ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Jackson County, Kansas

FIPS 20085 · Topeka, KS · Population 13,341
9 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$75,215
Median Income
$80,734 national
3.3%
Unemployment
4% national
$508M
GDP
22.6%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Small population: 13,341 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
$75,215
Per Capita
$35,049
Mean Household
$90,232
Poverty Rate
6.1% approx.
Median Income Comparison
Jackson County$75,215
Kansas$74,275
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 19.7% (2,630 residents) 55-64: 13.5% (1,803 residents) 35-54: 23.7% (3,161 residents) 18-34: 18.3% (2,435 residents) Under 18: 24.8% (3,312 residents) 41 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 24.8%
18-34 · 18.3%
35-54 · 23.7%
55-64 · 13.5%
65+ · 19.7%
Race & Ethnicity
White82.6%
Black or African American0.7%
Asian0.5%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)5.8%
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+
93.7%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +4.1 pts
22.6%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 13.1 pts
8.2%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 5.9 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
13,341
Population
6,594
Labor Force
Employed
6,476
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3.3%
Mean Commute 2 min above national avg
28.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
7.4%
Key Takeaways
  • Talent gap: Bachelor's-or-higher attainment trails the national average by 13.1 pts, relevant for advanced-services attraction strategy.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$508M
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 Jackson County, Kansas, with employment, share of top sectors, and average wage
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Retail Trade
438 30.6%
$28,704
2Manufacturing
305 21.3%
$68,042
3Construction
144 10.0%
$56,438
4Other Services (except Public Administration)
110 7.7%
$47,257
5Finance and Insurance
104 7.3%
$60,952
6Wholesale Trade
102 7.1%
$65,219
7Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
78 5.4%
$65,376
8Administrative and Support and Waste Management
59 4.1%
$43,656
9Transportation and Warehousing
50 3.5%
$62,744
10Information
43 3.0%
$67,512
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 438 workers (30.6% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $28,704.
  • Economic scale: Regional GDP of $508M (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Manufacturing averages $68,042 while Retail Trade averages $28,704, a 2.4x 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).
General Merchandise Retailers
2.49x
231
Animal Production and Aquaculture
2.33x
18

Cluster Depth

Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Retail Trade Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
231
Cluster Employment
2.49x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
General Merchandise Retailers
2.49x 231
Animal Production and Aquaculture
2.33x 18

Attraction Opportunities

LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.24x
Administrative and Support Services
59 employed
0.25x
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
78 employed
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: General Merchandise Retailers concentrates at 2.49x the national norm.
  • Attraction whitespace: 6 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Jackson 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
$207,300
Median Home Value vs 2019
$814
Rent/Mo
77.1%
Owner-Occ
11.1%
Vacancy
2.8x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Affordable
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$792/mo
1 Bedroom
$820/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,057/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,392/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,411/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,880/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • Affordable market: Home value to income ratio of 2.8x is well below the ~4.1x national average; supports talent attraction and family settlement narratives.
  • High home ownership: 77.1% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Elevated vacancy: 11.1% 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 (~$1,880/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
7,399
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 2 min above national avg
28.1 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
7.4%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
84.1%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 65.7% of working-age population (18-64) 66% Participation
▲ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
22.6%
HS Diploma+
93.7%
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
24.4%
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
32.5%
Service
17.7%
Sales & Office
14.5%
Construction / Maint.
15.6%
Production / Transport
19.6%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 6,476 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Succession risk is real: 24.4% 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

Jackson County shows emerging potential for general merchandise retailers attraction, with a 2.49x concentration and 231 jobs in this sub-sector. Near-term succession risk is elevated, with 24.4% 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 Jackson County, Kansas, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Jackson County, Kansas?

13,341 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

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

$75,215 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Jackson County, Kansas?

3.3% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Jackson County, Kansas?

$508M (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).