Population 101,500 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Lawrence
Household size in Lawrence
| Period | Lawrence | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.29 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.36 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.32 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.19 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Lawrence is a place of small households, averaging 2.19 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.29, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of the 71 Kansas cities with 5,000+ people, only five have smaller households.
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 Lawrence
| Period | Lawrence | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.8 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 31.6 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.0 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.0 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.2 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 34.0, Lawrence is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 30.8, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the west.
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 Lawrence
| Period | Lawrence | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Lawrence: 7.5% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is down 1.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Lawrence
Renters in Lawrence
| Period | Lawrence | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 50.8% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 52.3% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 52.7% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 54.1% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Lawrence: 54.1% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. More than a third of owners (36.6%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has risen 3.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only two of the 71 Kansas cities with 5,000+ people 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 Lawrence
| Period | Lawrence | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Lawrence is close to the national rate: 9.5% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 2.0 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 Lawrence
| Period | Lawrence | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1982 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Lawrence was built around 1982, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Kansas as a whole, where the median home dates to 1976. The median year built has moved up from 1979 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, 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 Lawrence
| Period | Lawrence | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $852 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $918 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $950 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,164 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$312 | +$390 | +$606 |
The median renter in Lawrence pays $1,164 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $312 a month since 2006–10, up 37%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 32.8% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are 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 Lawrence
Bachelor's degrees in Lawrence
| Period | Lawrence | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 52.8% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 54.2% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 52.8% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 53.6% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Lawrence is highly educated: more than half of adults 25 and older (53.6%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has edged up 0.7 points, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the west and least in the south.
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 Lawrence
| Period | Lawrence | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.3% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.6% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.4% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.8% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Lawrence: 95.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Compared with other Kansas cities, Lawrence has a higher share of high school graduates than most.
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 Lawrence
| Period | Lawrence | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.7% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Lawrence than nationally: unemployment was 4.6%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 2.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Lawrence 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence | 2.19 | 34.0 | 7.5% | 54.1% | 9.5% | 1982 | $1,164 | 53.6% | 95.8% | 4.6% |
| Clinton | 2.37 | 49.1 | 5.6% | 9.0% | 11.6% | 1988 | $920 | 48.8% | 96.0% | 3.2% |
| Eudora | 2.79 | 42.1 | 6.4% | 25.4% | 3.2% | 1988 | $1,237 | 35.9% | 92.7% | 2.3% |
| Vinland | 2.42 | 47.4 | 4.5% | 13.9% | 3.6% | 1988 | $1,060 | 56.0% | 97.7% | 4.3% |
| Williamstown | 2.14 | 45.5 | 3.5% | 11.4% | 6.9% | 1993 | $842 | 33.5% | 96.3% | 0.3% |
| Reno | 2.36 | 49.9 | 7.8% | 9.6% | 7.1% | 1991 | $1,088 | 43.2% | 95.8% | 1.5% |
| Stull | 2.25 | 57.2 | 1.6% | 5.8% | 3.5% | 1984 | $1,317 | 52.5% | 97.8% | 0.8% |
| Lecompton | 2.49 | 47.4 | 7.2% | 15.3% | 7.0% | 1982 | $1,114 | 35.6% | 96.8% | 1.8% |
| Perry | 2.59 | 46.2 | 4.9% | 13.1% | 4.9% | 1984 | $829 | 29.9% | 96.2% | 2.2% |
| Linwood | 2.73 | 38.0 | 10.3% | 14.1% | 9.2% | 1986 | $963 | 34.6% | 89.6% | 2.2% |
| Baldwin City | 2.53 | 36.8 | 10.1% | 26.8% | 4.0% | 1981 | $1,036 | 51.2% | 98.8% | 5.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Columbus, GA · College Station, TX · Compton, CA · Columbia, SC · Columbia, MO · Concord, CA · Columbus, OH · Conyers, GA · Clarksville, TN · Cincinnati, 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 Lawrence. 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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