Waterville, KS

City in Marshall County, KS, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

748

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

Median Age

44.2

years ∙ half population younger than 44.2, half older

Diversity Index

28.8%

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

Waterville is a city within Marshall County, Kansas, United States.

Location

City in Marshall County, KS, US

Co-ordinates

DEC39.691738° N, 96.746774° W

DMS39° 41′ 30.26″ N, 96° 44′ 48.39″ W

Population Density & area

1,520/sq mi (587.1/km²)

Total Area

0.506 sq mi (1.311 km²)

Land Area

0.492 sq mi (1.274 km²) · 97.2%

Water Area

0.014 sq mi (0.037 km²) · 2.8%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

44.4% male

Male 44.4%

Female 55.6%

males per 100 females

Waterville 79.8

Marshall County 105.3

Kansas 100.7

Nativity

0.1%

foreign-born population

99.9%Native

0.1% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Waterville 0.1%

Marshall County 0.8%

Kansas 7.4%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

44.2

years ∙ half population younger than 44.2, half older

Waterville

44.2

Marshall County

43.2

Kansas

37.4

Dependency ratio

100

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Waterville 100

Marshall County 89.7

Kansas 68.7

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Waterville	Marshall County	Kansas
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	21.5%	24.2%	23.8%
Working age (18-64)	50%	52.7%	59.2%
Senior (65+)	28.5%	23.1%	17%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	100	89.7	68.7
Child dependency ratio	43	45.9	40.1
Old-age dependency ratio	57	43.8	28.6

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

83.6%

Black

Asian

Hispanic

9.1%

Other

7.3%

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

28.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Waterville 28.8%

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 Waterville population

	Waterville	Marshall County	Kansas
Hispanic or Latino	9.1%	2.8%	13.6%
Mexican	2.8%	0.7%	10.4%
Puerto Rican	2.5%	0.6%	0.6%
Cuban	0%	0%	0.2%
Other Hispanic / Latino	3.7%	1.4%	2.3%
Not Hispanic or Latino	90.9%	97.2%	86.4%
One race	83.7%	94.8%	81.6%
White	83.6%	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%	0.2%	0.4%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	7.2%	2.4%	4.8%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

63.6% family

Family 63.6%

Non family 36.4%

% family households

Waterville 63.6%

Marshall County 67.5%

Kansas 63.4%

Average household size

2.11

persons per household

Waterville

2.11

Marshall County

2.34

Kansas

2.44

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Waterville population

	Waterville	Marshall County	Kansas
Total households	354	4,176	1,174,060
Average houshold size	2.11	2.34	2.44
Family households	225	2,817	744,502
Average family size	2.7	2.87	3.05
Married couple family	202	2,411	576,382
Other families	23	406	168,120
Male householder	11	203	52,856
Female householder	12	203	115,264
Non-family households	129	1,359	429,558
One-person households	119	1,216	352,785
Male householder	65	659	167,881
Senior (65+) living alone	26	250	49,284
Female householder	54	557	184,904
Senior (65+) living alone	37	416	95,985
Other living arrangements	10	143	76,773

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

399

housing units

Waterville 399

Marshall County 4,751

Kansas 1,293,635

Occupancy status

88.7% occupied

Occupied 88.7%

Vacant 11.3%

vacancy rate

Waterville 11.3%

Marshall County 12.1%

Kansas 9.2%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

91.2%

Single family houses

91.2%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

8.3%

Mobile homes

0.5%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1955

Half of houses were built before 1955, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

37.1%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

42.9%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

16.1%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Waterville	Marshall County	Kansas
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6	6.1	6
1–3 rooms	4.8%	8.1%	11.9%
4–6 rooms	54.6%	49%	46.3%
7+ rooms	40.7%	42.7%	41.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0%	2.5%	2.5%
1 bedroom	10%	7%	9.4%
2 bedrooms	46.1%	32%	24.9%
3 bedrooms	25.1%	36.8%	35.7%
4+ bedrooms	18.8%	21.9%	27.5%
At a glance
Median year built	1955	1959	1977
Total housing units	399	4,751	1,293,635

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

78.5% owners

Renter-occupied 21.5%

Owner-occupied 78.5%

homeownership rate

Waterville 78.5%

Marshall County 80%

Kansas 67.2%

Average household size

2.32

Owner-occupied

1.36

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Waterville 2.32

Marshall County 2.44

Kansas 2.59

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Waterville	Marshall County	Kansas
Total occupied units	354	4,176	1,174,060
Year moved in
2020 or later	20.9%	16.5%	26.8%
2010 to 2019	33.6%	33.7%	38.4%
2000 to 2009	10.2%	19.8%	16.3%
1999 or earlier	35.3%	29.9%	18.6%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	100%	96.3%	97.9%
1.01 to 1.50	0%	3%	1.4%
1.51 or more	0%	0.7%	0.7%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	6.8%	4.5%	5.1%
1 vehicle	27.1%	24.3%	30%
2 vehicles	26.3%	31.7%	38.2%
3 or more vehicles	39.8%	39.5%	26.7%
House heating fuel used
Gas	73.4%	78.7%	70.9%
Electricity	25.7%	17.2%	26.9%
Solar	0%	0%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.3%	0.2%
All other fuels	0%	3.6%	1.7%
No fuel used	0.8%	0.1%	0.3%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.8%	0.2%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	2.8%	1.8%	0.9%
No telephone service available	2.3%	2.5%	0.8%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$91,300

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Waterville

$91,300

Marshall County

$127,700

Kansas

$217,200

Housing Cost Burden

14.2%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

14.2%

Owners without a mortgage

4.4%

Renters

40%

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

	Waterville	Marshall County	Kansas
Property value
Median Value	$91,300	$127,700	$217,200
Under $100,000	57.2%	41.6%	20.9%
$100,000 - $200,000	34.2%	28.8%	24.9%
$200,000 - $300,000	7.2%	11.9%	21%
$300,000 - $500,000	1.4%	13.4%	22.4%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	0%	4%	9.3%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	0.3%	1.5%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	43.2%	42%	57.4%
Without a mortgage	56.8%	58%	42.6%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,083	$1,285	$1,689
Without a mortgage	$436	$542	$641
Gross rent
Median rent	$600	$690	$1,060

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

14.4%

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

Waterville 14.4%

Marshall County 19.1%

Kansas 35.6%

Adults without a high school diploma

12.8%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Waterville 12.8%

Marshall County 7.3%

Kansas 8.1%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

148

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

16.9%

K–12

64.9%

College / Undergraduate

15.5%

Graduate / Professional

2.7%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

28.3%

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

Waterville

28.3%

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

	Waterville	Marshall County	Kansas
Total enrolled (age 3+)	148	2,102	753,280
Nursery / preschool	16.9%	10.2%	6%
K–12	64.9%	78.3%	68.1%
Kindergarten	7.4%	5.3%	4.8%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	17.6%	24.6%	20.1%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	27.7%	24.8%	21.7%
High School: Grades 9–12	12.2%	23.5%	21.6%
College or graduate school	18.2%	11.5%	25.8%
College, undergraduate	15.5%	5.3%	20.1%
Graduate, professional school	2.7%	6.2%	5.7%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	28.3%	11.2%	39.9%
School type
Public school	83.1%	87%	85.2%
Private school	16.9%	13%	14.8%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

541

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

7.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

5.2%

HS graduate

27.4%

Some college no degree

26.6%

Associates degree

18.9%

Bachelors degree

10.9%

Graduate or professional degree

3.5%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

41.5% · 58.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

46.4% · 53.6%

HS graduate

56.8% · 43.2%

Some college no degree

34% · 66%

Associates degree

31.4% · 68.6%

Bachelors degree

69.5% · 30.5%

Graduate or professional degree

31.6% · 68.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Waterville	Marshall County	Kansas
Population (25+)	541	7,110	1,946,678
Less than 9th grade	7.6%	3.3%	3.5%
9th–12th, no diploma	5.2%	4%	4.6%
High school diploma or GED	27.4%	39%	25.4%
Some college, no degree	26.6%	22.8%	21.8%
Associate's degree	18.9%	11.9%	9.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	14.4%	19.1%	35.6%
Bachelor's degree	10.9%	12.6%	22.2%
Graduate or professional	3.5%	6.5%	13.4%
High School or higher	87.2%	92.7%	92%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$41,429

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$30,982

Some college or associates

$42,500

Bachelors degree

$50,625

Graduate or professional degree

$—

Poverty Rate

11.5%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

8.7%

HS graduate

2.7%

Some college or associates

11.4%

Bachelors degree or higher

11.5%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Waterville	Marshall County	Kansas
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$41,429	$44,026	$50,504
Less than high school graduate	$—	$42,778	$35,231
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$30,982	$37,564	$39,282
Some college or associate's degree	$42,500	$42,255	$45,261
Bachelor's degree	$50,625	$62,596	$63,396
Graduate or professional degree	$—	$59,564	$75,635
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	8.7%	18.4%	22.7%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	2.7%	10.9%	12.9%
Some college or associate's degree	11.4%	11.7%	8.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher	11.5%	6.5%	3.8%

Insights for Waterville, 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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