Rooks County, Kansas: commercial real estate data.
Rooks County, Kansas had an estimated 4,748 residents on July 1, 2024, down 3.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 4,911, across 891 square miles. County output reached $230.4 m in 2024, 165 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 5 7(a) approvals worth $649,300 since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Rooks County
How many people live in Rooks County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20244,813
- Households2,136
- Average household size2.25
- Median household income$62,500
- Median age45.7
- Median gross rent$676 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$89,000
- Home value to household income1.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher23.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over3,541
- Population under 181,001
- Share under 1820.8 percent
- Population 65 and over1,151
- Share 65 and over23.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 642,661
- Civilian labor force2,403
- Unemployment rate2.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over63.0 percent
- Rank by population among Kansas counties69th of 105
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2914th of 3,222
Rooks County is the 69th largest of 105 Kansas counties by population. A median home costs 1.4 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.9 percent against 20.8 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.
Rooks County
Is Rooks County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20244,748
- Census 2020 base population4,911
- Population change since the 2020 census base-3.32 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-28
- Births, 202450
- Deaths, 202447
- Natural change, 20243
- Net domestic migration, 2024-35
- Net international migration, 20244
- Total net migration, 2024-31
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-94
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2793rd of 3,144
The county has lost 3.32 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. More people left than moved in during 2024 and births over deaths did not make up the difference, so the population fell.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Rooks County
Where are people moving to Rooks County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving78
- People arriving, from those returns148
- Tax returns filed by households leaving109
- Net household movement-31
- Adjusted gross income arriving$3.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.8 m
- Average income of an arriving household$39,526
- Average income of a leaving household$45,083
- Largest single originEllis County (28 households)
- Largest single destinationEllis County (28 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellis County | 28 | 60 | $940,000 |
Households arriving report $5,557 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Ellis 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.
Rooks County
What is the Rooks County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$230.4 m
- County GDP, 2023$274.0 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-15.9 percent
- GDP change over five years19.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kansas areas BEA publishes78th of 105
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2843rd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$47,878
Output grew -15.9 percent in the latest year and 19.8 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.
Rooks County
Employment by industry in Rooks County
- Covered employment, annual average1,746
- Establishments reporting202
- Average annual pay$44,590
- Average weekly wage$858
- Wholesale trade, employment175
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$57,326
- Retail trade, employment167
- Retail trade, average annual pay$21,636
- Other services, except public administration, employment103
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$30,563
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, employment98
- Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, average annual pay$62,235
- Health care and social assistance, employment84
- Finance and insurance, employment73
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale trade | 175 | 18 | $57,326 |
| Retail trade | 167 | 20 | $21,636 |
| Other services, except public administration | 103 | 17 | $30,563 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 98 | 22 | $62,235 |
| Health care and social assistance | 84 | 6 | $31,520 |
| Finance and insurance | 73 | 10 | $68,036 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 50 | 12 | $59,540 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 27 | 7 | $37,490 |
Wholesale trade is the largest private sector at 175 jobs, 10.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Rooks County
How many businesses are in Rooks County?
- Establishments, all industries165
- Employment at those establishments1,219
- Annual payroll$55.0 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents34.3
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.
Rooks County
Building permits in Rooks County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20243
- Declared construction value permitted$525,000
- Single family units authorized3
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$175,000
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.4
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.
Rooks County
SBA loans in Rooks County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded5
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$649,300
- Average 7(a) approval$129,860
- Median 7(a) approval$120,000
- Largest single approval$240,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)63
- Jobs per approval12.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term84 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer40.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter3
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Most active lenderBank of Hays (4)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 504 approval$404,000
- Median 504 approval$373,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval18.3
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved45.4
- Most active CDCSBA CLSC Servicing (3)
- 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.
Rooks County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Rooks County
Do SBA loans in Rooks County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded1
- Paid in full1
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure4
- Status: Paid in full1
Only 1 loan has 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.
Rooks County
SBA lending by place in Rooks County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- Plainville, approvals4
- Stockton, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Plainville | 4 | $479,300 |
| Stockton | 1 | $170,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Rooks County
How large is Rooks County?
- Land area891 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kansas counties33rd of 105
- Width, east to west30 mi
- Height, north to south30.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land5
- 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.
Rooks County
Flood risk in Rooks County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Rooks County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 200304
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book4
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Rooks 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 Rooks County (community 200304), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places Rooks 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. 100.0 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 Rooks 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 Rooks County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20244,813
- Households2,136
- Average household size2.25
- Median household income$62,500
- Median age45.7
Common questions
Rooks County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Rooks County, Kansas?
The Census Bureau estimates 4,748 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 4,813, in 2,136 households, ranking 69th of 105 Kansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Rooks County's population growing?
The population has fallen 3.32 percent since the 2020 census base of 4,911, to 4,748 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 50 births against 47 deaths, with net migration of -31. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Rooks County?
$62,500. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $89,000, which is 1.4 times income, and median gross rent is $676 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Rooks County?
165 establishments, employing 1,219 people with an annual payroll of $55.0 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 Rooks County?
Wholesale trade is the largest private sector at 175 jobs, 10.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,746 jobs at an average annual pay of $44,590, 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 Rooks County?
5 7(a) approvals totaling $649,300 since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $120,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $1.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Rooks County?
3 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $525,000. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Rooks 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 Rooks County come from?
The largest single origin is Ellis County, with 28 households. Arriving households report an average income of $39,526 against $45,083 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Rooks 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 Rooks 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.
Rooks County
Cities and places in Rooks.
7 Census places lie wholly or partly in Rooks County. All 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plainville | city | 1,656 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Stockton | city | 1,656 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Palco | city | 197 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Damar | city | 126 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Woodston | city | 86 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Zurich | city | 50 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Codell | CDP | 47 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby