Cowley County, Kansas: commercial real estate data.
Cowley County, Kansas has a population of 34,411 across 1,126 square miles, down 1.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.70 bn in 2024, 719 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 13 7(a) approvals worth $7.7 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Cowley County
How many people live in Cowley County
- Population34,411
- Households13,387
- Average household size2.57
- Median household income$57,878
- Median age39.2
- Median gross rent$809 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$120,900
- Home value to household income2.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher24.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over22,708
- Population under 188,111
- Share under 1823.6 percent
- Population 65 and over6,518
- Share 65 and over18.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6419,782
- Civilian labor force15,788
- Unemployment rate3.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.0 percent
- Rank by population among Kansas counties15th of 105
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1354th
Cowley County is the 15th largest of 105 Kansas counties by population. A median home costs 2.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.6 percent against 18.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Cowley County
Is Cowley County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.06 percent
- Census 2020 base population34,554
- Births, 2024394
- Deaths, 2024498
- Natural change, 2024-104
- Net domestic migration, 2024-45
- Net international migration, 202489
- Total net migration, 202444
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-163
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2207th
The county has lost 1.06 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Cowley County
Where people moving to Cowley County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving708
- People arriving, from those returns1,361
- Adjusted gross income arriving$31.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$44,703
- Largest single originCowley County Non-migrants (11,916 households)
- Largest single destination (11,916 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowley County Non-migrants | 11,916 | 24,766 | $749.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 298 | 593 | $14.0 m |
| Sedgwick County | 161 | 287 | $7.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 141 | 288 | $5.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 113 | 221 | $4.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 99 | 178 | $5.2 m |
| Sumner County | 70 | 132 | $2.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 58 | 127 | $3.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Cowley 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.
Cowley County
What the Cowley County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.70 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.70 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-0.2 percent
- GDP change over five years29.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kansas counties21st
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1417th
- GDP per resident$49,318
Output grew -0.2 percent in the latest year and 29.6 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.
Cowley County
Who employs people in Cowley County
- Covered employment, annual average13,041
- Establishments reporting782
- Average annual pay$49,217
- Average weekly wage$946
- Sector 31-33, employment3,660
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$67,322
- Sector 44-45, employment1,319
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,605
- Sector 72, employment932
- Sector 72, average annual pay$17,873
- Sector 23, employment370
- Sector 23, average annual pay$68,521
- Sector 56, employment362
- Sector 52, employment327
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 3,660 | 48 | $67,322 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,319 | 100 | $32,605 |
| Sector 72 | 932 | 63 | $17,873 |
| Sector 23 | 370 | 54 | $68,521 |
| Sector 56 | 362 | 44 | $37,244 |
| Sector 52 | 327 | 49 | $65,949 |
| Sector 42 | 280 | 40 | $65,683 |
| Sector 81 | 188 | 54 | $33,629 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,660 jobs, 28.1 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.
Cowley County
What businesses operate in Cowley County
- Establishments, all industries719
- Employment at those establishments10,889
- Annual payroll$486.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents20.9
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.
Cowley County
What is being built in Cowley County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202441
- Declared construction value permitted$7.9 m
- Single family units authorised35
- Multifamily units authorised6
- Multifamily share of units14.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$193,423
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.1
Multifamily is 14.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cowley County
How much SBA lending happens in Cowley County
- 7(a) approvals recorded13
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$7.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$588,746
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$843,000
- Largest single approval$4,945,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)157
- Jobs per approval12.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals10
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer30.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter9
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals15.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countVeterinary Services (2)
- Most active lenderCommunity National Bank & Trust (4)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.9 m
- Average 504 approval$587,200
- Median 504 approval$579,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval7.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.6
- Most active CDCRural Missouri, Inc. (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals72.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$10.6 m
The average approval of $588,746 sits well above the median of $150,000, 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. 30.8 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. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cowley County
Do SBA loans in Cowley County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure10
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 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.
Cowley County
Which parts of Cowley County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- WINFIELD, approvals9
- ARKANSAS CITY, approvals3
- Udall, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| WINFIELD | 9 | $2,488,700 |
| ARKANSAS CITY | 3 | $5,115,000 |
| Udall | 1 | $50,000 |
WINFIELD accounts for 9 approvals against 3 in ARKANSAS CITY. 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.
Cowley County
How big is Cowley County
- Land area1,126 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kansas counties7th of 105
- Width, east to west34.7 mi
- Height, north to south33 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land31
- Establishments per square mile0.64
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 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 Cowley 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 Cowley County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population34,411
- Households13,387
- Average household size2.57
- Median household income$57,878
- Median age39.2
Common questions
Cowley County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cowley County, Kansas?
34,411, in 13,387 households, ranking 15th of 105 Kansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cowley County growing?
The population has fallen 1.06 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 394 births against 498 deaths, with net migration of 44. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cowley County?
$57,878. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $120,900, which is 2.1 times income, and median gross rent is $809 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Cowley County?
719 establishments, employing 10,889 people with an annual payroll of $486.0 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 Cowley County?
Average annual pay is $49,217, or $946 a week, across 13,041 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cowley County?
13 7(a) approvals totalling $7.7 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $2.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Cowley County?
41 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.9 m. Multifamily was 14.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cowley County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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 Cowley County come from?
The largest single origin is Cowley County Non-migrants, with 11,916 households. Arriving households report an average income of $44,703 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 Cowley 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 Cowley 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.