Population 5,819 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ottawa County
Household size in Ottawa County
| Period | Ottawa County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.62 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.34 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.37 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.24 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Ottawa County is a place of small households, averaging 2.37 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 2.62, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the southeast and smallest in the northwest.
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 Ottawa County
| Period | Ottawa County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.9 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.8 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.0 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.5 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.6 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
Ottawa County skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.5, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has crept up from 41.9 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the northwest, the oldest in the southwest.
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 Ottawa County
| Period | Ottawa County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.0% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Ottawa County (9.5%), below the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has barely moved since 2006–10, while 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 Ottawa County
Renters in Ottawa County
| Period | Ottawa County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.9% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.4% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.8% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.8% of households in Ottawa County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over half of owners (52.9%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the southwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 4.7 points, 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 Ottawa County
| Period | Ottawa County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.6% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.8% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Ottawa County than nationally: 12.0%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is down 2.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Ottawa County
| Period | Ottawa County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1952 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +18 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Ottawa County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1970, 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 1952 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the northwest.
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 Ottawa County
| Period | Ottawa County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $567 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $675 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $631 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $818 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$251 | +$390 | +$606 |
The median renter in Ottawa County pays $818 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $251 a month from 2006–10, a 44% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 27.6% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southwest; the highest are in the southeast.
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 Ottawa County
Bachelor's degrees in Ottawa County
| Period | Ottawa County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.4% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.4% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.1% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.0% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.6 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Ottawa County (28.0%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 8.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Compared with other Kansas counties, though, Ottawa 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 Ottawa County
| Period | Ottawa County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.6% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.8% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.9% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.9% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Ottawa County: 94.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 4.3 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Ottawa County
| Period | Ottawa County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.6% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.4% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.0% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Ottawa 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%. Unemployment has fallen 2.6 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Ottawa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County | 2.37 | 42.5 | 9.5% | 22.8% | 12.0% | 1970 | $818 | 28.0% | 94.9% | 3.0% |
| Lincoln County | 2.25 | 44.5 | 7.0% | 19.6% | 22.7% | 1941 | $634 | 26.2% | 96.7% | 2.5% |
| Geary County | 2.68 | 28.5 | 15.8% | 56.5% | 10.4% | 1987 | $1,210 | 26.6% | 93.5% | 8.4% |
| Riley County | 2.32 | 30.7 | 9.1% | 53.9% | 9.5% | 1987 | $1,125 | 46.9% | 96.7% | 4.6% |
| Russell County | 2.21 | 45.4 | 11.2% | 24.9% | 16.6% | 1957 | $783 | 20.4% | 94.4% | 1.8% |
| Wabaunsee County | 2.62 | 43.9 | 5.8% | 18.9% | 13.8% | 1962 | $917 | 26.2% | 95.9% | 4.4% |
| Shawnee County | 2.36 | 40.6 | 12.1% | 33.2% | 8.2% | 1972 | $1,100 | 31.1% | 92.7% | 4.3% |
| Trego County | 1.97 | 53.8 | 9.1% | 17.8% | 21.1% | 1963 | $730 | 29.5% | 96.4% | 0.9% |
| Douglas County | 2.26 | 35.2 | 7.6% | 49.9% | 8.6% | 1983 | $1,161 | 51.9% | 95.8% | 4.5% |
| Gove County | 2.37 | 41.3 | 4.1% | 20.6% | 12.0% | 1956 | $714 | 24.2% | 94.6% | 2.6% |
| Johnson County | 2.57 | 39.9 | 7.6% | 31.5% | 5.2% | 1988 | $1,613 | 57.6% | 96.5% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Osceola County, IA · Marshall County, SD · Martin County, IN · Martin County, KY · Martin County, TX · Martinsville City, VA · Mason County, IL · Mason County, TX · Massac County, IL · Mathews County, VA
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 Ottawa 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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