Population 15,302 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Ottawa
Household size in Ottawa
| Period | Ottawa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.43 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.46 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.38 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.44 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Ottawa has 2.44 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southeast.
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
| Period | Ottawa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.3 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.8 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.9 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.5 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
Ottawa is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 38.5, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 36.3, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the northwest.
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
| Period | Ottawa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in eight households in Ottawa (12.0%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Kansas as a whole (10.5%). Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 1.9 points, 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 Ottawa
Renters in Ottawa
| Period | Ottawa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.2% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.3% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.5% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 35.3% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Ottawa rent their homes (35.3%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 37.8% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the northwest. The renter share has edged up 1.0 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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
| Period | Ottawa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.5% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Ottawa: 7.5% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 2.4 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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
| Period | Ottawa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1961 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1963 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1969 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Ottawa is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1969, 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 1961 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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
| Period | Ottawa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $686 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $722 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $796 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,030 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$344 | +$390 | +$606 |
Rent in Ottawa runs $1,030 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $344 a month since 2006–10, up 50%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 24.6% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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
Bachelor's degrees in Ottawa
| Period | Ottawa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.2% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.7% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.6% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.7% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Ottawa than nationally: 25.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 5.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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
| Period | Ottawa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.0% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.8% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.0% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.9% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Ottawa is a bit above the national rate: 91.9% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Kansas. The share with a diploma has risen 1.9 points since 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
| Period | Ottawa | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.4% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.5% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.4% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in Ottawa than nationally: unemployment was 3.4%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 1.0 points from 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).
Ottawa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | 2.44 | 38.5 | 12.0% | 35.3% | 7.5% | 1969 | $1,030 | 25.7% | 91.9% | 3.4% |
| Peoria | 2.38 | 50.2 | 6.9% | 17.9% | 13.1% | 1981 | $969 | 25.3% | 90.5% | 0.8% |
| Richter | 2.75 | 38.6 | 9.4% | 18.7% | 7.6% | 1977 | $609 | 24.1% | 89.4% | 4.6% |
| Princeton | 2.75 | 40.3 | 15.5% | 17.7% | 5.5% | 1983 | $1,150 | 26.9% | 88.2% | 9.3% |
| Rantoul | 2.29 | 43.5 | 5.1% | 14.8% | 11.9% | 1981 | $1,402 | 16.8% | 95.9% | 0.3% |
| Pomona | 2.74 | 41.3 | 8.7% | 16.9% | 9.9% | 1979 | $611 | 24.7% | 88.9% | 3.9% |
| Black Jack | 2.26 | 44.2 | 3.7% | 27.1% | 3.9% | 1992 | $1,245 | 64.2% | 99.5% | 9.8% |
| Williamsburg | 2.75 | 45.0 | 8.3% | 12.7% | 7.1% | 1981 | $786 | 22.1% | 90.5% | 5.7% |
| Wellsville | 2.67 | 40.4 | 11.8% | 17.3% | 8.9% | 1977 | $1,100 | 24.8% | 95.8% | 0.9% |
| Worden | 2.42 | 48.3 | 7.4% | 12.7% | 6.4% | 1981 | $1,368 | 38.5% | 92.4% | 3.1% |
| 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: Monticello, KY · New Cumberland, PA · New Cassel, NY · New Carrollton, MD · New Carlisle, OH · Nesconset, NY · Neabsco, VA · Naguabo, PR · Mountain Top, PA · Mount Pleasant, 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 Ottawa. 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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