Atchison County, Kansas

KS · FIPS 20005 Republican

Located in Kansas, Atchison County has a population of 16,208 residents and a median age of 36.1 years, making it the #2,083 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.0%. The median home value is $145,700, and the median household income is $61,112, which is 19% below the national median.

16,208
Population
#2,083 of 3,222
$61,112
Median Income
-18.7% #1,979 of 3,222
36.1 years
Median Age
-7.2% #2,862 of 3,222
13.0%
Poverty Rate
+3.0% #1,520 of 3,222

Demographics

Atchison County has a population of 16,208, making it the #2,083 most populous county in the US. The median age is 36.1 years, which is 7.2% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.9%
Native Born
2.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Atchison County is $61,112, ranking #1,979 out of 3,222 counties — 18.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.0% and unemployment stands at 4.6%.

Income#1,979
$61,112
-18.7%
vs nation
39th percentile
Per Capita#2,383
$30,244
-26.7%
vs nation
26th percentile
Poverty#1,520
13.0%
+3.0%
vs nation
53th percentile
Unemployment#1,731
4.6%
-13.4%
vs nation
46th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Atchison County is $145,700 (-48.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $765/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.9%.

Home Value#2,319
$145,700
-48.3%
vs nation
28th percentile
Rent#2,372
$765
-34.2%
vs nation
26th percentile
Homeownership#2,024
71.9%
+11.7%
vs nation
37th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Atchison County, 21.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 35.2% below the national average, ranking #1,681 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.8% −35.2% vs nation
Rank #1,681 of 3,222
48th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Atchison County is 75.9 years. 17.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,323
75.9
+1.0%
vs nation
57th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,132
17.2%
-12.1%
vs nation
64th percentile
Diabetes#1,471
10.6%
-4.8%
vs nation
53th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,240
36.3%
-2.7%
vs nation
61th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,191
5.5
-3.1%
vs nation
62th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#707
3.9
-12.3%
vs nation
78th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,324
8.4%
-19.4%
vs nation
58th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,384
25.2%
-4.5%
vs nation
56th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,579
14.2%
-1.4%
vs nation
50th percentile

Substance Use

18.4% of adults in Atchison County smoke , 40.5% are obese , and 18.8% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,778
18.4%
+2.5%
vs nation
44th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,200
40.5%
+6.8%
vs nation
30th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,130
18.8%
-5.3%
vs nation
64th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 27.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.1 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,242
27.7
+40.5%
vs nation
12th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#976
14.9
-16.7%
vs nation
60th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,824
22.1
+8.9%
vs nation
35th percentile

Families & Children

15.5% of children in Atchison County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 11.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#550
11.4
-47.9%
vs nation
82th percentile
Child Poverty#1,179
15.5%
-18.4%
vs nation
63th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Atchison County is 60.2%. The mean commute time is 24.0 min, which is 12.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
60.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.0 min −12.9% vs nation
Rank #2,140 of 3,222
34th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Atchison County voted Republican with a margin of 37.4%. The vote was 30.3% Dem / 67.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +37.4%
30.3% 67.7%
Dem 7,255 votes Rep
2020 REP +34.4%
31.6% 66%
Dem 7,312 votes Rep
2016 REP +31.8%
30.4% 62.2%
Dem 6,393 votes Rep
2012 REP +20.7%
38.3% 59%
Dem 6,499 votes Rep
2008 REP +7.6%
45.1% 52.7%
Dem 7,191 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Atchison County, Kansas

Atchison County, Kansas has a total population of 16,208, making it the 2,083rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Atchison County is 36.1 years, which is 7.2% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Atchison County is $61,112, which ranks #1,979 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 18.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.6%.

The median home value in Atchison County is $145,700, 48.3% below the national median. Renters in Atchison County pay a median gross rent of $765 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Atchison County, 21.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 35.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.0 min.

Atchison County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 86.7% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.8%).

All data for Atchison County, Kansas comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.