Population 9,579 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Valley Center
Household size in Valley Center
| Period | Valley Center | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.76 | 2.58 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.78 | 2.64 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.81 | 2.60 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.66 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
At 2.66 people per household, Valley Center sits close to the national average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.76, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the center.
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 Valley Center
| Period | Valley Center | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.5 | 36.3 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.7 | 36.6 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.4 | 37.4 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.8 | 37.8 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.3 | +1.6 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
At 38.8, the median age in Valley Center is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has climbed from 35.5 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the center and 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 Valley Center
| Period | Valley Center | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 11.9% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 11.6% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.3% | 11.6% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.2% | 11.7% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Valley Center: 8.2% of households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share has edged down 1.0 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Valley Center
Renters in Valley Center
| Period | Valley Center | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.6% | 31.2% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.9% | 33.5% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.4% | 35.0% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.0% | 34.7% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.4 pts | +3.5 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Valley Center rent their homes (28.0%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 44.6% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the center. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 8.4 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 Valley Center
| Period | Valley Center | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.3% | 9.1% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 10.1% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.5% | 10.2% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.7% | 9.8% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Valley Center: 6.7% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy is up 3.4 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 Valley Center
| Period | Valley Center | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1980 | 1973 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1981 | 1974 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1976 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1989 | 1978 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Valley Center has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1989, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1980 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 Valley Center
| Period | Valley Center | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $717 | $763 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $723 | $847 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $906 | $947 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $978 | $1,118 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$261 | +$355 | +$390 | +$606 |
Rent in Valley Center runs $978 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $261 a month since 2006–10, up 36%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 25.7% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. The priciest rents are in the northeast; the most affordable are in the south.
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 Valley Center
Bachelor's degrees in Valley Center
| Period | Valley Center | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.3% | 27.4% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 33.2% | 29.2% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.9% | 30.6% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 37.3% | 32.0% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.0 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Valley Center as nationally: 37.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is higher than in the Wichita area overall (32.0%). The share with a degree has risen 7.0 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Valley Center
| Period | Valley Center | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.0% | 88.6% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.7% | 89.3% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.0% | 89.9% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.7% | 90.2% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Valley Center is above the national rate: 92.7% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma is down 2.4 points from 2006–10, even as the national rate rose. Compared with other Kansas cities, though, Valley Center has a lower 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 Valley Center
| Period | Valley Center | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.0% | 7.3% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.2% | 7.7% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 4.8% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.9% | 5.0% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Valley Center has been low: just 2.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment has edged down 1.1 points since 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).
Valley Center 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Center | 2.66 | 38.8 | 8.2% | 28.0% | 6.7% | 1989 | $978 | 37.3% | 92.7% | 2.9% |
| Park City | 2.69 | 37.0 | 13.1% | 24.3% | 8.2% | 1986 | $1,049 | 30.9% | 95.7% | 2.0% |
| Sunnydale | 2.95 | 48.7 | 6.4% | 15.1% | 5.6% | 1989 | $971 | 49.1% | 95.5% | 0.8% |
| Kechi | 2.88 | 35.7 | 11.4% | 13.9% | 2.7% | 1999 | $1,218 | 51.5% | 95.7% | 2.0% |
| Sedgwick | 2.79 | 38.5 | 8.8% | 12.7% | 5.4% | 1981 | $1,039 | 29.0% | 94.9% | 1.5% |
| Bel Aire | 2.77 | 35.4 | 10.5% | 19.7% | 3.0% | 1995 | $1,554 | 48.3% | 94.2% | 2.8% |
| Maize | 2.59 | 39.0 | 15.8% | 44.8% | 5.7% | 2006 | $1,346 | 40.0% | 96.4% | 2.9% |
| Greenwich | 2.48 | 33.5 | 13.7% | 35.6% | 3.2% | 2011 | $1,694 | 54.3% | 97.8% | 1.9% |
| Bentley | 3.00 | 38.3 | 9.3% | 14.9% | 26.5% | 1971 | $1,267 | 21.1% | 95.5% | 4.6% |
| Colwich | 2.88 | 37.3 | 13.0% | 16.9% | 3.5% | 1993 | $1,294 | 33.8% | 93.0% | 4.1% |
| Andale | 2.98 | 36.5 | 5.2% | 18.2% | 2.1% | 2000 | $1,158 | 40.9% | 95.7% | 2.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Glennville, GA · St. Francis, MN · St. Augustine Shores, FL · St. Anthony, MN · St. Amant, LA · Spruce Pine, NC · Springville, AL · Springfield, GA · Springfield, FL · Spotswood, NJ
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 Valley Center. 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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