ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Decatur County, Kansas

FIPS 20039 · Population 2,726
9 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$53,870
Median Income
$80,734 national
3.2%
Unemployment
4% national
$222M
GDP
27%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Small population: 2,726 residents. These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-year estimates, which carry a wide margin of error for places under 20,000 people. Read each value as an approximate range, and treat year-over-year changes as indicative rather than exact. A small shift can reflect survey sampling, not a real change on the ground.

Demographics & Population

Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020-2024 · 5-Year Estimates

Household Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Household
$53,870
Per Capita
$35,100
Mean Household
$70,420
Poverty Rate
12.7% approx.
Median Income Comparison
Decatur County$53,870
Kansas$74,275
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 29.8% (811 residents) 55-64: 15.8% (431 residents) 35-54: 19.2% (523 residents) 18-34: 14.4% (393 residents) Under 18: 20.8% (568 residents) 50 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 20.8%
18-34 · 14.4%
35-54 · 19.2%
55-64 · 15.8%
65+ · 29.8%
Race & Ethnicity
White92.7%
Black or African American1.1%
Asian0%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)4.8%
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnic category and overlaps with the race categories above.

Educational Attainment

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · Population 25+
94.1%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +4.5 pts
27%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 8.7 pts
6.6%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 7.5 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
2,726
Population
1,338
Labor Force
Employed
1,283
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3.2% ▲ +0.2 pts YoY
Mean Commute 26 min below national avg
0.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
15.3%
Key Takeaways
  • Income gap: Households earn meaningfully less than the national median, which directly affects retail demand, housing absorption, and tax base.
  • Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 8.7 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.
  • Aging population: Median age of 50 is materially above the U.S. norm; succession planning and senior-services demand are real factors.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$222M
Gross Domestic Product · 2024
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis · CAGDP1 Regional GDP

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics · Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages 2025 Annual
Top industries by employment in Decatur County, Kansas, with employment, share of top sectors, and average wage
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Wholesale Trade
85 54.8%
$56,983
2Retail Trade
62 40.0%
$19,651
3Transportation and Warehousing
8 5.2%
$55,645
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Wholesale Trade employs 85 workers (54.8% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $56,983.
  • Economic scale: Regional GDP of $222M (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Wholesale Trade averages $56,983 while Retail Trade averages $19,651, a 2.9x spread in the same local economy, with implications for workforce development and talent strategy.
Source: BLS QCEW + BEA Regional GDP.
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Industry Concentration

Location Quotient measures regional specialization vs. national average. LQ > 1.0 = concentrated.

Location Quotient Analysis

Concentrated Industries
Source: BLS QCEW · 3-digit NAICS sub-sector · Location Quotient vs. national employment share
Same source as the Top Industries table above, sub-sector view surfaces the specialization the supersector view masks (e.g., Plastics & Rubber Manufacturing inside the Manufacturing supersector).
Animal Production and Aquaculture
59.54x
87
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
1.90x
21

Cluster Depth

Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
87
Cluster Employment
59.54x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Animal Production and Aquaculture
59.54x 87
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
1.90x 21
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Animal Production and Aquaculture concentrates at 59.54x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity to site selectors.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Decatur County's Top Sectors by Workforce Share
Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of total private-sector employment across all NAICS supersectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2025 Annual · Private sector, NAICS supersectors

Housing & Affordability

Census ACS · HUD Fair Market Rents FY2026

Housing Overview

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates · Tables B25001, B25077, B25064
$89,500
Median Home Value vs 2019
$676
Rent/Mo
77.7%
Owner-Occ
18.8%
Vacancy
1.7x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Affordable
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$643/mo
1 Bedroom
$668/mo
2 Bedroom
$877/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,220/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,318/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,347/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • Affordable market: Home value to income ratio of 1.7x is well below the ~4.1x national average; supports talent attraction and family settlement narratives.
  • High home ownership: 77.7% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Elevated vacancy: 18.8% vacancy rate. In resort, rural, and seasonal markets much of this is recreational/seasonal (second homes), not available supply; confirm the vacancy-by-reason split before treating it as a redevelopment opportunity.
  • Broadly affordable rents: All 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$1,347/mo), a clear cost-of-living advantage for workforce attraction.
Source: Census ACS housing tables + HUD Fair Market Rents.

Workforce Pipeline

Labor force readiness, commuting, and workforce composition

Labor Market Overview

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B23025, B08303, B08301
1,347
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 26 min below national avg
0.0 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
15.3%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
85.3%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 62% of working-age population (18-64) 62% Participation
▲ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
27%
HS Diploma+
94.1%
Regional / Statewide Institutions
Total credentials awarded
26,009/yr
University of Kansas 7,733/yr
Kansas State University 6,027/yr
Fort Hays State University 3,925/yr
Wichita State University 3,714/yr
Johnson County Community College 2,809/yr
Pittsburg State University 1,801/yr

Aging Workforce

Source: Census Bureau ACS · Derived from age & employment tables
32%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
42.8%
Service
11.9%
Sales & Office
20.8%
Construction / Maint.
13.8%
Production / Transport
10.7%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 1,283 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Succession risk is real: 32% of working-age residents are 55-64. Plan for retirements over the next decade and pair attraction strategy with talent retention.
  • Talent pipeline: 6 regional institutions feed the workforce; the top three combined produce 17,685 annual credentials.
Source: ACS workforce data and College Scorecard.

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 9 federal data sources

Sample AI Insight

Decatur County shows strong potential for animal production and aquaculture attraction, with a 59.54x concentration and 87 jobs in this sub-sector. It ranks in the top decile nationally. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 32% of the working-age population within 10 years of retirement age.

Industry Shift Analysis

Manufacturing Automation Risk
High
Healthcare Growth Forecast
+4.2% CAGR
Remote Work Migration
67/100

Prospect Match Scores

Advanced Manufacturing
92/100
Life Sciences
84/100
Data Centers
71/100
Illustrative example

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Data Sources

Updated from official federal government data.

Census ACS 5-Year2024
BLS QCEW2025 annual
BLS LAUS (via FRED)2025 annual
BEA Regional GDP2024
Census CBP2023
HUD Fair Market RentsFY2026
FCC Broadband Map2024
USAspending.govFY2026
College ScorecardAY 2022-23

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Decatur County, Kansas, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Decatur County, Kansas?

2,726 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the median household income in Decatur County, Kansas?

$53,870 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Decatur County, Kansas?

3.2% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Decatur County, Kansas?

$222M (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).