Barber County, Kansas: commercial real estate data.
Barber County, Kansas had an estimated 4,070 residents on July 1, 2024, down 3.9 percent since the 2020 census base of 4,233, across 1,134 square miles. County output reached $228.6 m in 2024, 172 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 4 7(a) approvals worth $629,700 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Barber County
How many people live in Barber County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20244,069
- Households1,828
- Average household size2.23
- Median household income$61,926
- Median age42.5
- Median gross rent$830 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$97,000
- Home value to household income1.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher27.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over2,774
- Population under 18932
- Share under 1822.9 percent
- Population 65 and over967
- Share 65 and over23.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 642,170
- Civilian labor force2,248
- Unemployment rate1.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.7 percent
- Rank by population among Kansas counties71st of 105
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2956th of 3,222
Barber County is the 71st largest of 105 Kansas counties by population. A median home costs 1.6 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.8 percent against 22.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Barber County
Is Barber County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20244,070
- Census 2020 base population4,233
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.85 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-8
- Births, 202448
- Deaths, 202458
- Natural change, 2024-10
- Net domestic migration, 20242
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 20242
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-34
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2881st of 3,144
The county has lost 3.85 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Barber County
Where are people moving to Barber County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving77
- People arriving, from those returns155
- Tax returns filed by households leaving86
- Net household movement-9
- Adjusted gross income arriving$3.2 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-881,000
- Average income of an arriving household$42,078
- Average income of a leaving household$47,919
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|
Households arriving report $5,841 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Barber County
What is the Barber County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$228.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$257.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-11.4 percent
- GDP change over five years21.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kansas areas BEA publishes79th of 105
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2846th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$56,173
Output grew -11.4 percent in the latest year and 21.1 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.
Barber County
Employment by industry in Barber County
- Covered employment, annual average1,568
- Establishments reporting210
- Average annual pay$44,619
- Average weekly wage$858
- Retail trade, employment187
- Retail trade, average annual pay$25,451
- Manufacturing, employment181
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$80,082
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, employment95
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, average annual pay$54,980
- Wholesale trade, employment45
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$70,529
- Other services, except public administration, employment42
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment39
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 187 | 24 | $25,451 |
| Manufacturing | 181 | 7 | $80,082 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 95 | 21 | $54,980 |
| Wholesale trade | 45 | 12 | $70,529 |
| Other services, except public administration | 42 | 14 | $33,620 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 39 | 18 | $53,266 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 38 | 3 | $43,366 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 34 | 10 | $36,550 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 187 jobs, 11.9 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Barber County
How many businesses are in Barber County?
- Establishments, all industries172
- Employment at those establishments1,238
- Annual payroll$61.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents42.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Barber County
Building permits in Barber County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20240
- Declared construction value permitted$0
- Single family units authorized0
- Multifamily units authorized0
No residential units were authorized 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.
Barber County
SBA loans in Barber County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded4
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$629,700
- Average 7(a) approval$157,425
- Median 7(a) approval$105,000
- Largest single approval$390,800
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)9
- Jobs per approval2.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals3
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer0.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms0
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter4
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 504 approval$621,000
- Median 504 approval$621,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval7.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.1
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$1.9 m
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.
Barber County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Barber County
Do SBA loans in Barber County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barber County
SBA lending by place in Barber County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Medicine Lodge, approvals2
- Sharon, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine Lodge | 2 | $550,800 |
| Sharon | 2 | $78,900 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Barber County
How large is Barber County?
- Land area1,134 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kansas counties6th of 105
- Width, east to west36.7 mi
- Height, north to south32.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land4
- Establishments per square mile0.15
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.
Barber County
Flood risk in Barber County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Barber County, unincorporated areasNot participating, community 200570
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book6
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate50.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Barber County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Barber County (community 200570), does not participate in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Barber County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 50.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Barber 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 Barber County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20244,069
- Households1,828
- Average household size2.23
- Median household income$61,926
- Median age42.5
Common questions
Barber County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Barber County, Kansas?
The Census Bureau estimates 4,070 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 4,069, in 1,828 households, ranking 71st of 105 Kansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Barber County's population growing?
The population has fallen 3.85 percent since the 2020 census base of 4,233, to 4,070 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 48 births against 58 deaths, with net migration of 2. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Barber County?
$61,926. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $97,000, which is 1.6 times income, and median gross rent is $830 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Barber County?
172 establishments, employing 1,238 people with an annual payroll of $61.8 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Barber County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 187 jobs, 11.9 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,568 jobs at an average annual pay of $44,619, or $858 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Barber County?
4 7(a) approvals totaling $629,700 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $105,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $1.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Barber County?
No residential units were authorized by permit in 2024. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Barber 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.
Are traffic counts available for Barber 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 Barber County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Barber County
Cities and places in Barber.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Barber County. 7 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine Lodge | city | 1,578 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Kiowa | city | 811 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hardtner | city | 216 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sharon | city | 133 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Hazelton | city | 103 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Isabel | city | 93 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sun City | city | 35 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lake City | CDP | 0 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |