Population 17,125 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Great Bend
Household size in Great Bend
| Period | Great Bend | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.39 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.44 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.44 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Great Bend has 2.44 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has crept up from 2.39 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the north.
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 Great Bend
| Period | Great Bend | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.8 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.0 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.7 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.9 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.9 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
At 39.9, the median age in Great Bend is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has dropped from 40.8, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the southeast and oldest in the north.
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 Great Bend
| Period | Great Bend | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.5% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.3 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Great Bend (12.5%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Kansas overall (10.5%).
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 Great Bend
Renters in Great Bend
| Period | Great Bend | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.7% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.9% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.4% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 40.1% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +11.3 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Great Bend than nationally: 40.1% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Just over half of owners (51.8%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the southwest and least common in the northwest. The renter share is up 11.3 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Great Bend
| Period | Great Bend | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.1% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.5% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.0% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Great Bend: 17.0% 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. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 6.6 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 Great Bend
| Period | Great Bend | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1961 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1960 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1963 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Great Bend is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1963, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1960 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the east.
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 Great Bend
| Period | Great Bend | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $546 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $584 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $671 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $786 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$239 | +$390 | +$606 |
Rent in Great Bend runs $786 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $239 a month from 2006–10, a 44% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 25.7% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the east and lowest in the center.
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 Great Bend
Bachelor's degrees in Great Bend
| Period | Great Bend | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.6% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.6% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.7% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.7% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Great Bend: 19.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has edged down 0.9 points, even as the national share rose. Only five of the 71 Kansas cities with 5,000+ people have a lower 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 Great Bend
| Period | Great Bend | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.2% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.6% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.0% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.3% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Great Bend never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 4.1 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only six of the 71 Kansas cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Great Bend
| Period | Great Bend | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.4% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Great Bend than nationally: unemployment was 3.7%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 1.7 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. 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).
Great Bend compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Bend | 2.44 | 39.9 | 12.5% | 40.1% | 17.0% | 1963 | $786 | 19.7% | 87.3% | 3.7% |
| Dundee | 2.65 | 36.3 | 15.9% | 10.5% | 18.8% | 1971 | $675 | 16.3% | 93.9% | 0.3% |
| Heizer | 2.46 | 44.8 | 9.3% | 13.9% | 13.1% | 1966 | $668 | 12.0% | 92.9% | 0.3% |
| Ellinwood | 2.49 | 44.4 | 13.9% | 23.7% | 11.6% | 1955 | $695 | 21.5% | 94.9% | 1.9% |
| Seward | 2.51 | 41.1 | 8.4% | 8.6% | 22.2% | 1959 | $573 | 29.5% | 95.2% | 1.6% |
| Pawnee Rock | 2.39 | 48.6 | 6.9% | 13.2% | 14.3% | 1957 | $693 | 14.3% | 95.0% | 0.3% |
| Albert | 2.12 | 53.5 | 5.0% | 11.2% | 19.7% | 1954 | $651 | 25.0% | 96.2% | 2.5% |
| Silica | 2.51 | 41.9 | 7.7% | 14.2% | 19.0% | 1956 | $766 | 26.6% | 94.0% | 2.1% |
| Raymond | 2.46 | 48.3 | 5.7% | 7.3% | 14.3% | 1960 | $940 | 31.7% | 92.8% | 0.9% |
| Bushton | 2.48 | 36.9 | 8.5% | 20.7% | 19.5% | 1952 | $694 | 18.1% | 93.6% | 4.0% |
| Timken | 2.07 | 46.1 | 8.4% | 19.6% | 22.9% | 1947 | $635 | 19.7% | 94.8% | 7.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Cairo, GA · Barrington, RI · Bedford, OH · Belen, NM · Bellaire, TX · Woodcrest, CA · Wolf Trap, VA · Wolcott, CT · Windham, ME · Berwick, PA
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 Great Bend. 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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