Riley County, Kansas: commercial real estate data.
Riley County, Kansas has a population of 71,946 across 610 square miles, up 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $3.81 bn in 2024, 1,620 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 58 7(a) approvals worth $18.2 m.
119 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Riley County
How many people live in Riley County
- Population71,946
- Households27,695
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$61,098
- Median age25.5
- Median gross rent$1,046 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$237,100
- Home value to household income3.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher48.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree22.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over36,911
- Population under 1811,589
- Share under 1816.1 percent
- Population 65 and over7,203
- Share 65 and over10.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6453,154
- Civilian labor force37,189
- Unemployment rate3.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.6 percent
- Rank by population among Kansas counties7th of 105
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents775th
Riley County is the 7th largest of 105 Kansas counties by population. A median home costs 3.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 16.1 percent against 10.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Riley County
Is Riley County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.83 percent
- Census 2020 base population71,959
- Births, 2024680
- Deaths, 2024360
- Natural change, 2024320
- Net domestic migration, 2024-297
- Net international migration, 2024851
- Total net migration, 2024554
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-2,767
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1540th
The county has grown 0.83 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.
Riley County
Where people moving to Riley County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,065
- People arriving, from those returns5,217
- Adjusted gross income arriving$160.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$52,374
- Largest single originRiley County Non-migrants (18,985 households)
- Largest single destination (18,985 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riley County Non-migrants | 18,985 | 36,503 | $1.74 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,519 | 2,691 | $90.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 679 | 1,224 | $43.7 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 365 | 604 | $21.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 358 | 491 | $15.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 337 | 617 | $18.2 m |
| Geary County | 302 | 549 | $11.9 m |
| Pottawatomie County | 220 | 400 | $11.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Riley 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.
Riley County
What the Riley County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$3.81 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.66 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.2 percent
- GDP change over five years31.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kansas counties9th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents845th
- GDP per resident$53,008
Output grew 4.2 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.
Riley County
Who employs people in Riley County
- Covered employment, annual average30,349
- Establishments reporting2,032
- Average annual pay$52,341
- Average weekly wage$1,007
- Sector 72, employment3,673
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,174
- Sector 62, employment3,592
- Sector 62, average annual pay$47,349
- Sector 44-45, employment3,446
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,658
- Sector 54, employment1,916
- Sector 54, average annual pay$72,748
- Sector 23, employment1,796
- Sector 81, employment1,438
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 3,673 | 171 | $20,174 |
| Sector 62 | 3,592 | 220 | $47,349 |
| Sector 44-45 | 3,446 | 212 | $30,658 |
| Sector 54 | 1,916 | 348 | $72,748 |
| Sector 23 | 1,796 | 160 | $70,621 |
| Sector 81 | 1,438 | 154 | $58,796 |
| Sector 52 | 1,190 | 118 | $75,876 |
| Sector 56 | 812 | 148 | $48,968 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,673 jobs, 12.1 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.
Riley County
What businesses operate in Riley County
- Establishments, all industries1,620
- Employment at those establishments20,580
- Annual payroll$844.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.5
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.
Riley County
What is being built in Riley County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024126
- Declared construction value permitted$34.6 m
- Single family units authorised91
- Multifamily units authorised35
- Multifamily share of units27.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$274,258
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.5
Multifamily is 27.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Riley County
How much SBA lending happens in Riley County
- 7(a) approvals recorded58
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$18.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$314,347
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$858,500
- Largest single approval$3,838,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)643
- Jobs per approval11.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active22
- Distinct industries receiving approvals44
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer6.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter49
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals8.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other Specialty Trade Contractors (3)
- Most active lenderCommunity First National Bank (15)
- 504 approvals recorded24
- 504 gross approval dollars$22.2 m
- Average 504 approval$923,417
- Median 504 approval$699,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval25.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved27.5
- Most active CDCFrontier Financial Partners, Inc. (16)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals70.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$40.4 m
The average approval of $314,347 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 6.9 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.
Riley County
Do SBA loans in Riley County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded20
- Paid in full20
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full20
- Status: Exempt from disclosure33
- Status: Cancelled4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 20 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.
Riley County
Which parts of Riley County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending3
- Manhattan, approvals55
- Riley, approvals2
- SALINA, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Manhattan | 55 | $17,817,100 |
| Riley | 2 | $290,000 |
| SALINA | 1 | $125,000 |
Manhattan accounts for 55 approvals against 2 in Riley. 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.
Riley County
How big is Riley County
- Land area610 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kansas counties82nd of 105
- Width, east to west30.7 mi
- Height, north to south36.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land118
- Establishments per square mile2.66
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 Riley 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 Riley County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population71,946
- Households27,695
- Average household size2.60
- Median household income$61,098
- Median age25.5
Common questions
Riley County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Riley County, Kansas?
71,946, in 27,695 households, ranking 7th of 105 Kansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Riley County growing?
The population has grown 0.83 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 680 births against 360 deaths, with net migration of 554. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Riley County?
$61,098. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $237,100, which is 3.9 times income, and median gross rent is $1,046 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Riley County?
1,620 establishments, employing 20,580 people with an annual payroll of $844.5 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 Riley County?
Average annual pay is $52,341, or $1,007 a week, across 30,349 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Riley County?
58 7(a) approvals totalling $18.2 m since FY2020, across 22 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 24 504 approvals worth $22.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Riley County get paid back?
Of the 20 loans that have reached a final outcome, 20 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 Riley County?
126 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $34.6 m. Multifamily was 27.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Riley 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 Riley County come from?
The largest single origin is Riley County Non-migrants, with 18,985 households. Arriving households report an average income of $52,374 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 Riley 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 Riley 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.