Population 4,069 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Barber County
Household size in Barber County
| Period | Barber County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.09 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.27 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.21 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.12 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Barber County is a place of small households, averaging 2.21 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has climbed from 2.09 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next. Barber County has smaller households than the great majority of Kansas counties.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Barber County
| Period | Barber County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.6 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.1 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.5 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.0 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −4.6 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
At 40.0, the median age in Barber County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Compared with other Kansas counties, Barber County is younger than most.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Barber County
| Period | Barber County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | −7.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.9% of households in Barber County, well below the national share of 11.6%. Of Kansas' 105 counties, only seven have a lower share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Barber County
Renters in Barber County
| Period | Barber County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.8% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.3% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.2% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 19.0% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −9.8 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 19.0% of households in Barber County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over six in ten owners (62.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Barber County has a lower share of renters than at least four in five Kansas counties.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Barber County
| Period | Barber County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.1% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.8% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 30.4% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.3% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +8.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Barber County: 24.3% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Only nine of Kansas' 105 counties have a higher vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Barber County
| Period | Barber County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1954 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1952 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1953 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1955 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +0 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Barber County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1955, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Barber County has older homes than at least four in five Kansas counties.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Barber County
| Period | Barber County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $501 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $560 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $561 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $700 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$198 | +$390 | +$606 |
The median renter in Barber County pays $700 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 23.8% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Barber County
Bachelor's degrees in Barber County
| Period | Barber County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.7% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.6% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.7% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.0% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.3 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a quarter of adults 25 and older in Barber County (27.0%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. Compared with other Kansas counties, though, Barber County has a higher share of college graduates than most.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Barber County
| Period | Barber County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.1% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.9% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.8% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.9% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Barber County: 95.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Few Kansas counties have a higher share of high school graduates: only seven of 105.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Barber County
| Period | Barber County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.0% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.4% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.9% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.4% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Barber County has been low: just 1.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Barber County has lower unemployment than at least four in five Kansas counties. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Barber County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barber County | 2.21 | 40.0 | 4.9% | 19.0% | 24.3% | 1955 | $700 | 27.0% | 95.9% | 1.4% |
| Harper County | 2.37 | 40.8 | 8.3% | 24.9% | 24.3% | 1956 | $743 | 23.4% | 91.0% | 1.9% |
| Comanche County | 2.07 | 50.1 | 7.9% | 26.6% | 18.8% | 1948 | $613 | 20.5% | 96.1% | 1.7% |
| Sumner County | 2.54 | 40.6 | 9.6% | 24.9% | 13.7% | 1964 | $891 | 25.7% | 94.4% | 5.4% |
| Clark County | 2.45 | 42.1 | 8.4% | 26.4% | 23.8% | 1947 | $785 | 31.1% | 91.7% | 2.9% |
| Cowley County | 2.44 | 39.4 | 12.3% | 31.9% | 14.3% | 1964 | $905 | 24.1% | 90.6% | 4.3% |
| Meade County | 2.56 | 39.6 | 15.1% | 26.0% | 20.9% | 1958 | $826 | 26.5% | 88.7% | 1.4% |
| Chautauqua County | 2.42 | 45.1 | 10.9% | 18.0% | 29.1% | 1964 | $780 | 18.2% | 90.1% | 3.2% |
| Stevens County | 2.79 | 39.2 | 15.7% | 25.5% | 16.6% | 1974 | $946 | 22.4% | 76.2% | 3.7% |
| Montgomery County | 2.40 | 41.3 | 11.1% | 27.1% | 16.3% | 1960 | $776 | 22.1% | 90.7% | 4.2% |
| Labette County | 2.44 | 42.2 | 11.5% | 26.0% | 14.0% | 1961 | $762 | 20.3% | 89.9% | 3.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Sioux County, ND · Washington County, NC · Lake of the Woods County, MN · Lander County, NV · Zapata County, TX · Aleutians West Census Area, AK · Adams County, ND · Aleutians East Borough, AK · Crenshaw County, AL · Oglala Lakota County, SD
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Barber County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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