Atchison, KS

City in Atchison County, KS, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

10,785

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

29.1

years ∙ half population younger than 29.1, half older

Diversity Index

30.4%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.8%

foreign-born population

97.2%Native

2.8% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Atchison is a city within Atchison County, Kansas, United States.

Location

City in Atchison County, KS, US

Co-ordinates

DEC39.562552° N, 95.136611° W

DMS39° 33′ 45.19″ N, 95° 08′ 11.80″ W

Population Density & area

1,345/sq mi (519.5/km²)

Total Area

8.48 sq mi (21.94 km²)

Land Area

8.02 sq mi (20.76 km²) · 94.6%

Water Area

0.46 sq mi (1.18 km²) · 5.4%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

47% male

Male 47%

Female 53%

males per 100 females

Atchison 88.6

Atchison County 97.4

Kansas 100.7

Nativity

2.8%

foreign-born population

97.2%Native

2.8% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Atchison 2.8%

Atchison County 2.1%

Kansas 7.4%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

29.1

years ∙ half population younger than 29.1, half older

Atchison

29.1

Atchison County

36.1

Kansas

37.4

Dependency ratio

60.7

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Atchison 60.7

Atchison County 66.4

Kansas 68.7

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Atchison	Atchison County	Kansas
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	23.7%	21.8%	23.8%
Working age (18-64)	62.2%	60.1%	59.2%
Senior (65+)	14.1%	18.1%	17%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	60.7	66.4	68.7
Child dependency ratio	38	36.3	40.1
Old-age dependency ratio	22.7	30.1	28.6

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

82.9%

Black

5.3%

Asian

0.4%

Hispanic

Other

6.4%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

30.4%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Atchison 30.4%

Atchison County 24.3%

Kansas 44.7%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Atchison population

Racial and ethnic composition — Atchison vs Atchison County vs Kansas. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Atchison	Atchison County	Kansas
Hispanic or Latino	5%	3.8%	13.6%
Mexican	2.9%	2.3%	10.4%
Puerto Rican	0.1%	0.1%	0.6%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.2%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1.9%	1.3%	2.3%
Not Hispanic or Latino	95%	96.2%	86.4%
One race	88.9%	90.8%	81.6%
White	82.9%	86.7%	72.7%
Black or African American	5.3%	3.5%	5.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.1%	0.4%
Asian	0.4%	0.3%	2.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.1%
Some Other Race	0.3%	0.2%	0.4%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	6.1%	5.4%	4.8%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

64.1% family

Family 64.1%

Non family 35.9%

% family households

Atchison 64.1%

Atchison County 65.8%

Kansas 63.4%

Average household size

2.59

persons per household

Atchison

2.59

Atchison County

2.52

Kansas

2.44

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Atchison population

	Atchison	Atchison County	Kansas
Total households	3,482	5,735	1,174,060
Average houshold size	2.59	2.52	2.44
Family households	2,231	3,775	744,502
Average family size	3.25	3.15	3.05
Married couple family	1,409	2,818	576,382
Other families	822	957	168,120
Male householder	232	291	52,856
Female householder	590	666	115,264
Non-family households	1,251	1,960	429,558
One-person households	1,109	1,789	352,785
Male householder	477	818	167,881
Senior (65+) living alone	110	267	49,284
Female householder	632	971	184,904
Senior (65+) living alone	271	550	95,985
Other living arrangements	142	171	76,773

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

4,175

housing units

Atchison 4,175

Atchison County 6,817

Kansas 1,293,635

Occupancy status

83.4% occupied

Occupied 83.4%

Vacant 16.6%

vacancy rate

Atchison 16.6%

Atchison County 15.9%

Kansas 9.2%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

78.5%

Single family houses

78.5%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

19.4%

Mobile homes

2.1%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1963

Half of houses were built before 1963, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

33.9%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

24.8%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

38.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

3.1%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Atchison	Atchison County	Kansas
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.6	5.9	6
1–3 rooms	13.4%	10.7%	11.9%
4–6 rooms	52%	49.6%	46.3%
7+ rooms	34.6%	39.6%	41.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	5.7%	3.7%	2.5%
1 bedroom	8.1%	6.7%	9.4%
2 bedrooms	31.1%	26.7%	24.9%
3 bedrooms	39.3%	43.7%	35.7%
4+ bedrooms	15.9%	19.2%	27.5%
At a glance
Median year built	1963	1969	1977
Total housing units	4,175	6,817	1,293,635

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

60.5% owners

Renter-occupied 39.5%

Owner-occupied 60.5%

homeownership rate

Atchison 60.5%

Atchison County 71.9%

Kansas 67.2%

Average household size

2.85

Owner-occupied

2.2

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Atchison 2.85

Atchison County 2.63

Kansas 2.59

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Atchison	Atchison County	Kansas
Total occupied units	3,482	5,735	1,174,060
Year moved in
2020 or later	23.4%	18.6%	26.8%
2010 to 2019	43.1%	40.8%	38.4%
2000 to 2009	14.7%	17.7%	16.3%
1999 or earlier	18.8%	22.8%	18.6%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99%	98.5%	97.9%
1.01 to 1.50	1%	1.3%	1.4%
1.51 or more	0%	0.2%	0.7%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	11%	7.7%	5.1%
1 vehicle	34.2%	29.7%	30%
2 vehicles	32.4%	30.1%	38.2%
3 or more vehicles	22.4%	32.6%	26.7%
House heating fuel used
Gas	74.9%	74.7%	70.9%
Electricity	23.2%	21.3%	26.9%
Solar	0%	0%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.2%	0.2%
All other fuels	1.3%	3.5%	1.7%
No fuel used	0.5%	0.3%	0.3%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.6%	0.7%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	0.4%	0.9%
No telephone service available	1.7%	1.4%	0.8%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$129,700

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Atchison

$129,700

Atchison County

$145,700

Kansas

$217,200

Housing Cost Burden

16%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

16%

Owners without a mortgage

19.9%

Renters

48.4%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Atchison	Atchison County	Kansas
Property value
Median Value	$129,700	$145,700	$217,200
Under $100,000	34.9%	32.8%	20.9%
$100,000 - $200,000	36.7%	34.5%	24.9%
$200,000 - $300,000	16.7%	17.4%	21%
$300,000 - $500,000	11.8%	11.8%	22.4%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	0%	2.9%	9.3%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	0.6%	1.5%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	54%	48.1%	57.4%
Without a mortgage	46%	51.9%	42.6%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,362	$1,374	$1,689
Without a mortgage	$604	$636	$641
Gross rent
Median rent	$737	$765	$1,060

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

26.8%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Atchison 26.8%

Atchison County 21.8%

Kansas 35.6%

Adults without a high school diploma

4.6%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Atchison 4.6%

Atchison County 5.5%

Kansas 8.1%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

3,933

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

2.6%

K–12

49.8%

College / Undergraduate

46.5%

Graduate / Professional

1.1%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

72.4%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Atchison

72.4%

Atchison County

63.2%

Kansas

39.9%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Atchison	Atchison County	Kansas
Total enrolled (age 3+)	3,933	4,791	753,280
Nursery / preschool	2.6%	3.3%	6%
K–12	49.8%	56.1%	68.1%
Kindergarten	4.2%	4.2%	4.8%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	15.9%	18.2%	20.1%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	15.3%	15.7%	21.7%
High School: Grades 9–12	14.4%	18%	21.6%
College or graduate school	47.6%	40.6%	25.8%
College, undergraduate	46.5%	39.1%	20.1%
Graduate, professional school	1.1%	1.5%	5.7%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	72.4%	63.2%	39.9%
School type
Public school	48.8%	56.6%	85.2%
Private school	51.2%	43.4%	14.8%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

5,795

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

1.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

2.9%

HS graduate

38.6%

Some college no degree

22.7%

Associates degree

7.3%

Bachelors degree

16.3%

Graduate or professional degree

10.5%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

63.4% · 36.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

47.9% · 52.1%

HS graduate

50.2% · 49.8%

Some college no degree

43.6% · 56.4%

Associates degree

43.9% · 56.1%

Bachelors degree

35.2% · 64.8%

Graduate or professional degree

32.3% · 67.7%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Atchison	Atchison County	Kansas
Population (25+)	5,795	9,846	1,946,678
Less than 9th grade	1.7%	1.9%	3.5%
9th–12th, no diploma	2.9%	3.6%	4.6%
High school diploma or GED	38.6%	41.9%	25.4%
Some college, no degree	22.7%	23.1%	21.8%
Associate's degree	7.3%	7.6%	9.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	26.8%	21.8%	35.6%
Bachelor's degree	16.3%	13.4%	22.2%
Graduate or professional	10.5%	8.4%	13.4%
High School or higher	95.4%	94.5%	92%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$43,081

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$21,875

HS graduate

$31,927

Some college or associates

$40,428

Bachelors degree

$59,500

Graduate or professional degree

$60,682

Poverty Rate

4.3%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

10%

HS graduate

18.1%

Some college or associates

12.8%

Bachelors degree or higher

4.3%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Atchison	Atchison County	Kansas
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$43,081	$44,740	$50,504
Less than high school graduate	$21,875	$—	$35,231
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$31,927	$37,222	$39,282
Some college or associate's degree	$40,428	$39,624	$45,261
Bachelor's degree	$59,500	$61,806	$63,396
Graduate or professional degree	$60,682	$62,446	$75,635
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	10%	10.1%	22.7%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	18.1%	16%	12.9%
Some college or associate's degree	12.8%	9.5%	8.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher	4.3%	3.2%	3.8%

Insights for Atchison, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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