Elk County, Kansas

KS · FIPS 20049 Republican

Located in Kansas, Elk County has a population of 2,453 residents and a median age of 48.8 years, making it the #3,076 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.4%. The median home value is $68,500, and the median household income is $64,609, which is 14% below the national median.

2,453
Population
#3,076 of 3,222
$64,609
Median Income
-14.0% #1,662 of 3,222
48.8 years
Median Age
+25.4% #296 of 3,222
10.4%
Poverty Rate
-17.7% #879 of 3,222

Demographics

Elk County has a population of 2,453, making it the #3,076 most populous county in the US. The median age is 48.8 years, which is 25.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.0%
Native Born
1.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Elk County is $64,609, ranking #1,662 out of 3,222 counties — 14.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.4% and unemployment stands at 2.0%.

Income#1,662
$64,609
-14.0%
vs nation
48th percentile
Per Capita#2,225
$31,216
-24.3%
vs nation
31th percentile
Poverty#879
10.4%
-17.7%
vs nation
73th percentile
Unemployment#290
2.0%
-61.8%
vs nation
91th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Elk County is $68,500 (-75.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $552/mo and the homeownership rate is 78.8%.

Home Value#3,200
$68,500
-75.7%
vs nation
1th percentile
Rent#3,115
$552
-52.5%
vs nation
3th percentile
Homeownership#826
78.8%
+22.3%
vs nation
74th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Elk County, 21.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 36.3% below the national average, ranking #1,738 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.5% −36.3% vs nation
Rank #1,738 of 3,222
46th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Elk County is 74.2 years. 20.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 12.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,858
74.2
-1.2%
vs nation
39th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,916
20.4%
+4.3%
vs nation
39th percentile
Diabetes#2,106
12.0%
+7.8%
vs nation
33th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#2,110
39.4%
+5.6%
vs nation
33th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,582
5.7
+0.1%
vs nation
50th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,654
4.5
+0.3%
vs nation
47th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,236
12.5%
+19.7%
vs nation
29th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,395
30.1%
+14.1%
vs nation
24th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,996
15.5%
+7.6%
vs nation
37th percentile

Substance Use

21.2% of adults in Elk County smoke , 42.4% are obese , and 19.2% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,551
21.2%
+18.1%
vs nation
19th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,702
42.4%
+11.9%
vs nation
14th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,261
19.2%
-3.4%
vs nation
60th percentile

Safety

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Families & Children

23.7% of children in Elk County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 21.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,617
21.5
-1.5%
vs nation
46th percentile
Child Poverty#2,389
23.7%
+24.8%
vs nation
24th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Elk County is 70.0%. The mean commute time is 33.2 min, which is 20.4% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
70.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
33.2 min +20.4% vs nation
Rank #451 of 3,222
86th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Elk County voted Republican with a margin of 69.6%. The vote was 14.3% Dem / 83.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +0.1 toward Democrats .

2024 REP +69.6%
14.3% 83.9%
Dem 1,338 votes Rep
2020 REP +69.7%
14.2% 83.9%
Dem 1,347 votes Rep
2016 REP +70.5%
12.7% 83.2%
Dem 1,259 votes Rep
2012 REP +56.3%
20.4% 76.7%
Dem 1,356 votes Rep
2008 REP +47.4%
25.3% 72.7%
Dem 1,434 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Elk County, Kansas

Elk County, Kansas has a total population of 2,453, making it the 3,076th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Elk County is 48.8 years, which is 25.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Elk County is $64,609, which ranks #1,662 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 14.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.0%.

The median home value in Elk County is $68,500, 75.7% below the national median. Renters in Elk County pay a median gross rent of $552 per month. The homeownership rate is 78.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Elk County, 21.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 36.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 33.2 min.

Elk County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 87.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (6.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.5%).

All data for Elk 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.