Brown County, Kansas: commercial real estate data.
Brown County, Kansas has a population of 9,343 across 571 square miles, down 3.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $702.1 m in 2024, 277 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $3.6 m.
103 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Brown County
How many people live in Brown County
- Population9,343
- Households3,794
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$62,233
- Median age41.7
- Median gross rent$646 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$118,100
- Home value to household income1.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher19.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,456
- Population under 182,333
- Share under 1825.0 percent
- Population 65 and over2,088
- Share 65 and over22.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,922
- Civilian labor force4,578
- Unemployment rate5.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.3 percent
- Rank by population among Kansas counties42nd of 105
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2540th
Brown County is the 42nd largest of 105 Kansas counties by population. A median home costs 1.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 25.0 percent against 22.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Brown County
Is Brown County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.84 percent
- Census 2020 base population9,507
- Births, 202493
- Deaths, 2024127
- Natural change, 2024-34
- Net domestic migration, 2024-113
- Net international migration, 202423
- Total net migration, 2024-90
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-199
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2879th
The county has lost 3.84 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Brown County
Where people moving to Brown County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving198
- People arriving, from those returns358
- Adjusted gross income arriving$8.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$43,995
- Largest single originBrown County Non-migrants (3,563 households)
- Largest single destination (3,563 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County Non-migrants | 3,563 | 7,659 | $230.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 102 | 187 | $4.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 67 | 118 | $2.9 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 47 | 86 | $1.8 m |
| Nemaha County | 29 | 53 | $1.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 20 | 32 | $1.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Brown County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Brown County
What the Brown County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$702.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$677.6 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.6 percent
- GDP change over five years26.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kansas counties40th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2134th
- GDP per resident$75,150
Output grew 3.6 percent in the latest year and 26.0 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Brown County
Who employs people in Brown County
- Covered employment, annual average4,493
- Establishments reporting339
- Average annual pay$50,553
- Average weekly wage$972
- Sector 31-33, employment933
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$75,699
- Sector 44-45, employment426
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$29,561
- Sector 42, employment166
- Sector 42, average annual pay$84,777
- Sector 52, employment153
- Sector 52, average annual pay$58,971
- Sector 54, employment122
- Sector 23, employment98
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 933 | 22 | $75,699 |
| Sector 44-45 | 426 | 29 | $29,561 |
| Sector 42 | 166 | 22 | $84,777 |
| Sector 52 | 153 | 18 | $58,971 |
| Sector 54 | 122 | 22 | $64,448 |
| Sector 23 | 98 | 31 | $36,716 |
| Sector 51 | 64 | 6 | $60,790 |
| Sector 81 | 44 | 22 | $39,634 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 933 jobs, 20.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Brown County
What businesses operate in Brown County
- Establishments, all industries277
- Employment at those establishments3,268
- Annual payroll$161.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents29.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Brown County
What is being built in Brown County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorised0
- Multifamily units authorised0
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. In a small county this is common and is not by itself a sign of distress, but it does mean there is no recent residential pipeline to read demand from.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Brown County
How much SBA lending happens in Brown County
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$3.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$892,250
- Median 7(a) approval$600,000
- 10th percentile approval$370,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,000,000
- Largest single approval$2,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)49
- Jobs per approval12.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals4
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer100.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter0
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals25.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSupermarkets and Other Grocery (except Convenience) Stores (1)
- Most active lenderUMB Bank, National Association (1)
The average approval of $892,250 sits well above the median of $600,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 100.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Brown County
Do SBA loans in Brown County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Brown County
Which parts of Brown County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- HIAWATHA, approvals2
- Sabetha, approvals1
- HORTON, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| HIAWATHA | 2 | $970,000 |
| Sabetha | 1 | $599,000 |
| HORTON | 1 | $2,000,000 |
HIAWATHA accounts for 2 approvals against 1 in Sabetha. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Brown County
How big is Brown County
- Land area571 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kansas counties91st of 105
- Width, east to west23.9 mi
- Height, north to south24 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land16
- Establishments per square mile0.49
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No 504 approvals recorded in this county in the FOIA release covering FY2010 onward.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Brown County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Brown County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population9,343
- Households3,794
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$62,233
- Median age41.7
Common questions
Brown County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Brown County, Kansas?
9,343, in 3,794 households, ranking 42nd of 105 Kansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Brown County growing?
The population has fallen 3.84 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 93 births against 127 deaths, with net migration of -90. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Brown County?
$62,233. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $118,100, which is 1.9 times income, and median gross rent is $646 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Brown County?
277 establishments, employing 3,268 people with an annual payroll of $161.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Brown County?
Average annual pay is $50,553, or $972 a week, across 4,493 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Brown County?
4 7(a) approvals totalling $3.6 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $600,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Brown County?
No residential units were authorised by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Brown County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Brown County come from?
The largest single origin is Brown County Non-migrants, with 3,563 households. Arriving households report an average income of $43,995 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Brown County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Brown County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.