Riley County, Kansas
Located in Kansas, Riley County has a population of 71,946 residents and a median age of 25.5 years, making it the #775 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 19.9%. The median home value is $237,100, and the median household income is $61,098, which is 19% below the national median.
Demographics
Riley County has a population of 71,946, making it the #775 most populous county in the US. The median age is 25.5 years, which is 34.4% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Riley County is $61,098, ranking #1,981 out of 3,222 counties — 18.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 19.9% and unemployment stands at 3.2%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Riley County is $237,100 (-15.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,046/mo and the homeownership rate is 46.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Riley County, 48.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.1% above the national average, ranking #113 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Riley County is 79.7 years. 17.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.2% of adults in Riley County smoke , 35.2% are obese , and 18.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 7.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Riley County is 2.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 11.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 6.5 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
12.9% of children in Riley County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.0 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 7.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Riley County is 43.0%. The mean commute time is 17.9 min, which is 35.2% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Riley County voted Democratic with a margin of 1.8%. The vote was 49.6% Dem / 47.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.5 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Riley County, Kansas
Riley County, Kansas has a total population of 71,946, making it the 775th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Riley County is 25.5 years, which is 34.4% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Riley County is $61,098, which ranks #1,981 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 18.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 19.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.2%.
The median home value in Riley County is $237,100, 15.9% below the national median. Renters in Riley County pay a median gross rent of $1,046 per month. The homeownership rate is 46.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Riley County, 48.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.1% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 17.9 min.
Riley County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 73.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (10.0%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (6.4%).
All data for Riley 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.