Cowley County, Kansas

County in KS, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

34,411

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

Median Age

39.2

years ∙ half population younger than 39.2, half older

Diversity Index

39%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

4.6%

foreign-born population

95.4%Native

4.6% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Cowley County is a county in Kansas, United States.

Location

County in KS, US

Co-ordinates

DEC37.234507° N, 96.837247° W

DMS37° 14′ 04.23″ N, 96° 50′ 14.09″ W

Population Density & area

30.56/sq mi (11.8/km²)

Total Area

1,133 sq mi (2,933 km²)

Land Area

1,126 sq mi (2,916 km²) · 99.41%

Water Area

7 sq mi (17 km²) · 0.59%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

50.6% male

Male 50.6%

Female 49.4%

males per 100 females

Cowley County 102.5

Kansas 100.7

United States 98

Nativity

4.6%

foreign-born population

95.4%Native

4.6% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Cowley County 4.6%

Kansas 7.4%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

39.2

years ∙ half population younger than 39.2, half older

Cowley County

39.2

Kansas

37.4

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Cowley County 74

Kansas 68.7

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Cowley County	Kansas	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	23.6%	23.8%	22%
Working age (18-64)	57.5%	59.2%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	18.9%	17%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	74	68.7	64.4
Child dependency ratio	41	40.1	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	32.9	28.6	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

76.9%

Black

2.4%

Asian

1.5%

Hispanic

12.2%

Other

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

39%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Cowley County 39%

Kansas 44.7%

United States 61.4%

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 Cowley County population

	Cowley County	Kansas	United States
Hispanic or Latino	12.2%	13.6%	19.3%
Mexican	9.2%	10.4%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.4%	0.6%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.2%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	2.5%	2.3%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	87.8%	86.4%	80.7%
One race	82.5%	81.6%	76.4%
White	76.9%	72.7%	57.4%
Black or African American	2.4%	5.2%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	1.2%	0.4%	0.5%
Asian	1.5%	2.9%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.3%	0.1%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.2%	0.4%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5.3%	4.8%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

61.3% family

Family 61.3%

Non family 38.7%

% family households

Cowley County 61.3%

Kansas 63.4%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.4

persons per household

Cowley County

2.4

Kansas

2.44

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Cowley County population

	Cowley County	Kansas	United States
Total households	13,387	1,174,060	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.4	2.44	2.53
Family households	8,212	744,502	82,990,528
Average family size	3.08	3.05	3.14
Married couple family	6,047	576,382	60,637,388
Other families	2,165	168,120	22,353,140
Male householder	564	52,856	6,572,819
Female householder	1,601	115,264	15,780,321
Non-family households	5,175	429,558	46,236,968
One-person households	4,621	352,785	37,140,836
Male householder	2,318	167,881	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	774	49,284	5,225,110
Female householder	2,303	184,904	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	1,320	95,985	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	554	76,773	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

15,682

housing units

Cowley County 15,682

Kansas 1,293,635

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

85.4% occupied

Occupied 85.4%

Vacant 14.6%

vacancy rate

Cowley County 14.6%

Kansas 9.2%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

76%

Single family houses

76%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

15.6%

Mobile homes

8.2%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.1%

Median Year Built

1962

Half of houses were built before 1962, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

27.6%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

30%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

32.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

10.2%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Cowley County	Kansas	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.8	6	5.5
1–3 rooms	9.3%	11.9%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	53%	46.3%	51.6%
7+ rooms	37.8%	41.7%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.7%	2.5%	2.9%
1 bedroom	8.9%	9.4%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	30.3%	24.9%	25%
3 bedrooms	39.7%	35.7%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	19.4%	27.5%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1962	1977	1981
Total housing units	15,682	1,293,635	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

68.1% owners

Renter-occupied 31.9%

Owner-occupied 68.1%

homeownership rate

Cowley County 68.1%

Kansas 67.2%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.56

Owner-occupied

2.08

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Cowley County 2.56

Kansas 2.59

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Cowley County	Kansas	United States
Total occupied units	13,387	1,174,060	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	25.2%	26.8%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	36.2%	38.4%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	17.3%	16.3%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	21.3%	18.6%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.5%	97.9%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.4%	1.4%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.2%	0.7%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	7%	5.1%	8.4%
1 vehicle	30.7%	30%	33.1%
2 vehicles	32.5%	38.2%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	29.8%	26.7%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	70.4%	70.9%	51.4%
Electricity	26.9%	26.9%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.1%	0.2%	3.9%
All other fuels	2.2%	1.7%	2%
No fuel used	0.4%	0.3%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.5%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.2%	0.9%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.7%	0.8%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$120,900

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Cowley County

$120,900

Kansas

$217,200

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

21%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

21%

Owners without a mortgage

12.7%

Renters

50.9%

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

	Cowley County	Kansas	United States
Property value
Median Value	$120,900	$217,200	$332,700
Under $100,000	41.3%	20.9%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	32.3%	24.9%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	14.7%	21%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	8.9%	22.4%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	1.8%	9.3%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	1%	1.5%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	51.7%	57.4%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	48.3%	42.6%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,295	$1,689	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$576	$641	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$809	$1,060	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

24.5%

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

Cowley County 24.5%

Kansas 35.6%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

9.4%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Cowley County 9.4%

Kansas 8.1%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

8,829

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

4.6%

K–12

71.7%

College / Undergraduate

21.2%

Graduate / Professional

2.5%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

42.1%

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

Cowley County

42.1%

Kansas

39.9%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Cowley County	Kansas	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	8,829	753,280	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	4.6%	6%	5.7%
K–12	71.7%	68.1%	67.6%
Kindergarten	3.5%	4.8%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	18.8%	20.1%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	27.7%	21.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	21.7%	21.6%	21.7%
College or graduate school	23.8%	25.8%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	21.2%	20.1%	21%
Graduate, professional school	2.5%	5.7%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	42.1%	39.9%	40.9%
School type
Public school	82.4%	85.2%	82%
Private school	17.6%	14.8%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

22,708

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

6.6%

HS graduate

31.3%

Some college no degree

22.6%

Associates degree

12.2%

Bachelors degree

16.2%

Graduate or professional degree

8.4%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

43.1% · 56.9%

9th-12th, no diploma

57.9% · 42.1%

HS graduate

53.1% · 46.9%

Some college no degree

47.9% · 52.1%

Associates degree

53.6% · 46.4%

Bachelors degree

46.3% · 53.7%

Graduate or professional degree

39.3% · 60.7%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Cowley County	Kansas	United States
Population (25+)	22,708	1,946,678	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2.8%	3.5%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	6.6%	4.6%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	31.3%	25.4%	26%
Some college, no degree	22.6%	21.8%	19.1%
Associate's degree	12.2%	9.1%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	24.5%	35.6%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	16.2%	22.2%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	8.4%	13.4%	14.1%
High School or higher	90.6%	92%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$40,621

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$31,010

HS graduate

$33,262

Some college or associates

$39,131

Bachelors degree

$52,302

Graduate or professional degree

$65,483

Poverty Rate

7.1%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

22%

HS graduate

15.9%

Some college or associates

9.9%

Bachelors degree or higher

7.1%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Cowley County	Kansas	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$40,621	$50,504	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$31,010	$35,231	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$33,262	$39,282	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$39,131	$45,261	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$52,302	$63,396	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$65,483	$75,635	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	22%	22.7%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	15.9%	12.9%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	9.9%	8.5%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	7.1%	3.8%	4.5%

Insights for Cowley County, 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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