Blue Rapids, KS

City in Marshall County, KS, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

870

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

Median Age

46.3

years ∙ half population younger than 46.3, half older

Diversity Index

11.6%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

0.1%

foreign-born population

99.9%Native

0.1% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Blue Rapids is a city within Marshall County, Kansas, United States.

Location

City in Marshall County, KS, US

Co-ordinates

DEC39.678439° N, 96.658901° W

DMS39° 40′ 42.38″ N, 96° 39′ 32.04″ W

Population Density & area

439.4/sq mi (169.3/km²)

Total Area

2 sq mi (5.19 km²)

Land Area

1.98 sq mi (5.14 km²) · 99.01%

Water Area

0.02 sq mi (0.05 km²) · 0.99%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

50.5% male

Male 50.5%

Female 49.5%

males per 100 females

Blue Rapids 101.9

Marshall County 105.3

Kansas 100.7

Nativity

0.1%

foreign-born population

99.9%Native

0.1% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Blue Rapids 0.1%

Marshall County 0.8%

Kansas 7.4%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

46.3

years ∙ half population younger than 46.3, half older

Blue Rapids

46.3

Marshall County

43.2

Kansas

37.4

Dependency ratio

85.9

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Blue Rapids 85.9

Marshall County 89.7

Kansas 68.7

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Blue Rapids	Marshall County	Kansas
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	18.7%	24.2%	23.8%
Working age (18-64)	53.8%	52.7%	59.2%
Senior (65+)	27.5%	23.1%	17%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	85.9	89.7	68.7
Child dependency ratio	34.8	45.9	40.1
Old-age dependency ratio	51.1	43.8	28.6

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

93.9%

Black

Asian

Hispanic

4.5%

Other

1.6%

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

11.6%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Blue Rapids 11.6%

Marshall County 12.8%

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 Blue Rapids population

	Blue Rapids	Marshall County	Kansas
Hispanic or Latino	4.5%	2.8%	13.6%
Mexican	1.4%	0.7%	10.4%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.6%	0.6%
Cuban	0%	0%	0.2%
Other Hispanic / Latino	3.1%	1.4%	2.3%
Not Hispanic or Latino	95.5%	97.2%	86.4%
One race	94.5%	94.8%	81.6%
White	93.9%	93.3%	72.7%
Black or African American	0%	0.7%	5.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.3%	0.4%
Asian	0%	0.3%	2.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.1%
Some Other Race	0.5%	0.2%	0.4%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	1%	2.4%	4.8%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

66.3% family

Family 66.3%

Non family 33.7%

% family households

Blue Rapids 66.3%

Marshall County 67.5%

Kansas 63.4%

Average household size

2.1

persons per household

Blue Rapids

2.1

Marshall County

2.34

Kansas

2.44

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Blue Rapids population

	Blue Rapids	Marshall County	Kansas
Total households	398	4,176	1,174,060
Average houshold size	2.1	2.34	2.44
Family households	264	2,817	744,502
Average family size	2.63	2.87	3.05
Married couple family	251	2,411	576,382
Other families	13	406	168,120
Male householder	2	203	52,856
Female householder	11	203	115,264
Non-family households	134	1,359	429,558
One-person households	125	1,216	352,785
Male householder	76	659	167,881
Senior (65+) living alone	49	250	49,284
Female householder	49	557	184,904
Senior (65+) living alone	32	416	95,985
Other living arrangements	9	143	76,773

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

430

housing units

Blue Rapids 430

Marshall County 4,751

Kansas 1,293,635

Occupancy status

92.6% occupied

Occupied 92.6%

Vacant 7.4%

vacancy rate

Blue Rapids 7.4%

Marshall County 12.1%

Kansas 9.2%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

81.4%

Single family houses

81.4%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

Mobile homes

11.6%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1953

Half of houses were built before 1953, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

40.9%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

26.1%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

25.4%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

7.7%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Blue Rapids	Marshall County	Kansas
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.5	6.1	6
1–3 rooms	6.3%	8.1%	11.9%
4–6 rooms	44.2%	49%	46.3%
7+ rooms	49.6%	42.7%	41.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.6%	2.5%	2.5%
1 bedroom	9.5%	7%	9.4%
2 bedrooms	39.3%	32%	24.9%
3 bedrooms	20.9%	36.8%	35.7%
4+ bedrooms	28.6%	21.9%	27.5%
At a glance
Median year built	1953	1959	1977
Total housing units	430	4,751	1,293,635

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

79.1% owners

Renter-occupied 20.9%

Owner-occupied 79.1%

homeownership rate

Blue Rapids 79.1%

Marshall County 80%

Kansas 67.2%

Average household size

2.06

Owner-occupied

2.27

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Blue Rapids 2.06

Marshall County 2.44

Kansas 2.59

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Blue Rapids	Marshall County	Kansas
Total occupied units	398	4,176	1,174,060
Year moved in
2020 or later	14.8%	16.5%	26.8%
2010 to 2019	34.4%	33.7%	38.4%
2000 to 2009	17.3%	19.8%	16.3%
1999 or earlier	33.5%	29.9%	18.6%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	94.5%	96.3%	97.9%
1.01 to 1.50	5.5%	3%	1.4%
1.51 or more	0%	0.7%	0.7%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	3.3%	4.5%	5.1%
1 vehicle	23.9%	24.3%	30%
2 vehicles	29.1%	31.7%	38.2%
3 or more vehicles	43.7%	39.5%	26.7%
House heating fuel used
Gas	88.4%	78.7%	70.9%
Electricity	11.1%	17.2%	26.9%
Solar	0%	0%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.3%	0.2%
All other fuels	0.5%	3.6%	1.7%
No fuel used	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.2%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	1.8%	0.9%
No telephone service available	0%	2.5%	0.8%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$68,300

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Blue Rapids

$68,300

Marshall County

$127,700

Kansas

$217,200

Housing Cost Burden

5.3%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

5.3%

Owners without a mortgage

6.5%

Renters

31.1%

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

	Blue Rapids	Marshall County	Kansas
Property value
Median Value	$68,300	$127,700	$217,200
Under $100,000	60%	41.6%	20.9%
$100,000 - $200,000	26.3%	28.8%	24.9%
$200,000 - $300,000	8.3%	11.9%	21%
$300,000 - $500,000	1%	13.4%	22.4%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	4.4%	4%	9.3%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	0.3%	1.5%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	35.9%	42%	57.4%
Without a mortgage	64.1%	58%	42.6%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,157	$1,285	$1,689
Without a mortgage	$396	$542	$641
Gross rent
Median rent	$771	$690	$1,060

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

18.9%

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

Blue Rapids 18.9%

Marshall County 19.1%

Kansas 35.6%

Adults without a high school diploma

14%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Blue Rapids 14%

Marshall County 7.3%

Kansas 8.1%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

186

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

10.2%

K–12

77.4%

College / Undergraduate

5.9%

Graduate / Professional

6.5%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

9.6%

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

Blue Rapids

9.6%

Marshall County

11.2%

Kansas

39.9%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Blue Rapids	Marshall County	Kansas
Total enrolled (age 3+)	186	2,102	753,280
Nursery / preschool	10.2%	10.2%	6%
K–12	77.4%	78.3%	68.1%
Kindergarten	0%	5.3%	4.8%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	23.1%	24.6%	20.1%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	24.2%	24.8%	21.7%
High School: Grades 9–12	30.1%	23.5%	21.6%
College or graduate school	12.4%	11.5%	25.8%
College, undergraduate	5.9%	5.3%	20.1%
Graduate, professional school	6.5%	6.2%	5.7%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	9.6%	11.2%	39.9%
School type
Public school	89.2%	87%	85.2%
Private school	10.8%	13%	14.8%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

655

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

1.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

12.2%

HS graduate

42.4%

Some college no degree

16%

Associates degree

8.5%

Bachelors degree

Graduate or professional degree

11.9%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

58.3% · 41.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

82.5% · 17.5%

HS graduate

57.9% · 42.1%

Some college no degree

47.6% · 52.4%

Associates degree

33.9% · 66.1%

Bachelors degree

39.1% · 60.9%

Graduate or professional degree

35.9% · 64.1%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Blue Rapids	Marshall County	Kansas
Population (25+)	655	7,110	1,946,678
Less than 9th grade	1.8%	3.3%	3.5%
9th–12th, no diploma	12.2%	4%	4.6%
High school diploma or GED	42.4%	39%	25.4%
Some college, no degree	16%	22.8%	21.8%
Associate's degree	8.5%	11.9%	9.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.9%	19.1%	35.6%
Bachelor's degree	7%	12.6%	22.2%
Graduate or professional	11.9%	6.5%	13.4%
High School or higher	86%	92.7%	92%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$44,783

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$44,500

HS graduate

$44,327

Some college or associates

$38,125

Bachelors degree

$64,125

Graduate or professional degree

$—

Poverty Rate

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

3.8%

HS graduate

12.3%

Some college or associates

1.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Blue Rapids	Marshall County	Kansas
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$44,783	$44,026	$50,504
Less than high school graduate	$44,500	$42,778	$35,231
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$44,327	$37,564	$39,282
Some college or associate's degree	$38,125	$42,255	$45,261
Bachelor's degree	$64,125	$62,596	$63,396
Graduate or professional degree	$—	$59,564	$75,635
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	3.8%	18.4%	22.7%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	12.3%	10.9%	12.9%
Some college or associate's degree	1.2%	11.7%	8.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher	0%	6.5%	3.8%

Insights for Blue Rapids, 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.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.