Population 178,025 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Shawnee County
Household size in Shawnee County
| Period | Shawnee County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.39 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.36 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Shawnee County is a place of small households, averaging 2.36 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 edged down from 2.39, mirroring the country. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the east.
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 Shawnee County
| Period | Shawnee County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.0 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.6 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.4 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.6 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.6 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Shawnee County are younger than 40.6 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is older than in Kansas as a whole, where the median age is 38.8. The median age has climbed from 39.0 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Shawnee County
| Period | Shawnee County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.9% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.1% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Shawnee County as they are nationally: 12.1%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Kansas overall (10.5%). The single-parent share is down 1.8 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 Shawnee County
Renters in Shawnee County
| Period | Shawnee County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.2% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.5% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 35.6% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.2% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Shawnee County is about as common as it is nationally: 33.2% of households rent, against 34.8%. More than four in ten owners (42.9%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northwest.
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 Shawnee County
| Period | Shawnee County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.5% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.7% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Shawnee County as nationally: 8.2%, against 9.6%. The rate is lower than in Kansas as a whole (9.7%). Vacancy is up 0.7 points from 2006–10, 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 Shawnee County
| Period | Shawnee County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1969 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1969 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1970 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 |
Housing in Shawnee County leans older: the median home dates to 1972, against 1980 nationally. The picture is much the same across Kansas. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center.
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 Shawnee County
| Period | Shawnee County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $756 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $842 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $938 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,100 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$345 | +$390 | +$606 |
Rent in Shawnee County runs $1,100 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $345 a month since 2006–10, up 46%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 30.2% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the southwest.
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 Shawnee County
Bachelor's degrees in Shawnee County
| Period | Shawnee County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.2% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 29.3% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.4% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 31.1% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Shawnee County than nationally: 31.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 1.9 points, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the east.
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 Shawnee County
| Period | Shawnee County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.9% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 90.6% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.0% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.7% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in Shawnee County have finished high school (92.7%), above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Kansas. The share with a diploma is up 2.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Shawnee County
| Period | Shawnee County | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.2% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Shawnee County runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 2.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. 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).
Shawnee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee County | 2.36 | 40.6 | 12.1% | 33.2% | 8.2% | 1972 | $1,100 | 31.1% | 92.7% | 4.3% |
| Douglas County | 2.26 | 35.2 | 7.6% | 49.9% | 8.6% | 1983 | $1,161 | 51.9% | 95.8% | 4.5% |
| Wabaunsee County | 2.62 | 43.9 | 5.8% | 18.9% | 13.8% | 1962 | $917 | 26.2% | 95.9% | 4.4% |
| Riley County | 2.32 | 30.7 | 9.1% | 53.9% | 9.5% | 1987 | $1,125 | 46.9% | 96.7% | 4.6% |
| Johnson County | 2.57 | 39.9 | 7.6% | 31.5% | 5.2% | 1988 | $1,613 | 57.6% | 96.5% | 3.1% |
| Wyandotte County | 2.83 | 35.5 | 16.4% | 38.0% | 10.8% | 1964 | $1,241 | 21.3% | 81.3% | 5.8% |
| Geary County | 2.68 | 28.5 | 15.8% | 56.5% | 10.4% | 1987 | $1,210 | 26.6% | 93.5% | 8.4% |
| Jackson County | 2.42 | 38.5 | 12.8% | 40.9% | 9.1% | 1971 | $1,337 | 33.3% | 91.3% | 4.6% |
| Lafayette County | 2.62 | 41.8 | 8.4% | 24.3% | 11.2% | 1977 | $969 | 26.6% | 92.4% | 3.2% |
| 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% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Bay County, FL · Wyandotte County, KS · Winnebago County, WI · Ulster County, NY · Tippecanoe County, IN · Pitt County, NC · Peoria County, IL · Newport News City, VA · Muskegon County, MI · Medina County, 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 Shawnee 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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