Shawnee County, Kansas
Located in Kansas, Shawnee County has a population of 178,025 residents and a median age of 39.4 years, making it the #385 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.7%. The median home value is $180,900, and the median household income is $67,104, which is 11% below the national median.
Demographics
Shawnee County has a population of 178,025, making it the #385 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.4 years, which is 1.3% above 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 Shawnee County is $67,104, ranking #1,427 out of 3,222 counties — 10.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.7% and unemployment stands at 4.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Shawnee County is $180,900 (-35.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,000/mo and the homeownership rate is 66.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Shawnee County, 32.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 4.3% below the national average, ranking #615 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Shawnee County is 75.0 years. 15.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
16.4% of adults in Shawnee County smoke , 40.0% are obese , and 18.1% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 31.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Shawnee County is 10.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 22.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.6 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
13.4% of children in Shawnee County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 24.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Shawnee County is 65.0%. The mean commute time is 20.2 min, which is 27.0% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Shawnee County voted Democratic with a margin of 0.5%. The vote was 49.3% Dem / 48.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.4 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Shawnee County, Kansas
Shawnee County, Kansas has a total population of 178,025, making it the 385th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Shawnee County is 39.4 years, which is 1.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Shawnee County is $67,104, which ranks #1,427 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 10.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%.
The median home value in Shawnee County is $180,900, 35.8% below the national median. Renters in Shawnee County pay a median gross rent of $1,000 per month. The homeownership rate is 66.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Shawnee County, 32.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 4.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.2 min.
Shawnee County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 71.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (13.8%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (6.6%).
All data for Shawnee 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.