residents of any race are the second-largest group, at 14.4%, up from 14.2% in 20242 and up from 9.3% in 200917. In the Census Bureau's population estimates the Hispanic share of Kansas is the 2nd highest in the Midwest18. Most Hispanic Kansans are of Mexican origin: 10.4% of all residents in 2020–2024, the 12th highest share among the states and the 2nd highest in the Midwest19.

Hispanic or Latino share of the population, Kansas and US, 2009–2025
Hispanic or Latino share of the population, Kansas and US, 2009–2025. Kansas: 9.3% in 2009 to 14.4% in 2025; United States: 15.8% in 2009 to 20.5% in 20255.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%20092013201720222025

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2005-2019 and 2021-2025. ACS 1-year estimates; no standard 1-year release for 2020. Shaded band: 90% margin of error.

Show the numbers
YearKansasUnited States
20099.3% ±0.015.8% ±0.0
201010.5% ±0.016.4% ±0.0
201110.7% ±0.016.7% ±0.0
201210.9% ±0.016.9% ±0.0
201311.1% ±0.017.1% ±0.0
201411.3% ±0.017.3% ±0.0
201511.6% ±0.017.6% ±0.0
201611.6% ±0.017.8% ±0.0
201711.9% ±0.018.1% ±0.0
201812.0% ±0.018.3% ±0.0
201912.2% ±0.018.4% ±0.0
202112.7% ±0.018.8% ±0.0
202213.0% ±0.019.1% ±0.0
202313.7% ±0.019.4% ±0.0
202414.2% ±0.020.0% ±0.0
202514.4% ±0.020.5% ±0.0

Non-Hispanic Black residents make up 5.3%, 6.4 percentage points below the US figure (11.7%); including people who reported Black with another race, the share is 7.6%20. Non-Hispanic Asian residents are 3.1%, and non-Hispanic residents who report two or more races are 5.6%, up from 4.9% in 20242. On the diversity index, the chance that two residents picked at random belong to different groups, Kansas scores 47.9, 24% below the US figure (63.5)21.

Race and Hispanic origin in Kansas, 2025
White, not Hispanic70.2% 85.2%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)14.4%
Two or more races, not Hispanic5.6%
Black, not Hispanic5.3% 7.6%
Asian, not Hispanic3.1% 4.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native, not Hispanic0.7% 4.0%
Some other race, not Hispanic0.4%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, not Hispanic0.3% 0.5%

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B03002; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B02009. The dark bars are mutually exclusive and add to 100%. The light bars count everyone who reported the race, alone or with another race and of any ethnicity, so they overlap and add to more than 100%.

Show the numbers
GroupShare (single group)MOEAlone or in combination
White, not Hispanic70.2%±0.285.2%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)14.4%–
Two or more races, not Hispanic5.6%±0.2–
Black, not Hispanic5.3%±0.27.6%
Asian, not Hispanic3.1%±0.14.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native, not Hispanic0.7%±0.14.0%
Some other race, not Hispanic0.4%±0.1–
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, not Hispanic0.3%±0.10.5%

American Indian Kansans: Cherokee, Potawatomi and others

Counting everyone who reported American Indian or Alaska Native alone or with another race, 4.0% of Kansans identified that way in 2025, 0.8 percentage points above the US figure (3.2%) and the 3rd highest in the Midwest22. Far fewer report it as their only race: the 2020 Census counted 21,314 people who were American Indian alone, against 86,20223 alone or in combination.

The largest write-in group in 2020 was Cherokee, with 27,845 people counting all responses, most of them in combination with another race. The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation counted 1,75723 people, alone or in combination. Counts of different groups overlap and should not be added together.

Largest American Indian and Alaska Native groups in Kansas, 2020 Census
Group or tribeCategoryAlone or in any combinationAlone
CherokeeAmerican Indian27,845–
ChoctawAmerican Indian3,857–
AztecLatin American Indian3,655–
Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of MontanaAmerican Indian3,620–
PotawatomiAmerican Indian2,564–
The Muscogee (Creek) NationAmerican Indian2,535–
Cherokee NationAmerican Indian2,264–
SiouxAmerican Indian2,156–
Navajo NationAmerican Indian2,109–
MayaLatin American Indian1,787–

Source: Census Bureau, 2020 Census Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File A, table T01001. April 1, 2020. Census write-in categories with differential privacy; groups below the publication threshold are not shown. A person can report several groups, so the counts overlap and do not add up.

Wide land, few people per square mile

Kansas is the 13th largest state by land area, at 81,759 square miles, and the 10th least densely populated, with 36.4 people per square mile in 2025, 62% below the US figure (96.7 people per square mile)25. Water covers only 0.6% of its total area, a share tied for 4th lowest24 among the states.

At the 2020 Census 27.7% of Kansans lived outside urban areas, 7.7 percentage points above the US figure (20.0%) and higher than Colorado and Nebraska; lower than Missouri and Oklahoma26. Getting to work is mostly by car: 76.5% of workers drove to work alone and 0.5%27 took public transportation. The average trip to work took 20.5 minutes, the 8th shortest commute of any state and 6.9 minutes below the US figure (27.4 minutes)28.

More children and more married couples than most states

The median Kansan is 38.4 years old (±0.3 years), 1.1 years below the US figure (39.5 years)3. The difference sits at the young end of the pyramid. Children under 18 make up 22.9% of the population, a share tied for 8th highest in the country and tied for 3rd highest in the Midwest, while the share aged 65 and older (18.9%) is the same as the US figure (18.9%)18.

Age and sex structure of Kansas, July 1, 2025
85+
80–84
75–79
70–74
65–69
60–64
55–59
50–54
45–49
40–44
35–39
30–34
25–29
20–24
15–19
10–14
5–9
0–4

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Share of the total population in each age group. Vertical ticks: the United States.

Show the numbers
AgeMen (%)Women (%)US men (%)US women (%)
0-42.992.832.762.65
5-93.193.042.962.83
10-143.403.253.082.95
15-193.703.513.313.16
20-243.913.543.433.28
25-293.283.073.463.37
30-343.193.063.413.38
35-393.253.183.383.40
40-443.243.193.213.27
45-492.882.852.933.03
50-542.652.682.832.96
55-592.642.692.863.02
60-642.883.062.963.21
65-692.773.062.753.08
70-742.332.632.262.64
75-791.701.991.712.08
80-840.961.281.001.32
85+0.801.330.781.28

Fertility is above the national level. The total fertility rate was 1.77 births per woman in 2024, tied for 9th highest and 11% above the US figure (1.60). Among women in their late twenties the rate was 112.0 per 1,000 women aged 25 to 29, 25% above the US figure (89.5 per 1,000 women aged 25 to 29)29. Even so, the number of children is shrinking as the population ages: Kansas had 682,768 residents under 18 in 2025, down from 709,284 in 2020, while the number aged 65 and older was up from 493,306 in 202018.

Children under 18 as a share of the population, July 1, 2025
Kansas: 22.9%; lowest Vermont 17.0%; highest Utah 26.1%USKansas 22.9%

Vermont 17.0%Utah 26.1%

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. Each dot is a state. Period: July 1, 2025.

Show the numbers
StateUnder 18
Utah26.1%
Texas24.0%
Nebraska23.7%
South Dakota23.5%
Alaska23.3%
Idaho23.3%
Oklahoma23.2%
Kansas22.9%
North Dakota22.9%
Louisiana22.7%
Indiana22.6%
Arkansas22.4%
Mississippi22.3%
Iowa22.2%
Georgia22.2%
Kentucky22.1%
Minnesota22.0%
Missouri21.7%
Wyoming21.6%
Tennessee21.5%
Alabama21.5%
Maryland21.3%
Ohio21.3%
North Carolina21.1%
Arizona21.0%
Virginia20.9%
New Jersey20.9%
California20.8%
New Mexico20.7%
Nevada20.7%
South Carolina20.6%
Illinois20.6%
Wisconsin20.5%
Washington20.4%
Michigan20.4%
Colorado20.3%
Montana20.2%
Delaware19.8%
Pennsylvania19.7%
Hawaii19.7%
New York19.5%
West Virginia19.5%
Connecticut19.5%
Oregon19.0%
Florida18.9%
Massachusetts18.6%
District of Columbia17.9%
Rhode Island17.7%
New Hampshire17.3%
Maine17.3%
Vermont17.0%

Families are more often built around a married couple. Married-couple households were 49.3% of all households in 2025, 2.7 percentage points above the US figure (46.6%) and the highest in the Midwest; nationally the state ranks between 4th and 16th30. Only 30.8% of people aged 15 and older had never married, 4.0 percentage points below the US figure (34.8%)31, and the divorce rate of 1.7 per 1,000 residents in 2024 was the 4th lowest32 among the states that report divorces.

Incomes below the US, prices further below

The median Kansas household had income of $77,824 in 2025 (±$1,333), $6,956 (8%) below the US figure ($84,780); it was not statistically different from $77,501 in 2024 (in 2025 dollars). Allowing for the margins of error, Kansas ranks between 33rd and 37th, and its median is higher than Missouri and Oklahoma; lower than Colorado and Nebraska4.

Lower prices offset that gap. The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts the Kansas price level at 90.1 for 2024 (US = 100), 10% below the US figure (100.0), with housing rents at 71.2. Adjusted for those prices, personal income per resident was $59,172, $23 (0%) below the US figure ($59,195)33: in purchasing power, income per resident is essentially level with the national average. Before that adjustment, per capita personal income was $7,879 (10%) below the US figure ($77,028)34.

Kansas and its neighbors
StateMedian household incomeReal per capita incomePrice level (US = 100)Housing rentsMedian home value (owner-occupied)Median gross rentRenters spending 30% or more of income on housing
Kansas$77,824 ±$1,333$59,17290.171.2$252,600 ±$4,302$1,134 ±$1542.7% ±2.0
Colorado$99,729 ±$1,273$65,223103.1127.4$567,600 ±$5,009$1,839 ±$1651.8% ±1.7
Missouri$75,485 ±$937$57,85090.869.9$271,400 ±$2,495$1,142 ±$1545.4% ±1.5
Nebraska$81,614 ±$1,319$65,29790.175.2$279,200 ±$3,160$1,194 ±$2044.7% ±2.4
Oklahoma$68,441 ±$911$58,69287.862.8$234,000 ±$2,384$1,107 ±$1145.7% ±1.3
United States$84,780 ±$215$59,195100.0100.6$371,100 ±$646$1,557 ±$451.8% ±0.2

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B19013; BEA, SARPP Regional Price Parities by state; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B25077; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B25064; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B25070. ± is the 90% margin of error.

Incomes bunch in the middle. In 2025, 31.2% of households had income between $50,000 and $100,000, 3.4 percentage points above the US figure (27.8%), and 11.1% had $200,000 or more, 3.7 percentage points below the US figure (14.8%)38.

Housing is where the low prices are clearest. The median owner-occupied home was worth $252,600, $118,500 (32%) below the US figure ($371,100)35, and the median gross rent was $1,134, $423 (27%) below the US figure ($1,557)36. 42.7% of renters spent 30 percent or more of their income on housing, the 3rd lowest share in the country after North Dakota and Wyoming37. Among owners with a mortgage the share was 24.6%, 6.1 percentage points below the US figure (30.7%)39. 67.5%40 of households own their home, and 71.6%41 of homes are single-family detached houses.

Renters spending 30% or more of income on housing, 2025: the ten lowest shares
Oklahoma45.7% ±1.3
Wisconsin45.7% ±1.3
Missouri45.4% ±1.5
Arkansas45.0% ±2.6
South Dakota44.9% ±3.4
Nebraska44.7% ±2.4
Alaska43.2% ±4.3
Kansas42.7% ±2.0
Wyoming41.8% ±4.6
North Dakota34.7% ±3.5

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B25070. Whiskers show the 90% margin of error; states whose whiskers overlap may not differ significantly. Period: 2025.

Show the numbers
StateRenters spending 30% or more of income on housingMOE
Oklahoma45.7%±1.3
Wisconsin45.7%±1.3
Missouri45.4%±1.5
Arkansas45.0%±2.6
South Dakota44.9%±3.4
Nebraska44.7%±2.4
Alaska43.2%±4.3
Kansas42.7%±2.0
Wyoming41.8%±4.6
North Dakota34.7%±3.5

Catholic, Methodist and Evangelical Kansas

Readers also ask what share of Kansans are Catholic, Christian or Jewish. Federal statistics do not ask about religion; the U.S. Religion Census, which collects counts from congregations, is the closest source. In 2020 the Catholic Church was the largest single body, with 414,939 adherents, 14.1% of residents. The United Methodist Church was second (5.6%), with 630 congregations, nearly twice as many as the Catholic Church's 33742 parishes.

Grouped by tradition, Evangelical Protestant churches are the largest (17.3%) and Mainline Protestant churches hold the 9th highest share among the states (9.6%). Christian congregations together counted 45.3% of Kansans; synagogues counted 6,772 members. All bodies together counted 46.0%, higher than Colorado; lower than Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma42. The figures describe congregational membership, not belief; see religion across the states.

Few on SNAP or Medicaid, more without insurance

The official poverty rate in Kansas was 10.2% in 2025 (±0.5 percentage points), 1.6 percentage points below the US figure (11.8%), and not statistically different from 10.9% in 2024. Child poverty was 11.8%, 3.0 percentage points below the US figure (14.8%)5. The Census Bureau's Supplemental Poverty Measure, which counts benefits and taxes and adjusts for local housing costs, puts Kansas at 8.1% on average over 2023 to 2025, 4.9 percentage points below the US figure (13.0%); allowing for the margins of error, it ranks between 37th and 50th43.

Poverty is below the national rate, and participation in the two largest needs-based programs is lower still. In fiscal year 2025, an average of 187,181 Kansans received SNAP food benefits each month, 6.3% of the population, the 4th lowest share in the country and the lowest in the Midwest44. In June 2026, 393,912 people were enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, 13.2% of residents, the 5th lowest45 share. Both are administrative counts from the agencies that run the programs. The household survey points the same way: 5.8% of households reported receiving SNAP in the past year, ranked between 47th and 50th46.

SNAP participants as a share of the population, FY2025: the ten lowest

Source: USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), SNAP Monthly State Participation and Benefit Summary, Fiscal Year 2025. Period: FY2025 (October 2024 to September 2025).

Show the numbers
StateSNAP participants (% of residents)
Minnesota7.8%
Arkansas7.7%
Nebraska7.5%
Montana7.0%
North Dakota6.9%
Idaho6.6%
Kansas6.3%
New Hampshire5.4%
Utah5.0%
Wyoming4.7%

Health coverage shows the other side. 9.7% of Kansans had no health insurance in 2025 (±0.4 percentage points), 1.3 percentage points above the US figure (8.4%) and up from 8.5% in 2024. That was the highest in the Midwest. Among children under 19 the rate was 8.5%, up from 7.0% in 202447. Public coverage of any kind, including Medicare, reached 29.8% of residents, the 4th lowest48 share.

Kansas and its neighbors
StatePoverty rateSPM rateSNAP participants (% of residents)Medicaid and CHIP enrollees (% of residents)Uninsured rateChildren (under 19) without health insurance
Kansas10.2% ±0.58.1% ±1.06.3%13.2%9.7% ±0.48.5% ±1.0
Colorado9.2% ±0.410.8% ±1.510.2%19.9%8.8% ±0.36.7% ±0.9
Missouri11.5% ±0.49.4% ±1.310.6%20.1%7.9% ±0.37.0% ±0.7
Nebraska10.2% ±0.77.5% ±1.07.5%16.6%7.5% ±0.45.9% ±0.9
Oklahoma14.4% ±0.511.1% ±1.316.8%24.1%12.6% ±0.310.5% ±0.7
United States11.8% ±0.113.0% ±0.212.3%21.5%8.4%6.1% ±0.1

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B17001; Census Bureau, Poverty in the United States; USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), SNAP Monthly State Participation and Benefit Summary, Fiscal Year 2025; CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), State Medicaid and CHIP Applications, Eligibility Determinations, and Enrollment Data; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B27010. ± is the 90% margin of error.

A large share of adults at work

The labor force participation rate, the share of people 16 and older who are working or looking for work, averaged 67.8% in 2025, tied for 7th highest in the country and 5.4 percentage points above the US figure (62.4%). Unemployment averaged 3.8%, 0.5 percentage points below the US figure (4.3%), and was 3.8%49 in September 2026.

Schooling: high school near the top, degrees at the national level

Among Kansans aged 25 and older, 92.7% have at least a high school diploma, 2.1 percentage points above the US figure (90.6%). In public high schools, 89% of the class of 2021–22 graduated within four years of starting ninth grade, a rate tied for 9th highest51 among the states. The share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher, 36.7% (±0.7 percentage points), is not statistically different from the US figure (37.4%)50; it is up from 28.2% in 200517.

Health and life expectancy

Life expectancy at birth in Kansas was 76.5 years in 2022, the latest year of the CDC's state life tables, 1.0 years below the US figure (77.5 years)52. In the CDC's 2024 health survey, 37.6% of adults reported heights and weights in the obese range, a share tied for 7th highest among the states, and 13.7% smoked, 2.1 percentage points above the US figure (11.6%)53. The three leading causes of death in 2024 were:

  • Heart disease
  • Cancer
  • Accidents54

German roots and newer arrivals

In the 2020–2024 survey, 23.3% of Kansans named German ancestry, the 7th highest share of any state, followed by English (12.4%) and Irish (11.3%). Smaller groups stand out in the national ranking: the Czech share is the 7th highest, and 1,613 people reported German Russian ancestry, the 2nd highest share of any state (an estimate of medium reliability (CV 15%)55).

Ancestry (people reporting each ancestry; people can report two): Kansas
German621,881 ±18,44220.9%2025high
English348,299 ±13,44811.7%2025high
Irish296,080 ±11,7229.9%2025high
American209,347 ±11,5067.0%2025high
Italian63,600 ±5,1722.1%2025high
Scottish62,303 ±4,7632.1%2025high
French (except Basque)54,976 ±5,6951.9%2025high
European58,502 ±5,7682.0%2025high
Swedish47,400 ±5,4791.6%2025high
Polish33,211 ±4,6451.1%2025high

Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B04006. Share of the total population. Each row uses the ACS 2025 1-year estimate where it is published with a coefficient of variation of 30% or less, otherwise the 2020–2024 5-year estimate. ± is the 90% margin of error; low reliability means a CV above 30%.

246,911 Kansans, 8.3% of the population, were born outside the United States in 2025, 6.4 percentage points below the US figure (14.7%) and up from 7.8% in 2024. 56.3% of them were born in Latin America and 27.5% in Asia. Only 41.2% of the foreign-born are naturalized citizens, 12.7 percentage points below the US figure (53.9%)15. The largest Asian groups are Asian Indian (19,724 people in 2020–2024) and Vietnamese (15,92357). At home, 12.9% of residents aged five and older speak a language other than English, most of them Spanish (8.6%58).

Veterans and homelessness

Kansas had 143,511 veterans among its civilian adults in 2025, 6.3% of that population, 0.4 percentage points above the US figure (5.9%)59. The January 2025 point-in-time count found 2,658 people experiencing homelessness, 8.9 per 10,000 residents, a rate tied for 9th lowest among the states; the count changed by −4.8%60 from January 2024.

Questions about the population of Kansas

How many people live in Kansas?

The Census Bureau estimates that 2,977,2201 people lived in Kansas on July 1, 2025, the most ever recorded for the state. The 2020 Census counted 2,937,8806 on April 1, 2020.

Is the population of Kansas growing?

Slowly. Kansas gained 11,968 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, a rise of 0.40%. Since April 2020 it has grown by 1.34%, lower than every bordering state (Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma)1.

What percent of Kansas is white?

In 2025, 70.2% of Kansans were white and not Hispanic, according to the American Community Survey, down from 71.8% in 20242. Counting everyone who reported white as their only race or with another race, of any ethnicity, the share was 85.2%61.

What percent of Kansas is Hispanic or Black?

Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 14.4% of the population in 2025 and non-Hispanic Black residents 5.3%2. Counting people who reported Black alone or with another race, the Black share was 7.6%20.

Is it cheaper to live in Kansas or Texas?

Kansas. The Bureau of Economic Analysis puts the overall price level in Kansas at 90.1 for 2024 (US = 100), against 97.1 in Texas. For housing rents alone, the price level is 71.2 in Kansas and 96.533 in Texas.

More on Kansas

Neighboring states: Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Put Kansas side by side with any other state on every measure in the comparison tool, or see where it places in the state rankings.

Kansas in every state ranking

How Kansas ranks among the 50 states and DC
RankingValueRank
States by population2,977,22018th smallest
Cost of living by state90.1tied for 10th least expensive
Poverty rate by state10.2%tied for 18th lowest; could be 11th to 23rd lowest
Median household income by state$77,82418th lowest; could be 15th to 19th lowest
Most and least educated states36.7%tied for 22nd highest; could be 21st to 27th highest
States by land area81,759 square miles13th largest
GDP by state$232.1 billion19th smallest
Life expectancy by state76.5 yearstied for 18th shortest
Unemployment rate by state3.8%tied for 20th lowest
Population growth by state0.40%tied for 23rd lowest
Population density by state36.4 people per square mile10th least densely populated
Black population by state6.1%20th lowest
Hispanic and Latino population by state14.6%17th highest
Median age by state38.4 years11th youngest; could be 9th to 14th youngest
Median home value by state$252,6009th least expensive; could be 9th to 11th least expensive
Birth and fertility rates by state11.4 per 1,000 residentstied for 14th highest
Domestic migration by state−51919th lowest
Foreign-born population by state8.3%25th lowest; could be 24th to 27th lowest
GDP per capita by state$77,96119th lowest
White population by state71.2%21st highest
Asian population by state3.3%25th lowest
American Indian and Alaska Native population by state4.0%tied for 12th highest; could be 12th to 15th highest
Racial and ethnic diversity by state47.921st least diverse
Population 65 and older by state18.9%tied for 22nd lowest
Median gross rent by state$1,13412th least expensive; could be 10th to 14th least expensive
Homeownership rate by state67.5%25th lowest; could be 17th to 32nd lowest
Per capita personal income by state$69,14919th lowest
Income inequality by state0.454tied for 13th least unequal; could be 4th to 21st least unequal
Health insurance coverage by state9.7%13th highest; could be 10th to 15th highest
Adult obesity rate by state37.6%tied for 7th highest
Teen birth rate by state14.7 per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19tied for 16th highest
Infant mortality by state5.9 per 1,000 live birthstied for 22nd highest
Languages spoken at home by state12.9%24th lowest; could be 23rd to 25th lowest
High school graduation rate by state89%tied for 9th highest
Veterans by state6.3%tied for 20th lowest; could be 18th to 26th lowest
Children under 18 by state22.9%tied for 8th highest
Rural population by state27.7%25th highest
SNAP and Medicaid enrollment by state6.3%4th lowest
Homelessness by state8.9 per 10,000 residentstied for 9th lowest
Religious adherence by state46.0%tied for 20th lowest
Sex ratio by state99.0tied for 13th highest
Marriage and divorce rates by state5.6 per 1,000 residentstied for 15th lowest
Millionaire tax returns by state3.6 per 1,000 tax returns25th lowest
Catholic adherents by state14.1%22nd lowest
Latter-day Saints by state1.3%tied for 15th highest

Source: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; BEA, SARPP Regional Price Parities by state; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B17001; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B19013; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B15003; Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files; BEA, SAGDP1 State annual GDP summary; CDC National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. State Life Tables, 2022; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; States Demographics, Computed; Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B01002; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B25077; CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Births; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B05002; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B02010; States Demographics, Computed, table B03002; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B25064; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B25003; BEA, SAINC1 State annual personal income summary; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B19083; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B27010; CDC (BRFSS), BRFSS Prevalence Data; CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Stats of the States; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table C16001; Department of Education, NCES, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 219.46; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B21001; Census Bureau, 2020 Census urban and rural population by state; USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), SNAP Monthly State Participation and Benefit Summary, Fiscal Year 2025; HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, 2025 AHAR; Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), U.S. Religion Census; CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Marriage rates by State; IRS Statistics of Income (SOI), SOI Tax Stats - Historic Table 2. For survey measures, the second rank is the range consistent with the 90% margins of error. Each ranking page gives every state, the period and the margins of error.

Sources

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  2. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B03002; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  3. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B01002; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  4. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B19013; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  5. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B17001; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  6. Census Bureau, 2020 Census apportionment results and historical resident population 1910-2020; Decennial censuses 1910-2020; released April 26, 2021. www2.census.gov
  7. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B01003; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  8. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table B01003; 2020-2024; released January 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  9. Census Bureau, 2020 Census Apportionment Results, Table 1; 2020 Census (April 1, 2020); released April 26, 2021. www2.census.gov
  10. Census Bureau, Intercensal Estimates of the Resident Population for States, 2000-2010; table ST-EST00INT-ALLDATA; 2000-2010 intercensal; released September 1, 2011. www2.census.gov
  11. Census Bureau, Intercensal Estimates of the Resident Population for States, 2010-2020; table NST-EST2020INT-POP; 2010-2020 intercensal; released November 1, 2024. www2.census.gov
  12. Census Bureau, State-to-State Migration Flows, 2024; ACS 2024 1-year; released January 21, 2026. www2.census.gov
  13. IRS Statistics of Income (SOI), SOI Tax Stats - Migration Data 2022-2023; released March 20, 2026. www.irs.gov
  14. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B07003; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  15. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B05002; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  16. Census Bureau, Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals by Race, 1790 to 1990; table Tables 1 and 15-65; 1790-1990 censuses; released September 13, 2002. www2.census.gov
  17. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2005-2019 and 2021-2025; 2005-2025 (no standard 2020 1-year release); released October 29, 2026. api.census.gov
  18. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025; Vintage 2025 (July 1 2020-2025); released June 25, 2026. www2.census.gov
  19. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table B03001; 2020-2024; released January 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  20. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B02009; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  21. States Demographics, Computed, table B03002; 2025; released November 12, 2026.
  22. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B02010; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  23. Census Bureau, 2020 Census Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File A, table T01001; 2020 Census (April 1, 2020); released September 21, 2023. data.census.gov
  24. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files; table 2024_Gaz_state_national; 2024; released September 1, 2024. www2.census.gov
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  28. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B08013; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  29. CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Births; 2024 final natality; released June 9, 2026. www.cdc.gov
  30. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B11001; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  31. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B12001; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  32. CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Marriage rates by State; 2024 provisional counts. www.cdc.gov
  33. BEA, SARPP Regional Price Parities by state; 2024; released February 19, 2026. apps.bea.gov
  34. BEA, SAINC1 State annual personal income summary; table SAINC1__ALL_AREAS_1929_2025.csv lines 1-3; 2025 (annual); released September 30, 2026. apps.bea.gov
  35. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B25077; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  36. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B25064; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  37. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B25070; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  38. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B19001; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  39. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B25091; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  40. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B25003; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
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  47. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B27010; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  48. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table S2704; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  49. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; 2025 annual averages; September 2026 monthly (preliminary). api.bls.gov
  50. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B15003; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  51. Department of Education, NCES, Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 219.46; school year 2021-22. nces.ed.gov
  52. CDC National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. State Life Tables, 2022; 2022 final mortality; released December 4, 2025. www.cdc.gov
  53. CDC (BRFSS), BRFSS Prevalence Data; 2024 survey year. data.cdc.gov
  54. CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Stats of the States. www.cdc.gov
  55. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table B04006; 2020-2024; released January 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  56. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B04006; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  57. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, table B02015; 2020-2024; released January 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  58. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table C16001; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  59. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B21001; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  60. HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, 2025 AHAR; Point-in-Time count, one night in the last 10 days of January 2025. www.huduser.gov
  61. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year estimates, 2025, table B02008; 2025; released October 29, 2026. data.census.gov
  62. BEA, SAGDP1 State annual GDP summary; table SAGDP1__ALL_AREAS_1997_2025.csv lines 1,3; 2025; released September 30, 2026. apps.bea.gov
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Citation: Grammich, C. A., Dollhopf, E., Gautier, M., Houseal, R., Jones, D. E., Krindatch, A., ... Thumma, S. (2023, March 31). U.S. Religion Census - Religious Congregations and Membership Study, 2020 (State File). DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/6PGRZ. The data were downloaded from the Association of Religion Data Archives, www.theARDA.com, and were collected by Clifford A. Grammich, Erica Dollhopf, Mary Gautier, Richard Houseal, Dale E. Jones, Alexei Krindatch, Richie Stanley and Scott Thumma for the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB).

Margins of error (±) are at the 90% confidence level. A difference is called significant only when it passes the Census Bureau's test at that level. How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.