Norton County, Kansas: commercial real estate data.
Norton County, Kansas had an estimated 5,335 residents on July 1, 2024, down 2.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,456, across 878 square miles. County output reached $357.3 m in 2024, 169 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $781,900 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Norton County
How many people live in Norton County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,359
- Households2,000
- Average household size2.68
- Median household income$54,050
- Median age41.3
- Median gross rent$609 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$101,500
- Home value to household income1.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher22.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,951
- Population under 181,077
- Share under 1820.1 percent
- Population 65 and over1,087
- Share 65 and over20.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,195
- Civilian labor force2,025
- Unemployment rate1.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over47.3 percent
- Rank by population among Kansas counties64th of 105
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2862nd of 3,222
Norton County is the 64th largest of 105 Kansas counties by population. A median home costs 1.9 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 20.3 percent against 20.1 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.
Norton County
Is Norton County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20245,335
- Census 2020 base population5,456
- Population change since the 2020 census base-2.22 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202421
- Births, 202445
- Deaths, 202439
- Natural change, 20246
- Net domestic migration, 202416
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 202416
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-83
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2553rd of 3,144
The county has lost 2.22 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Norton County
Where are people moving to Norton County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving108
- People arriving, from those returns196
- Tax returns filed by households leaving168
- Net household movement-60
- Adjusted gross income arriving$4.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-4.7 m
- Average income of an arriving household$37,019
- Average income of a leaving household$51,518
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|
Households arriving report $14,499 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.
Norton County
What is the Norton County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$357.3 m
- County GDP, 2023$392.8 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-9.0 percent
- GDP change over five years36.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kansas areas BEA publishes60th of 105
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2611th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$66,675
Output grew -9.0 percent in the latest year and 36.2 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.
Norton County
Employment by industry in Norton County
- Covered employment, annual average2,281
- Establishments reporting196
- Average annual pay$47,252
- Average weekly wage$909
- Manufacturing, employment244
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$68,047
- Retail trade, employment234
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,889
- Finance and insurance, employment93
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$70,108
- Wholesale trade, employment57
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$34,494
- Other services, except public administration, employment54
- Construction, employment47
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 244 | 8 | $68,047 |
| Retail trade | 234 | 22 | $33,889 |
| Finance and insurance | 93 | 12 | $70,108 |
| Wholesale trade | 57 | 9 | $34,494 |
| Other services, except public administration | 54 | 12 | $39,420 |
| Construction | 47 | 17 | $45,752 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 33 | 20 | $50,268 |
| Information | 19 | 3 | $64,706 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 244 jobs, 10.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Norton County
How many businesses are in Norton County?
- Establishments, all industries169
- Employment at those establishments1,618
- Annual payroll$77.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents31.5
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. 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.
Norton County
Building permits in Norton 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.
Norton County
SBA loans in Norton County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$781,900
- Average 7(a) approval$71,082
- Median 7(a) approval$30,000
- Largest single approval$250,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)53
- Jobs per approval4.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active3
- Distinct industries receiving approvals7
- Median 7(a) term60 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer9.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter10
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (4)
- Most active lenderThe Bank (9)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$708,000
- Average 504 approval$236,000
- Median 504 approval$185,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval5.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved21.2
- Most active CDCSBA CLSC Servicing (3)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$1.5 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.
Norton County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Norton County
Do SBA loans in Norton County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure7
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 3 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.
Norton County
SBA lending by place in Norton County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Norton, approvals7
- Norcatur, approvals2
- Lenora, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Norton | 7 | $700,000 |
| Norcatur | 2 | $49,400 |
| Lenora | 2 | $32,500 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Norton County
How large is Norton County?
- Land area878 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kansas counties37th of 105
- Width, east to west29.4 mi
- Height, north to south30 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land6
- Establishments per square mile0.19
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.
Norton County
Flood risk in Norton County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP2
- NFIP participation rate66.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Norton County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Norton County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 66.7 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 Norton 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 Norton County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,359
- Households2,000
- Average household size2.68
- Median household income$54,050
- Median age41.3
Common questions
Norton County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Norton County, Kansas?
The Census Bureau estimates 5,335 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 5,359, in 2,000 households, ranking 64th of 105 Kansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Norton County's population growing?
The population has fallen 2.22 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,456, to 5,335 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 45 births against 39 deaths, with net migration of 16. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Norton County?
$54,050. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $101,500, which is 1.9 times income, and median gross rent is $609 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Norton County?
169 establishments, employing 1,618 people with an annual payroll of $77.6 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 Norton County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 244 jobs, 10.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,281 jobs at an average annual pay of $47,252, or $909 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Norton County?
11 7(a) approvals totaling $781,900 since FY2020, across 3 lenders, with a median approval of $30,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $708,000 since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Norton 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 Norton 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.
Are traffic counts available for Norton 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 Norton 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.
Norton County
Cities and places in Norton.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in Norton County. All 5 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton | city | 2,689 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Almena | city | 523 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lenora | city | 183 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Edmond | city | 49 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clayton | city | 33 | None recorded | 84.7 percent here, 15.3 percent Decatur County |
A further 2 of the county's 11 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Norton County, the largest being Norcatur (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.