Ness County, Kansas: commercial real estate data.
Ness County, Kansas has a population of 2,653 across 1,075 square miles, down 2.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $227.1 m in 2024, 122 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 8 7(a) approvals worth $4.9 m.
104 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Ness County
How many people live in Ness County
- Population2,653
- Households1,161
- Average household size2.29
- Median household income$68,616
- Median age45.1
- Median gross rent$538 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$89,700
- Home value to household income1.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income9.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher25.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over1,839
- Population under 18524
- Share under 1819.8 percent
- Population 65 and over664
- Share 65 and over25.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 641,465
- Civilian labor force1,489
- Unemployment rate0.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.9 percent
- Rank by population among Kansas counties88th of 105
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents3060th
Ness County is the 88th largest of 105 Kansas counties by population. A median home costs 1.3 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.0 percent against 19.8 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ness County
Is Ness County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.61 percent
- Census 2020 base population2,687
- Births, 202428
- Deaths, 202446
- Natural change, 2024-18
- Net domestic migration, 2024-12
- Net international migration, 20248
- Total net migration, 2024-4
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-8
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2660th
The county has lost 2.61 percent of its population since the 2020 census base.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Ness County
Where people moving to Ness County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving37
- People arriving, from those returns72
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$44,622
- Largest single originNess County Non-migrants (1,085 households)
- Largest single destination (1,085 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ness County Non-migrants | 1,085 | 2,154 | $78.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 37 | 72 | $1.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Ness 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.
Ness County
What the Ness County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$227.1 m
- County GDP, 2023$272.3 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-16.6 percent
- GDP change over five years26.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kansas counties80th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2852nd
- GDP per resident$85,619
Output grew -16.6 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.
Ness County
Who employs people in Ness County
- Covered employment, annual average1,085
- Establishments reporting144
- Average annual pay$48,722
- Average weekly wage$937
- Sector 21, employment168
- Sector 21, average annual pay$63,111
- Sector 42, employment137
- Sector 42, average annual pay$68,760
- Sector 31-33, employment26
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$41,003
- Sector 81, employment25
- Sector 81, average annual pay$49,406
- Sector 23, employment24
- Sector 56, employment20
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 21 | 168 | 20 | $63,111 |
| Sector 42 | 137 | 18 | $68,760 |
| Sector 31-33 | 26 | 3 | $41,003 |
| Sector 81 | 25 | 8 | $49,406 |
| Sector 23 | 24 | 11 | $50,863 |
| Sector 56 | 20 | 5 | $58,549 |
| Sector 54 | 19 | 6 | $26,614 |
| Sector 11 | 9 | 4 | $31,872 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 168 jobs, 15.5 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.
Ness County
What businesses operate in Ness County
- Establishments, all industries122
- Employment at those establishments807
- Annual payroll$38.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents46.0
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.
Ness County
What is being built in Ness 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.
Ness County
How much SBA lending happens in Ness County
- 7(a) approvals recorded8
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$615,413
- Median 7(a) approval$195,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$2,917,100
- Largest single approval$2,917,100
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)73
- Jobs per approval9.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active4
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer25.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter5
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSite Preparation Contractors (2)
- Most active lenderBank of Hays (4)
The average approval of $615,413 sits well above the median of $195,000, 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 25.0 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.
Ness County
Do SBA loans in Ness County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure5
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.
Ness County
Which parts of Ness County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- NESS CITY, approvals5
- RANSOM, approvals2
- BAZINE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| NESS CITY | 5 | $1,666,000 |
| RANSOM | 2 | $3,112,100 |
| BAZINE | 1 | $145,200 |
NESS CITY accounts for 5 approvals against 2 in RANSOM. 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.
Ness County
How big is Ness County
- Land area1,075 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kansas counties9th of 105
- Width, east to west35.9 mi
- Height, north to south30.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary8
- Residents per square mile of land2
- Establishments per square mile0.11
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 Ness 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 Ness County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population2,653
- Households1,161
- Average household size2.29
- Median household income$68,616
- Median age45.1
Common questions
Ness County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ness County, Kansas?
2,653, in 1,161 households, ranking 88th of 105 Kansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ness County growing?
The population has fallen 2.61 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 28 births against 46 deaths, with net migration of -4. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ness County?
$68,616. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $89,700, which is 1.3 times income, and median gross rent is $538 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Ness County?
122 establishments, employing 807 people with an annual payroll of $38.5 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 Ness County?
Average annual pay is $48,722, or $937 a week, across 1,085 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ness County?
8 7(a) approvals totalling $4.9 m since FY2020, across 4 lenders, with a median approval of $195,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Ness 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 Ness 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 Ness County come from?
The largest single origin is Ness County Non-migrants, with 1,085 households. Arriving households report an average income of $44,622 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 Ness 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 Ness 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.