From 2018 to 2019, the U.S. population grew by .48%, its slowest rate in 100 years.
Declining births, increasing deaths largely due to the graying Baby Boomer population, and a crackdown on immigration have contributed to many states seeing net population losses in recent years.
But in other pockets of the country, populations are growing. These shifts can be due to job opportunities, high quality of life, easy commutability to job centers, low rents, or any combination of these or other factors.
Stacker compiled a list of the fastest-growing counties in Kansas using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest population growth from 2010 to 2019, based on 5-year estimates.
A county typically sees population growth as a “bedroom community” (a municipality with an atypically large commuting population) to a large city.
These communities are typically quieter than their feeder cities, offer lower rents and a higher quality of living, and are remote enough to be immune to the feeder city’s crime, traffic, and crowds.
Keep reading to see if your home county made the list.
Smallbones // Wikimedia Commons
#30. Rawlins County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: -92
— #1,691 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -3.5%
— #46 among counties in Kansas, #2,347 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 2,502
— #97 largest county in Kansas, #3,006 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#29. Hodgeman County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: -79
— #1,666 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -4.0%
— #56 among counties in Kansas, #2,453 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 1,876
— #101 largest county in Kansas, #3,060 largest county nationwide
Art davis // Wikimedia Commons
#28. Gove County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: -77
— #1,664 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -2.8%
— #41 among counties in Kansas, #2,195 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 2,644
— #90 largest county in Kansas, #2,993 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#27. Sheridan County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: -72
— #1,656 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -2.8%
— #40 among counties in Kansas, #2,181 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 2,506
— #95 largest county in Kansas, #3,004 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#26. Sherman County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: -64
— #1,650 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -1.1%
— #28 among counties in Kansas, #1,793 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 5,938
— #60 largest county in Kansas, #2,756 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#25. Kearny County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: -59
— #1,643 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -1.5%
— #32 among counties in Kansas, #1,886 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 3,907
— #75 largest county in Kansas, #2,909 largest county nationwide
Billy Hathorn // Wikimedia Commons
#24. Hamilton County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: -52
— #1,632 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: -2.0%
— #34 among counties in Kansas, #1,988 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 2,591
— #92 largest county in Kansas, #2,998 largest county nationwide
Pittsburgstealer // Wikimedia Commons
#23. Crawford County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: -17
— #1,581 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: 0.0%
— #23 among counties in Kansas, #1,568 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 38,968
— #11 largest county in Kansas, #1,202 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#22. Logan County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +31
— #1,516 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.1%
— #19 among counties in Kansas, #1,351 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 2,805
— #87 largest county in Kansas, #2,985 largest county nationwide
CGP Grey // Wikimedia Commons
#21. Russell County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +33
— #1,512 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.5%
— #22 among counties in Kansas, #1,465 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 6,948
— #53 largest county in Kansas, #2,677 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#20. Thomas County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +53
— #1,483 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +0.7%
— #21 among counties in Kansas, #1,430 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 7,810
— #49 largest county in Kansas, #2,609 largest county nationwide
Spacini // Wikimedia Commons
#19. Stevens County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +70
— #1,470 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.3%
— #18 among counties in Kansas, #1,327 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 5,603
— #62 largest county in Kansas, #2,785 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#18. Scott County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +85
— #1,444 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.8%
— #15 among counties in Kansas, #1,244 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 4,917
— #69 largest county in Kansas, #2,837 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#17. Wallace County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +134
— #1,394 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +9.3%
— #5 among counties in Kansas, #448 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 1,574
— #103 largest county in Kansas, #3,078 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#16. Gray County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +169
— #1,368 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.9%
— #12 among counties in Kansas, #1,075 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 6,039
— #59 largest county in Kansas, #2,746 largest county nationwide
JonHarder // Wikimedia Commons
#15. Harvey County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +353
— #1,229 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.0%
— #20 among counties in Kansas, #1,368 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 34,503
— #14 largest county in Kansas, #1,312 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#14. Finney County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +611
— #1,118 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.7%
— #16 among counties in Kansas, #1,256 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 36,750
— #12 largest county in Kansas, #1,257 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#13. Ellis County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +736
— #1,060 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.6%
— #14 among counties in Kansas, #1,113 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 28,775
— #20 largest county in Kansas, #1,464 largest county nationwide
Ichabod // Wikimedia Commons
#12. Miami County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +1,301
— #905 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.1%
— #11 among counties in Kansas, #907 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 33,417
— #17 largest county in Kansas, #1,343 largest county nationwide
Ammodramus // Wikimedia Commons
#11. Ford County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +1,452
— #872 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.4%
— #10 among counties in Kansas, #864 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 34,179
— #15 largest county in Kansas, #1,323 largest county nationwide
MadameGraffigny // Wikimedia Commons
#10. Butler County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +1,845
— #798 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.8%
— #13 among counties in Kansas, #1,080 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 66,698
— #8 largest county in Kansas, #797 largest county nationwide
National Park Service Midwest Region // Wikimedia Commons
#9. Shawnee County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +2,315
— #732 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.3%
— #17 among counties in Kansas, #1,320 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 177,852
— #3 largest county in Kansas, #369 largest county nationwide
Spacini // Wikimedia Commons
#8. Pottawatomie County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +3,066
— #656 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +14.8%
— #1 among counties in Kansas, #203 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 23,847
— #24 largest county in Kansas, #1,647 largest county nationwide
SharonPapierdreams // Wikimedia Commons
#7. Geary County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +3,488
— #626 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +11.4%
— #2 among counties in Kansas, #323 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 34,025
— #16 largest county in Kansas, #1,327 largest county nationwide
Kzollman // Wikimedia Commons
#6. Riley County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +6,021
— #499 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +8.7%
— #6 among counties in Kansas, #490 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 75,056
— #7 largest county in Kansas, #740 largest county nationwide
Ichabod // Wikimedia Commons
#5. Leavenworth County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +6,134
— #493 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +8.2%
— #7 among counties in Kansas, #516 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 80,745
— #6 largest county in Kansas, #696 largest county nationwide
Safire1k // Wikimedia Commons
#4. Wyandotte County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +9,399
— #407 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.0%
— #8 among counties in Kansas, #693 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 164,861
— #4 largest county in Kansas, #395 largest county nationwide
Ajohnson360 // Wikimedia Commons
#3. Douglas County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +11,238
— #366 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +10.3%
— #4 among counties in Kansas, #383 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 120,290
— #5 largest county in Kansas, #519 largest county nationwide
Ichabod // Wikimedia Commons
#2. Sedgwick County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +27,252
— #201 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.6%
— #9 among counties in Kansas, #736 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 513,375
— #2 largest county in Kansas, #135 largest county nationwide
Ichabod // Wikimedia Commons
#1. Johnson County
– 2010 to 2019 population change: +60,278
— #87 among all counties nationwide
– 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +11.3%
— #3 among counties in Kansas, #325 among all counties nationwide
– 2019 population: 591,506
— #1 largest county in Kansas, #111 largest county nationwide
