Population 2,653 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ness County
Household size in Ness County
| Period | Ness County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.23 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.17 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.24 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.24 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Ness County is a place of small households, averaging 2.24 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Ness County has smaller households than most 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 Ness County
| Period | Ness County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.7 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 50.7 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.1 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 46.1 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.6 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 46.1, Ness County is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Ness County is older than the great majority of Kansas counties.
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 Ness County
| Period | Ness County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 4.9% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Ness County: 7.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 1.6 points from 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Ness County
Renters in Ness County
| Period | Ness County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.4% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.8% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.6% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 18.4% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 18.4% of households in Ness County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About two-thirds of owners (68.0%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Ness 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 Ness County
| Period | Ness County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.3% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.6% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 25.5% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.5% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Ness County: 19.5% 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.
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 Ness County
| Period | Ness County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1951 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1956 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1960 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +9 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Ness County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1960, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Ness County
| Period | Ness County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $460 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $552 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $615 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $536 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$76 | +$390 | +$606 |
Rent in Ness County runs $536 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 16.6% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Ness County has the lowest rents of any Kansas county.
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 Ness County
Bachelor's degrees in Ness County
| Period | Ness County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.0% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.0% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.4% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.8% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Ness County: 24.8% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 Ness County
| Period | Ness County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.6% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.5% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.8% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.5% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Ness County have finished high school (92.5%), above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Kansas.
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 Ness County
| Period | Ness County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.3% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.8% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.4% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 0.9% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
The job market in Ness County has been strong: just 0.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Ness County has lower unemployment than the great majority of Kansas counties. 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).
Ness 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ness County | 2.24 | 46.1 | 7.2% | 18.4% | 19.5% | 1960 | $536 | 24.8% | 92.5% | 0.9% |
| Lane County | 2.05 | 49.9 | 10.7% | 11.1% | 19.2% | 1958 | $590 | 24.5% | 94.9% | 0.4% |
| Rush County | 2.08 | 45.0 | 6.9% | 22.4% | 17.5% | 1948 | $686 | 20.8% | 90.6% | 3.9% |
| Scott County | 2.23 | 40.0 | 8.0% | 32.8% | 3.9% | 1961 | $801 | 33.4% | 91.1% | 2.6% |
| Barton County | 2.42 | 40.9 | 11.8% | 34.8% | 16.7% | 1961 | $787 | 21.3% | 90.2% | 3.7% |
| Wichita County | 2.55 | 39.5 | 10.1% | 22.0% | 9.7% | 1966 | $923 | 18.7% | 82.5% | 0.6% |
| Rice County | 2.41 | 38.6 | 6.1% | 22.6% | 13.8% | 1957 | $787 | 25.8% | 90.6% | 4.1% |
| Greeley County | 2.38 | 37.0 | 16.9% | 25.0% | 17.5% | 1965 | $865 | 30.6% | 89.3% | 0.2% |
| McPherson County | 2.36 | 39.5 | 7.0% | 24.5% | 8.2% | 1969 | $883 | 35.0% | 93.2% | 1.8% |
| Marion County | 2.36 | 42.7 | 5.3% | 18.7% | 15.2% | 1956 | $745 | 31.2% | 92.1% | 3.5% |
| Kiowa County | 2.29 | 48.4 | 5.5% | 31.3% | 21.3% | 1963 | $830 | 19.4% | 92.4% | 0.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Van Buren County, IA · Chase County, KS · Chase County, NE · Chautauqua County, KS · Cherokee County, IA · Cherry County, NE · Cheyenne County, CO · Union County, NM · Upton County, TX · Valley County, ID
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 Ness 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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