Ness County, Kansas

KS · FIPS 20135 Republican

Located in Kansas, Ness County has a population of 2,653 residents and a median age of 45.1 years, making it the #3,060 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.2%. The median home value is $89,700, and the median household income is $68,616, which is 9% below the national median.

2,653
Population
#3,060 of 3,222
$68,616
Median Income
-8.7% #1,290 of 3,222
45.1 years
Median Age
+15.9% #725 of 3,222
11.2%
Poverty Rate
-10.9% #1,073 of 3,222

Demographics

Ness County has a population of 2,653, making it the #3,060 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.1 years, which is 15.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

91.2%
Native Born
8.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Ness County is $68,616, ranking #1,290 out of 3,222 counties — 8.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.2% and unemployment stands at 0.8%.

Income#1,290
$68,616
-8.7%
vs nation
60th percentile
Per Capita#410
$45,085
+9.3%
vs nation
87th percentile
Poverty#1,073
11.2%
-10.9%
vs nation
67th percentile
Unemployment#78
0.8%
-84.8%
vs nation
98th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Ness County is $89,700 (-68.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $538/mo and the homeownership rate is 81.6%.

Home Value#3,094
$89,700
-68.2%
vs nation
4th percentile
Rent#3,132
$538
-53.7%
vs nation
3th percentile
Homeownership#411
81.6%
+26.7%
vs nation
87th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Ness County, 25.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 25.8% below the national average, ranking #1,222 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
25.0% −25.8% vs nation
Rank #1,222 of 3,222
62th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Ness County is 72.1 years. 18.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 13.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,478
72.1
-4.1%
vs nation
19th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,365
18.1%
-7.5%
vs nation
57th percentile
Diabetes#1,518
10.7%
-3.9%
vs nation
52th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,241
36.3%
-2.7%
vs nation
61th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#654
5.2
-8.7%
vs nation
79th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#708
3.9
-12.3%
vs nation
78th percentile
Uninsured Rate#2,415
13.5%
+28.5%
vs nation
23th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,449
25.5%
-3.3%
vs nation
54th percentile
Food Insecurity#903
12.3%
-14.6%
vs nation
71th percentile

Substance Use

18.5% of adults in Ness County smoke , 37.8% are obese , and 20.1% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,828
18.5%
+3.0%
vs nation
42th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,369
37.8%
-0.3%
vs nation
57th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,598
20.1%
+0.9%
vs nation
49th percentile

Safety

.

Families & Children

13.1% of children in Ness County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 21.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,591
21.2
-3.1%
vs nation
47th percentile
Child Poverty#791
13.1%
-31.0%
vs nation
75th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Ness County is 70.9%. The mean commute time is 16.7 min, which is 39.4% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
70.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
16.7 min −39.4% vs nation
Rank #3,089 of 3,222
4th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Ness County voted Republican with a margin of 78.9%. The vote was 9.5% Dem / 88.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 0.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +78.9%
9.5% 88.4%
Dem 1,363 votes Rep
2020 REP +78.5%
9.9% 88.4%
Dem 1,487 votes Rep
2016 REP +73.6%
11.1% 84.7%
Dem 1,435 votes Rep
2012 REP +69.1%
14.9% 84%
Dem 1,417 votes Rep
2008 REP +60.1%
19% 79.1%
Dem 1,525 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Ness County, Kansas

Ness County, Kansas has a total population of 2,653, making it the 3,060th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Ness County is 45.1 years, which is 15.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Ness County is $68,616, which ranks #1,290 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 8.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 0.8%.

The median home value in Ness County is $89,700, 68.2% below the national median. Renters in Ness County pay a median gross rent of $538 per month. The homeownership rate is 81.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Ness County, 25.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 25.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 16.7 min.

Ness County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 79.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (14.9%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).

All data for Ness 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.