Shawnee County, Kansas: commercial real estate data.
Shawnee County, Kansas has a population of 178,025 across 544 square miles, down 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $14.58 bn in 2024, 3,959 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 107 7(a) approvals worth $47.1 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Shawnee County
How many people live in Shawnee County
- Population178,025
- Households75,458
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$67,104
- Median age39.4
- Median gross rent$1,000 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$180,900
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher32.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over121,584
- Population under 1841,081
- Share under 1823.1 percent
- Population 65 and over34,618
- Share 65 and over19.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64102,326
- Civilian labor force87,285
- Unemployment rate4.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.7 percent
- Rank by population among Kansas counties3rd of 105
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents385th
Shawnee County is the 3rd largest of 105 Kansas counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.1 percent against 19.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Shawnee County
Is Shawnee County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.54 percent
- Census 2020 base population178,905
- Births, 20241,913
- Deaths, 20241,971
- Natural change, 2024-58
- Net domestic migration, 202457
- Net international migration, 2024343
- Total net migration, 2024400
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-566
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2033rd
The county has lost 0.54 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.
Shawnee County
Where people moving to Shawnee County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,309
- People arriving, from those returns5,740
- Adjusted gross income arriving$177.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$53,508
- Largest single originShawnee County Non-migrants (69,158 households)
- Largest single destination (69,158 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee County Non-migrants | 69,158 | 136,260 | $5.18 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,229 | 2,260 | $79.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 495 | 965 | $35.8 m |
| Douglas County | 346 | 580 | $18.5 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 346 | 600 | $21.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 341 | 611 | $19.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 317 | 525 | $13.3 m |
| Osage County | 156 | 266 | $7.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Shawnee 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.
Shawnee County
What the Shawnee County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$14.58 bn
- County GDP, 2023$14.03 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.9 percent
- GDP change over five years32.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among Kansas counties4th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents331st
- GDP per resident$81,919
Output grew 3.9 percent in the latest year and 32.9 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.
Shawnee County
Who employs people in Shawnee County
- Covered employment, annual average99,247
- Establishments reporting5,183
- Average annual pay$60,096
- Average weekly wage$1,156
- Sector 62, employment17,852
- Sector 62, average annual pay$63,597
- Sector 44-45, employment8,599
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,473
- Sector 31-33, employment8,198
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$70,765
- Sector 72, employment7,236
- Sector 72, average annual pay$21,642
- Sector 56, employment6,037
- Sector 52, employment5,437
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 17,852 | 620 | $63,597 |
| Sector 44-45 | 8,599 | 511 | $34,473 |
| Sector 31-33 | 8,198 | 146 | $70,765 |
| Sector 72 | 7,236 | 347 | $21,642 |
| Sector 56 | 6,037 | 484 | $45,716 |
| Sector 52 | 5,437 | 352 | $98,526 |
| Sector 54 | 5,381 | 869 | $75,749 |
| Sector 23 | 4,490 | 421 | $70,728 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 17,852 jobs, 18.0 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.
Shawnee County
What businesses operate in Shawnee County
- Establishments, all industries3,959
- Employment at those establishments77,340
- Annual payroll$4.52 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.2
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.
Shawnee County
What is being built in Shawnee County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024218
- Declared construction value permitted$48.1 m
- Single family units authorised153
- Multifamily units authorised65
- Multifamily share of units29.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$220,864
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.9
Multifamily is 29.8 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Shawnee County
How much SBA lending happens in Shawnee County
- 7(a) approvals recorded107
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$47.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$440,341
- Median 7(a) approval$260,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,048,800
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,398
- Jobs per approval13.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active37
- Distinct industries receiving approvals56
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer13.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms14
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter86
- Franchise loans10
- Franchise share of approvals9.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (13)
- Most active lenderSilver Lake Bank (23)
- 504 approvals recorded62
- 504 gross approval dollars$38.9 m
- Average 504 approval$626,661
- Median 504 approval$355,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval13.2
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved21.1
- Most active CDCWakarusa Valley Development, Inc. (45)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals63.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$86.0 m
The average approval of $440,341 sits well above the median of $260,000, 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 13.1 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.
Shawnee County
Do SBA loans in Shawnee County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded34
- Paid in full32
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans5.9 percent
- Status: Paid in full32
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure62
- Status: Cancelled9
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Of the 34 loans that have reached a final outcome, 5.9 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.
Shawnee County
Which parts of Shawnee County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- TOPEKA, approvals101
- SILVER LAKE, approvals2
- Rossville, approvals2
- Tecumseh, approvals1
- TOPEKA, KS, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| TOPEKA | 101 | $44,294,400 |
| SILVER LAKE | 2 | $30,000 |
| Rossville | 2 | $2,390,000 |
| Tecumseh | 1 | $302,100 |
| TOPEKA, KS | 1 | $100,000 |
TOPEKA accounts for 101 approvals against 2 in SILVER LAKE. 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.
Shawnee County
How big is Shawnee County
- Land area544 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kansas counties94th of 105
- Width, east to west28.9 mi
- Height, north to south23.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land327
- Establishments per square mile7.28
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 Shawnee 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 Shawnee County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population178,025
- Households75,458
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$67,104
- Median age39.4
Common questions
Shawnee County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Shawnee County, Kansas?
178,025, in 75,458 households, ranking 3rd of 105 Kansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Shawnee County growing?
The population has fallen 0.54 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,913 births against 1,971 deaths, with net migration of 400. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Shawnee County?
$67,104. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $180,900, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $1,000 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Shawnee County?
3,959 establishments, employing 77,340 people with an annual payroll of $4.52 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 Shawnee County?
Average annual pay is $60,096, or $1,156 a week, across 99,247 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Shawnee County?
107 7(a) approvals totalling $47.1 m since FY2020, across 37 lenders, with a median approval of $260,000, plus 62 504 approvals worth $38.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Shawnee County get paid back?
Of the 34 loans that have reached a final outcome, 32 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 5.9 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Shawnee County?
218 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $48.1 m. Multifamily was 29.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Shawnee 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 Shawnee County come from?
The largest single origin is Shawnee County Non-migrants, with 69,158 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,508 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 Shawnee 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 Shawnee 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.