ExecutivePulse
Official Federal Data

Thomas County, Kansas

FIPS 20193 · Population 7,885
9 Sources Updated June 22, 2026
$71,325
Median Income
$80,734 national
2.7%
Unemployment
4% national
$905M
GDP
34.6%
Bachelor's+
35.7% national
Small population: 7,885 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
$71,325
Per Capita
$39,446
Mean Household
$93,106
Poverty Rate
6.5% approx.
Median Income Comparison
Thomas County$71,325
Kansas$74,275
National$80,734

Population Profile

Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 · Tables B01001, B02001, B03003
65+: 18.6% (1,468 residents) 55-64: 10.9% (860 residents) 35-54: 20.7% (1,635 residents) 18-34: 25.1% (1,980 residents) Under 18: 24.6% (1,942 residents) 35 Median Age
Cohorts
Under 18 · 24.6%
18-34 · 25.1%
35-54 · 20.7%
55-64 · 10.9%
65+ · 18.6%
Race & Ethnicity
White89.7%
Black or African American1%
Asian0.1%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)8.4%
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+
95.3%
High School+
National: 89.6%
▲ +5.7 pts
34.6%
Bachelor's+
National: 35.7%
▼ 1.1 pts
8.7%
Graduate+
National: 14.1%
▼ 5.4 pts

Employment Overview

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
7,885
Population
4,417
Labor Force
Employed
4,392
Unemployment Rate BLS LAUS 2025 annual
2.7% ▲ +0.2 pts YoY
Mean Commute 15 min below national avg
11.7 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
9.6%
Key Takeaways
  • Young population: Median age of 35 is materially below the U.S. norm, a workforce pipeline asset.

Economy & Industry

Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW · Bureau of Economic Analysis

$905M
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 Thomas County, Kansas, with employment, share of top sectors, and average wage
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top 10Avg Wage
1Retail Trade
645 35.0%
$31,887
2Wholesale Trade
316 17.1%
$68,613
3Construction
213 11.6%
$70,716
4Transportation and Warehousing
131 7.1%
$62,689
5Finance and Insurance
127 6.9%
$85,621
6Manufacturing
116 6.3%
$55,969
7Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
91 4.9%
$48,190
8Other Services (except Public Administration)
79 4.3%
$66,697
9Administrative and Support and Waste Management
74 4.0%
$50,866
10Utilities
51 2.8%
$118,053
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Retail Trade employs 645 workers (35% of tracked sectors), at an average wage of $31,887.
  • Economic scale: Regional GDP of $905M (2024).
  • Wage stratification: Utilities averages $118,053 while Retail Trade averages $31,887, a 3.7x 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
34.88x
248
Pipeline Transportation
11.49x
17
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
5.94x
164
Utilities
3.22x
51
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
2.87x
166
General Merchandise Retailers
2.56x
218
Couriers and Messengers
2.20x
65
Telecommunications
1.92x
30
Repair and Maintenance
1.61x
62

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
382
Cluster Employment
5.94x
Peak LQ
Concentrated Sub-Sectors
Animal Production and Aquaculture
34.88x 248
Pipeline Transportation
11.49x 17
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
5.94x 164
Utilities
3.22x 51
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
2.87x 166
General Merchandise Retailers
2.56x 218
Couriers and Messengers
2.20x 65
Telecommunications
1.92x 30
Repair and Maintenance
1.61x 62

Attraction Opportunities

LQ < 0.5 with ≥ 50 employed, realistic diversification targets. Source: BLS QCEW
0.32x
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
91 employed
0.45x
Ambulatory Health Care Services
108 employed
Key Takeaways
  • Top specialization: Animal Production and Aquaculture concentrates at 34.88x 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: 5 sub-sectors register LQ < 0.5, candidates for diversification or recruitment depending on labor-market fit.
Source: BLS QCEW sub-sector Location Quotients.
Thomas 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
$172,700
Median Home Value vs 2019
$752
Rent/Mo
75.2%
Owner-Occ
12.2%
Vacancy
2.4x
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
$688/mo
2 Bedroom
$877/mo
3 Bedroom
$1,116/mo
4 Bedroom
$1,276/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,783/mo) · rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Key Takeaways
  • Affordable market: Home value to income ratio of 2.4x is well below the ~4.1x national average; supports talent attraction and family settlement narratives.
  • High home ownership: 75.2% owner-occupied; rental supply may be tight for incoming workers.
  • Elevated vacancy: 12.2% 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 (~$1,783/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
4,475
Working Age (18-64) vs 2019
Mean Commute 15 min below national avg
11.7 min
Work From Home vs 15.1% national
9.6%
Prime-Age Employed (25-54)
92.8%
of prime-age population
Labor force participation rate: 74.3% of working-age population (18-64) 74% Participation
▲ vs 2019

Education & Talent Pipeline

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table B15003 · College Scorecard
Bachelor's+
34.6%
HS Diploma+
95.3%
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
19.2%
55-64 of working-age population (18-64)

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Census ACS 2020-2024 · Table C24010 · Civilian employed population 16+
Management / Professional
40.1%
Service
15.4%
Sales & Office
24.3%
Construction / Maint.
8.8%
Production / Transport
11.4%
Bars scaled 2× for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 4,392 employed workers.
Key Takeaways
  • Short commutes: 11.7-minute mean commute is a quality-of-life and labor-access advantage worth surfacing for site selectors.
  • 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

Thomas County shows strong potential for animal production and aquaculture attraction, with a 34.88x concentration and 248 jobs in this sub-sector. It ranks in the top decile nationally.

The interconnected base across animal production and aquaculture, pipeline transportation, and gasoline stations and fuel dealers 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 Thomas County, Kansas, from federal data sources.

What is the population of Thomas County, Kansas?

7,885 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

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

$71,325 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates).

What is the unemployment rate in Thomas County, Kansas?

2.7% (2025 annual average, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS).

What is the GDP of Thomas County, Kansas?

$905M (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAGDP1).