Ottawa County, Kansas: commercial real estate data.
Ottawa County, Kansas had an estimated 5,853 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,731, across 721 square miles. County output reached $150.0 m in 2024, 135 establishments operate here.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Ottawa County
How many people live in Ottawa County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,819
- Households2,408
- Average household size2.42
- Median household income$74,018
- Median age42.4
- Median gross rent$809 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$166,000
- Home value to household income2.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher27.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,053
- Population under 181,369
- Share under 1823.5 percent
- Population 65 and over1,221
- Share 65 and over21.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 643,229
- Civilian labor force2,926
- Unemployment rate2.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.8 percent
- Rank by population among Kansas counties59th of 105
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2825th of 3,222
Ottawa County is the 59th largest of 105 Kansas counties by population. A median home costs 2.2 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.5 percent against 21.0 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ottawa County
Is Ottawa County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20245,853
- Census 2020 base population5,731
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.13 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202411
- Births, 202457
- Deaths, 202473
- Natural change, 2024-16
- Net domestic migration, 202429
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 202429
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024176
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1132nd of 3,144
The county has grown 2.13 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration 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.
Ottawa County
Where are people moving to Ottawa County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving111
- People arriving, from those returns206
- Tax returns filed by households leaving135
- Net household movement-24
- Adjusted gross income arriving$10.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$4.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$92,865
- Average income of a leaving household$42,481
- Largest single originSaline County (51 households)
- Largest single destinationSaline County (64 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saline County | 51 | 97 | $2.8 m |
Households arriving report $50,384 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Saline County, 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.
Ottawa County
What is the Ottawa County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$150.0 m
- County GDP, 2023$181.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-17.3 percent
- GDP change over five years13.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kansas areas BEA publishes96th of 105
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2980th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$25,776
Output grew -17.3 percent in the latest year and 13.1 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.
Ottawa County
Employment by industry in Ottawa County
- Covered employment, annual average1,291
- Establishments reporting157
- Average annual pay$39,552
- Average weekly wage$761
- Manufacturing, employment216
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$49,465
- Retail trade, employment80
- Retail trade, average annual pay$19,281
- Wholesale trade, employment51
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$64,940
- Transportation and warehousing, employment31
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$63,348
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, employment26
- Construction, employment14
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 216 | 6 | $49,465 |
| Retail trade | 80 | 15 | $19,281 |
| Wholesale trade | 51 | 15 | $64,940 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 31 | 10 | $63,348 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 26 | 9 | $35,672 |
| Construction | 14 | 7 | $34,687 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 216 jobs, 16.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Ottawa County
How many businesses are in Ottawa County?
- Establishments, all industries135
- Employment at those establishments971
- Annual payroll$41.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.2
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. 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.
Ottawa County
Building permits in Ottawa County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20248
- Declared construction value permitted$2.5 m
- Single family units authorized8
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$316,980
- Units authorized per 1,000 households3.3
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Ottawa County
How large is Ottawa County?
- Land area721 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kansas counties57th of 105
- Width, east to west30.1 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land8
- 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.
Ottawa County
Flood risk in Ottawa County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Ottawa County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 200603
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book6
- Of those, participating in the NFIP5
- NFIP participation rate83.3 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Ottawa County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Ottawa County (community 200603), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Ottawa 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. 83.3 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 Ottawa 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 Ottawa County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20245,819
- Households2,408
- Average household size2.42
- Median household income$74,018
- Median age42.4
Common questions
Ottawa County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ottawa County, Kansas?
The Census Bureau estimates 5,853 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 5,819, in 2,408 households, ranking 59th of 105 Kansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ottawa County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.13 percent since the 2020 census base of 5,731, to 5,853 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 57 births against 73 deaths, with net migration of 29. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ottawa County?
$74,018. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $166,000, which is 2.2 times income, and median gross rent is $809 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Ottawa County?
135 establishments, employing 971 people with an annual payroll of $41.8 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 Ottawa County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 216 jobs, 16.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,291 jobs at an average annual pay of $39,552, or $761 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How many building permits were issued in Ottawa County?
8 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.5 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ottawa 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 Ottawa County come from?
The largest single origin is Saline County, with 51 households. Arriving households report an average income of $92,865 against $42,481 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Ottawa 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 Ottawa 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.
Ottawa County
Cities and places in Ottawa.
8 Census places lie wholly or partly in Ottawa County. All 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | city | 2,043 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Bennington | city | 651 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Delphos | city | 320 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tescott | city | 235 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Niles | CDP | 84 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Culver | city | 83 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Ada | CDP | 67 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wells | CDP | 10 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby