ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Pottawatomie County, Kansas

FIPS 20149 · Manhattan, KS · Population 26,204
9 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$92,325
Median Income
$80,734 national
3.4%
Unemployment
4% national
$1.6B
GDP
38.2%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national

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
$92,325
Per Capita
$38,494
Mean Household
$105,915
Poverty Rate
6.7%
Median Income Comparison
Pottawatomie County$92,325
Kansas$74,275
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 15.3% (4,020 residents) 55-64: 12% (3,141 residents) 35-54: 25% (6,559 residents) 18-34: 18.8% (4,927 residents) Under 18: 28.8% (7,557 residents) 36 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 28.8%
18-34 · 18.8%
35-54 · 25%
55-64 · 12%
65+ · 15.3%
Race & Ethnicity
White89.2%
Black or African American1.7%
Asian0.4%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)6.1%
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+
96.4%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +6.8 pts
38.2%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▲ +2.5 pts
13.9%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 0.2 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
26,204
Population
12,845
Labor Force
Employed
12,472
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
3.4% ▲ +0.4 pts YoY
Mean Commute 3 min below national avg
23.2 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
7.4%
Key Takeaways
  • Income premium: Households earn well above the national median, supporting strong retail and housing markets.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$1.6B
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 Pottawatomie County, Kansas, with employment, share of top sectors, and average wage
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Manufacturing
1,816 36.7%
$73,255
2Retail Trade
1,247 25.2%
$40,152
3Accommodation and Food Services
698 14.1%
$19,559
4Administrative and Support and Waste Management
419 8.5%
$45,889
5Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
322 6.5%
$73,355
6Wholesale Trade
321 6.5%
$61,363
7Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
72 1.5%
$18,186
8Management of Companies and Enterprises
55 1.1%
$123,929
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Manufacturing employs 1,816 workers (36.7% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $73,255.
  • Economic scale: Regional GDP of $1.6B (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Management of Companies and Enterprises averages $123,929 while Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation averages $18,186, a 6.8x 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
6.98x
121
Machinery Manufacturing
3.95x
276
Building Material and Garden Supply Retailers
2.65x
233
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
2.59x
174
Chemical Manufacturing
2.27x
130
1.89x
2,747
Food and Beverage Retailers
1.78x
370
Construction of Buildings
1.77x
211
Social Assistance
1.63x
521

Cluster Depth

Source: BLS QCEW · Sub-sectors with LQ ≥ 1.5 indicate genuine cluster concentration
Dominant Cluster
Goods-Producing Cluster
Coherent grouping of concentrated sub-sectors, signals supply-chain fit for site selectors
2,747
Cluster Employment
1.89x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Animal Production and Aquaculture
6.98x 121
Machinery Manufacturing
3.95x 276
Building Material and Garden Supply Retailers
2.65x 233
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
2.59x 174
Chemical Manufacturing
2.27x 130
1.89x 2,747
Food and Beverage Retailers
1.78x 370
Construction of Buildings
1.77x 211
Social Assistance
1.63x 521

Attraction Opportunities

LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.33x
Management of Companies and Enterprises
55 employed
0.43x
General Merchandise Retailers
90 employed
0.44x
Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries
54 employed
0.47x
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
322 employed
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Animal Production and Aquaculture concentrates at 6.98x the national norm, top-decile concentration, the kind of signature sector that defines a region's economic identity to site selectors.
  • Cluster depth: 9 sub-sectors register LQ ≥ 1.5, suggesting an interconnected industrial base rather than reliance on a single employer or sector.
  • 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.
Pottawatomie 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
$245,900
Median Home Value vs 2019
$924
Rent/Mo
82.2%
Owner-Occ
8.2%
Vacancy
2.7x
Home Value to Income Ratio - Affordable
vs. ~4.1x national average

HUD Fair Market Rents

Source: HUD · Fair Market Rents FY2026
Studio
$870/mo
1 Bedroom
$875/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,068/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,485/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,792/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$2,308/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • Affordable market: Home value to income ratio of 2.7x is well below the ~4.1x national average; supports talent attraction and family settlement narratives.
  • High home ownership: 82.2% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Broadly affordable rents: All 5 HUD Fair Market Rent bedroom tiers sit below the 30%-of-median-income affordability threshold (~$2,308/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
14,627
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 3 min below national avg
23.2 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
7.4%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
82.7%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 68.9% of working-age population (18-64) 69% Participation
▼ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
38.2%
HS Diploma+
96.4%
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
21.5%
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
46.1%
Service
12.1%
Sales & Office
16.9%
Construction / Maint.
11.9%
Production / Transport
13%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 12,472 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • 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

Pottawatomie County shows strong potential for animal production and aquaculture attraction, with a 6.98x concentration and 121 jobs in this sub-sector. It ranks in the top decile nationally.

The interconnected base across animal production and aquaculture, machinery manufacturing, and building material and garden supply retailers creates supply-chain attraction leverage rather than single-employer risk, a structural advantage for industrial recruitment.

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 Pottawatomie County, Kansas, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Pottawatomie County, Kansas?

26,204 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

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

$92,325 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Pottawatomie County, Kansas?

3.4% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Pottawatomie County, Kansas?

$1.6B (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).