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Barton County, KS: population growth, jobs and income

Barton County lost 123 residents between 2024 and 2025 (−0.5%).

Barton County had an estimated 24,790 residents in 2025, down 2.5% (647 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than Kansas as a whole (+1.3%), and the 73rd fastest growth of 105 counties in Kansas.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Barton County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Barton County, ranked against Kansas and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$761/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes16.2%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months82025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

New homes permitted

9

2025

0.4 per 1,000 residents

Small base: the change swings on a few homes or people, so we don't show it.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Housing units authorized by building permits in the year.

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 137 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 9,604 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −3.0% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 3.7% in 2025, 0.5 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 9 new homes in 2025, or 0.4 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $58,851 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +20.4% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,595th.

Part of the Great Bend, KS micro area.

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Barton County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202524,790−123
202424,913−22
202324,935−117
202225,052−224
202125,276−161
202025,437–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Barton County

Barton County lost 647 people since 2020; the biggest drag was domestic migration (−628).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths+5−113
International migrationfrom and to other countries+9+101
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−137−628
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+0−7
Total change−123−647

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn KansasAmong U.S. counties
Population growth73rd of 1052,595th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents72nd of 1052,607th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth62nd of 1052,268th of 3,092
Median household income83rd of 1052,162nd of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate62nd of 1051,164th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents67th of 1032,519th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

Get the county report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for Barton County, KS as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Barton County's population change (−2.5%) was ahead of 2 of its 6 neighbouring counties and behind 4.

Its median household income ($58,851, 2020–24) is lower than in all 6 of its neighbouring counties.

Barton County, KS and its 6 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Barton County, KS This county24,790−2.5%−5.50.4$58,851
Russell County, KS6,581−1.4%−5.84.6$62,392
Stafford County, KS4,005−1.4%20.22.7$64,226
Rush County, KS2,845−3.2%10.50.7$59,970
Pawnee County, KS5,991−4.2%−5.50.0$63,517
Rice County, KS9,266−1.2%−0.91.6$63,925
Ellsworth County, KS6,257−1.7%−4.50.2$65,560

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 105 Kansas counties · Every state

Questions

Is Barton County growing?

No. Its population fell 2.5% between 2020 and 2025, about 647 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). Kansas as a whole changed +1.3% over the same years. That ranks 73rd of 105 counties in Kansas for population growth.

How many people moved to Barton County?

On net, none in 2025: about 137 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Barton County?

It averaged 3.7% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Barton County?

About 24,790 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Barton County?

Private employers there had 9,604 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −3.0% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Kansas

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Kansas county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Barton County data alerts

Email me when Barton County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Barton County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.