Population 28,920 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ellis County
Household size in Ellis County
| Period | Ellis County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.22 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.31 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.40 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.21 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Ellis County are small: just 2.21 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Households are largest in the northwest and smallest in the southwest.
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 Ellis County
| Period | Ellis County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.7 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.3 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.1 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.4 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.7 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Ellis County is 36.4 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 35.7, a smaller shift than nationally. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the east.
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 Ellis County
| Period | Ellis County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.7% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Ellis County (10.3%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Kansas. The single-parent share has risen 3.6 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Ellis County
Renters in Ellis County
| Period | Ellis County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.0% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 37.3% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.8% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.8% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Ellis County is about as common as it is nationally: 36.8% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Kansas overall (32.8%). Just over four in ten owners (42.2%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Of Kansas' 105 counties, only nine have a higher share of renters.
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 Ellis County
| Period | Ellis County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.2% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Ellis County as nationally: 8.7%, against 9.6%. Vacancy has edged down 0.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Ellis County has a lower vacancy rate than the great majority of Kansas counties.
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 Ellis County
| Period | Ellis County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1974 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1975 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Ellis County run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1975 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1971 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 Ellis County
| Period | Ellis County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $620 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $656 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $734 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,097 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$478 | +$390 | +$606 |
Rent in Ellis County runs $1,097 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $478 a month since 2006–10, up 77%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 28.8% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southeast; the highest are in the northwest.
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 Ellis County
Bachelor's degrees in Ellis County
| Period | Ellis County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.0% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.3% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.5% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 38.3% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Ellis County as nationally: 38.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 4.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only four of Kansas' 105 counties have a higher share of college graduates.
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 Ellis County
| Period | Ellis County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.5% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.4% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.4% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.0% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Ellis County: 95.0% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.5 points, mirroring the country. Ellis County has a higher share of high school graduates than the great majority of Kansas counties.
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 Ellis County
| Period | Ellis County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.4% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.0% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Ellis County has been low: just 3.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Ellis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellis County | 2.21 | 36.4 | 10.3% | 36.8% | 8.7% | 1975 | $1,097 | 38.3% | 95.0% | 3.0% |
| Russell County | 2.21 | 45.4 | 11.2% | 24.9% | 16.6% | 1957 | $783 | 20.4% | 94.4% | 1.8% |
| Ellsworth County | 2.28 | 44.8 | 8.7% | 19.8% | 21.3% | 1952 | $734 | 22.7% | 94.2% | 1.9% |
| Saline County | 2.38 | 42.1 | 9.4% | 32.9% | 8.6% | 1967 | $1,034 | 28.9% | 93.3% | 4.6% |
| Dickinson County | 2.30 | 43.2 | 8.9% | 21.4% | 9.2% | 1956 | $849 | 24.3% | 94.1% | 2.7% |
| Wallace County | 2.33 | 46.0 | 6.1% | 25.2% | 16.8% | 1961 | $627 | 24.7% | 93.1% | 1.3% |
| Cheyenne County | 2.16 | 42.8 | 6.7% | 27.4% | 20.6% | 1968 | $922 | 25.8% | 92.4% | 0.4% |
| Wabaunsee County | 2.62 | 43.9 | 5.8% | 18.9% | 13.8% | 1962 | $917 | 26.2% | 95.9% | 4.4% |
| Douglas County | 2.26 | 35.2 | 7.6% | 49.9% | 8.6% | 1983 | $1,161 | 51.9% | 95.8% | 4.5% |
| Johnson County | 2.57 | 39.9 | 7.6% | 31.5% | 5.2% | 1988 | $1,613 | 57.6% | 96.5% | 3.1% |
| Cass County | 2.60 | 41.2 | 12.1% | 24.4% | 7.3% | 1991 | $1,364 | 29.9% | 94.3% | 3.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Polk County, MO · Dakota County, NE · Dallas County, AL · Dare County, NC · Daviess County, IN · Davison County, SD · Dawson County, NE · De Soto Parish, LA · Decatur County, IN · Defiance County, OH
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 Ellis 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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