Douglas County, Kansas: commercial real estate data.
Douglas County, Kansas has a population of 120,302 across 456 square miles, up 2.7 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $7.03 bn in 2024, 2,774 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 96 7(a) approvals worth $44.5 m.
121 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Douglas County
How many people live in Douglas County
- Population120,302
- Households50,406
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$69,746
- Median age31.6
- Median gross rent$1,099 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$309,400
- Home value to household income4.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher53.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree24.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over71,726
- Population under 1821,113
- Share under 1817.5 percent
- Population 65 and over16,722
- Share 65 and over13.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6482,467
- Civilian labor force69,732
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over70.3 percent
- Rank by population among Kansas counties5th of 105
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents536th
Douglas County is the 5th largest of 105 Kansas counties by population. A median home costs 4.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 17.5 percent against 13.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Douglas County
Is Douglas County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.70 percent
- Census 2020 base population118,777
- Births, 2024969
- Deaths, 2024815
- Natural change, 2024154
- Net domestic migration, 2024-643
- Net international migration, 20241,289
- Total net migration, 2024646
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-379
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents952nd
The county has grown 2.70 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Douglas County
Where people moving to Douglas County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,781
- People arriving, from those returns5,956
- Adjusted gross income arriving$197.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$52,093
- Largest single originDouglas County Non-migrants (41,252 households)
- Largest single destination (41,252 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County Non-migrants | 41,252 | 78,611 | $3.80 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,390 | 2,210 | $73.7 m |
| Johnson County | 580 | 936 | $34.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 465 | 764 | $30.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 442 | 671 | $22.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 360 | 601 | $11.3 m |
| Shawnee County | 335 | 510 | $16.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 323 | 506 | $15.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Douglas 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.
Douglas County
What the Douglas County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$7.03 bn
- County GDP, 2023$6.63 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.1 percent
- GDP change over five years31.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kansas counties5th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents583rd
- GDP per resident$58,453
Output grew 6.1 percent in the latest year and 31.6 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.
Douglas County
Who employs people in Douglas County
- Covered employment, annual average50,969
- Establishments reporting3,726
- Average annual pay$54,079
- Average weekly wage$1,040
- Sector 72, employment7,198
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,846
- Sector 44-45, employment5,648
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,192
- Sector 31-33, employment5,107
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$66,179
- Sector 62, employment4,842
- Sector 62, average annual pay$45,906
- Sector 54, employment3,526
- Sector 81, employment2,290
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 7,198 | 344 | $20,846 |
| Sector 44-45 | 5,648 | 313 | $32,192 |
| Sector 31-33 | 5,107 | 107 | $66,179 |
| Sector 62 | 4,842 | 371 | $45,906 |
| Sector 54 | 3,526 | 685 | $85,176 |
| Sector 81 | 2,290 | 258 | $50,259 |
| Sector 23 | 2,160 | 288 | $72,281 |
| Sector 56 | 1,261 | 286 | $49,591 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 7,198 jobs, 14.1 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.
Douglas County
What businesses operate in Douglas County
- Establishments, all industries2,774
- Employment at those establishments38,737
- Annual payroll$1.69 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.1
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.
Douglas County
What is being built in Douglas County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024247
- Declared construction value permitted$73.8 m
- Single family units authorised196
- Multifamily units authorised51
- Multifamily share of units20.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$298,878
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.9
Multifamily is 20.6 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Douglas County
How much SBA lending happens in Douglas County
- 7(a) approvals recorded96
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$44.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$463,064
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,000,000
- Largest single approval$4,850,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)910
- Jobs per approval9.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active45
- Distinct industries receiving approvals62
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer6.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter84
- Franchise loans11
- Franchise share of approvals11.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (6)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (7)
- 504 approvals recorded65
- 504 gross approval dollars$38.0 m
- Average 504 approval$584,031
- Median 504 approval$379,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval9.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.7
- Most active CDCWakarusa Valley Development, Inc. (47)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals59.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$82.4 m
The average approval of $463,064 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. Only 6.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Douglas County
Do SBA loans in Douglas County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded27
- Paid in full27
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full27
- Status: Exempt from disclosure54
- Status: Cancelled13
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Of the 27 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Douglas County
Which parts of Douglas County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- Lawrence, approvals83
- EUDORA, approvals6
- LECOMPTON, approvals4
- SAINT PAUL, approvals2
- Baldwin City, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Lawrence | 83 | $40,644,800 |
| EUDORA | 6 | $1,912,800 |
| LECOMPTON | 4 | $1,439,500 |
| SAINT PAUL | 2 | $250,000 |
| Baldwin City | 1 | $207,000 |
Lawrence accounts for 83 approvals against 6 in EUDORA. 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.
Douglas County
How big is Douglas County
- Land area456 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kansas counties101st of 105
- Width, east to west23.9 mi
- Height, north to south22 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land264
- Establishments per square mile6.08
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 Douglas 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 Douglas County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population120,302
- Households50,406
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$69,746
- Median age31.6
Common questions
Douglas County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Douglas County, Kansas?
120,302, in 50,406 households, ranking 5th of 105 Kansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Douglas County growing?
The population has grown 2.70 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 969 births against 815 deaths, with net migration of 646. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Douglas County?
$69,746. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $309,400, which is 4.4 times income, and median gross rent is $1,099 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Douglas County?
2,774 establishments, employing 38,737 people with an annual payroll of $1.69 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Douglas County?
Average annual pay is $54,079, or $1,040 a week, across 50,969 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Douglas County?
96 7(a) approvals totalling $44.5 m since FY2020, across 45 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 65 504 approvals worth $38.0 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Douglas County get paid back?
Of the 27 loans that have reached a final outcome, 27 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Douglas County?
247 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $73.8 m. Multifamily was 20.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Douglas 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 Douglas County come from?
The largest single origin is Douglas County Non-migrants, with 41,252 households. Arriving households report an average income of $52,093 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 Douglas 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 Douglas 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.