Ford County, Kansas: commercial real estate data.
Ford County, Kansas has a population of 34,074 across 1,098 square miles, down 0.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $3.22 bn in 2024, 803 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 10 7(a) approvals worth $9.8 m.
118 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Ford County
How many people live in Ford County
- Population34,074
- Households11,796
- Average household size2.89
- Median household income$70,781
- Median age32.3
- Median gross rent$1,010 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$151,100
- Home value to household income2.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over20,254
- Population under 1810,197
- Share under 1829.9 percent
- Population 65 and over4,045
- Share 65 and over11.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6419,832
- Civilian labor force17,720
- Unemployment rate5.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over74.2 percent
- Rank by population among Kansas counties16th of 105
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1364th
Ford County is the 16th 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 29.9 percent against 11.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ford County
Is Ford County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.64 percent
- Census 2020 base population34,291
- Births, 2024553
- Deaths, 2024263
- Natural change, 2024290
- Net domestic migration, 2024-600
- Net international migration, 2024336
- Total net migration, 2024-264
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-2,103
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2067th
The county has lost 0.64 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Ford County
Where people moving to Ford County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving549
- People arriving, from those returns957
- Adjusted gross income arriving$26.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$47,801
- Largest single originFord County Non-migrants (12,078 households)
- Largest single destination (12,078 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford County Non-migrants | 12,078 | 26,684 | $828.7 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 286 | 497 | $14.0 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 164 | 288 | $6.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 153 | 254 | $6.2 m |
| Other flows - West | 88 | 166 | $4.6 m |
| Finney County | 54 | 103 | $3.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 45 | 77 | $3.2 m |
| Sedgwick County | 24 | 32 | $988,000 |
The largest single source of arrivals is Ford 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.
Ford County
What the Ford County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$3.22 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.27 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-1.8 percent
- GDP change over five years36.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kansas counties12th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents933rd
- GDP per resident$94,364
Output grew -1.8 percent in the latest year and 36.5 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.
Ford County
Who employs people in Ford County
- Covered employment, annual average18,147
- Establishments reporting858
- Average annual pay$52,782
- Average weekly wage$1,015
- Sector 31-33, employment6,835
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$61,398
- Sector 44-45, employment1,667
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,263
- Sector 72, employment1,295
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,493
- Sector 56, employment903
- Sector 56, average annual pay$42,209
- Sector 42, employment594
- Sector 48-49, employment522
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 6,835 | 38 | $61,398 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,667 | 117 | $32,263 |
| Sector 72 | 1,295 | 85 | $21,493 |
| Sector 56 | 903 | 34 | $42,209 |
| Sector 42 | 594 | 60 | $77,927 |
| Sector 48-49 | 522 | 32 | $51,767 |
| Sector 23 | 515 | 74 | $59,068 |
| Sector 71 | 499 | 14 | $30,841 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 6,835 jobs, 37.7 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.
Ford County
What businesses operate in Ford County
- Establishments, all industries803
- Employment at those establishments15,828
- Annual payroll$830.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.6
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.
Ford County
What is being built in Ford County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024131
- Declared construction value permitted$21.3 m
- Single family units authorised81
- Multifamily units authorised50
- Multifamily share of units38.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$162,923
- Units authorised per 1,000 households11.1
Multifamily is 38.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ford County
How much SBA lending happens in Ford County
- 7(a) approvals recorded10
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$9.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$978,140
- Median 7(a) approval$831,800
- 10th percentile approval$35,400
- 90th percentile approval$2,885,000
- Largest single approval$2,885,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)159
- Jobs per approval15.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term180 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer40.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals50.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (4)
- Most active lenderDream First Bank National Association (4)
- 504 approvals recorded7
- 504 gross approval dollars$7.9 m
- Average 504 approval$1,135,571
- Median 504 approval$357,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval18.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved16.5
- Most active CDCRural Missouri, Inc. (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals58.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$17.7 m
The average approval of $978,140 sits close to the median of $831,800, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. 40.0 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. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Ford County
Do SBA loans in Ford County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure6
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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.
Ford County
Which parts of Ford County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- DODGE CITY, approvals8
- WRIGHT, approvals1
- MINNEOLA, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| DODGE CITY | 8 | $9,666,000 |
| WRIGHT | 1 | $35,400 |
| MINNEOLA | 1 | $80,000 |
DODGE CITY accounts for 8 approvals against 1 in WRIGHT. 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.
Ford County
How big is Ford County
- Land area1,098 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kansas counties8th of 105
- Width, east to west36.8 mi
- Height, north to south30.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land31
- Establishments per square mile0.73
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 Ford 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 Ford County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population34,074
- Households11,796
- Average household size2.89
- Median household income$70,781
- Median age32.3
Common questions
Ford County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ford County, Kansas?
34,074, in 11,796 households, ranking 16th of 105 Kansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ford County growing?
The population has fallen 0.64 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 553 births against 263 deaths, with net migration of -264. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ford County?
$70,781. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $151,100, which is 2.1 times income, and median gross rent is $1,010 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Ford County?
803 establishments, employing 15,828 people with an annual payroll of $830.1 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 Ford County?
Average annual pay is $52,782, or $1,015 a week, across 18,147 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ford County?
10 7(a) approvals totalling $9.8 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $831,800, plus 7 504 approvals worth $7.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Ford County?
131 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $21.3 m. Multifamily was 38.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ford 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 Ford County come from?
The largest single origin is Ford County Non-migrants, with 12,078 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,801 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 Ford 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 Ford 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.