Thomas County, Kansas: commercial real estate data.
Thomas County, Kansas had an estimated 7,802 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 7,931, across 1,075 square miles. County output reached $904.7 m in 2024, 332 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $21.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Thomas County
How many people live in Thomas County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20247,885
- Households3,139
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$71,325
- Median age35.3
- Median gross rent$752 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$172,700
- Home value to household income2.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income12.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher34.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over4,917
- Population under 181,942
- Share under 1824.6 percent
- Population 65 and over1,468
- Share 65 and over18.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,475
- Civilian labor force4,417
- Unemployment rate0.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over74.3 percent
- Rank by population among Kansas counties48th of 105
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2658th of 3,222
Thomas County is the 48th largest of 105 Kansas counties by population. A median home costs 2.4 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 24.6 percent against 18.6 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Thomas County
Is Thomas County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20247,802
- Census 2020 base population7,931
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.63 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-56
- Births, 2024109
- Deaths, 2024111
- Natural change, 2024-2
- Net domestic migration, 2024-119
- Net international migration, 202467
- Total net migration, 2024-52
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-366
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2399th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.63 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population fell in 2024 from both sources: deaths exceeded births and more people left than moved in.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Thomas County
Where are people moving to Thomas County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving168
- People arriving, from those returns272
- Tax returns filed by households leaving257
- Net household movement-89
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-6.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$44,387
- Average income of a leaving household$53,996
- Largest single destinationEllis County (22 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|
Households arriving report $9,609 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.
Thomas County
What is the Thomas County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$904.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$910.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-0.6 percent
- GDP change over five years47.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Kansas areas BEA publishes31st of 105
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1922nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$114,734
Output grew -0.6 percent in the latest year and 47.0 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.
Thomas County
Employment by industry in Thomas County
- Covered employment, annual average4,104
- Establishments reporting416
- Average annual pay$47,946
- Average weekly wage$922
- Retail trade, employment641
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,426
- Wholesale trade, employment324
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$64,054
- Construction, employment219
- Construction, average annual pay$68,959
- Finance and insurance, employment128
- Finance and insurance, average annual pay$81,317
- Manufacturing, employment111
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment105
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 641 | 51 | $31,426 |
| Wholesale trade | 324 | 38 | $64,054 |
| Construction | 219 | 28 | $68,959 |
| Finance and insurance | 128 | 22 | $81,317 |
| Manufacturing | 111 | 15 | $52,884 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 105 | 31 | $56,791 |
| Other services, except public administration | 73 | 22 | $66,169 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 65 | 11 | $53,460 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 641 jobs, 15.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Thomas County
How many businesses are in Thomas County?
- Establishments, all industries332
- Employment at those establishments2,870
- Annual payroll$136.8 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents42.1
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.
Thomas County
Building permits in Thomas County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20245
- Declared construction value permitted$2.3 m
- Single family units authorized5
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$459,140
- Units authorized per 1,000 households1.6
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.
Thomas County
SBA loans in Thomas County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$21.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$1,988,236
- Median 7(a) approval$1,400,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)119
- Jobs per approval10.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals5
- Median 7(a) term300 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer81.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms9
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1
- Franchise loans6
- Franchise share of approvals54.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countHotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (5)
- Most active lenderMetro City Bank (3)
- 504 approvals recorded3
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.5 m
- Average 504 approval$489,000
- Median 504 approval$118,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval5.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.6
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$23.3 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.
Thomas County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Thomas County
Do SBA loans in Thomas County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
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.
Thomas County
SBA lending by place in Thomas County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Colby, approvals7
- Oakley, approvals3
- Levant, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Colby | 7 | $11,412,400 |
| Oakley | 3 | $10,280,000 |
| Levant | 1 | $178,200 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Thomas County
How large is Thomas County?
- Land area1,075 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Kansas counties10th of 105
- Width, east to west35.9 mi
- Height, north to south30 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land7
- Establishments per square mile0.31
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.
Thomas County
Flood risk in Thomas County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book2
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate50.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Thomas County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Thomas 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. 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 Thomas 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 Thomas County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20247,885
- Households3,139
- Average household size2.51
- Median household income$71,325
- Median age35.3
Common questions
Thomas County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Thomas County, Kansas?
The Census Bureau estimates 7,802 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 7,885, in 3,139 households, ranking 48th of 105 Kansas counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Thomas County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.63 percent since the 2020 census base of 7,931, to 7,802 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 109 births against 111 deaths, with net migration of -52. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Thomas County?
$71,325. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $172,700, which is 2.4 times income, and median gross rent is $752 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Thomas County?
332 establishments, employing 2,870 people with an annual payroll of $136.8 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 Thomas County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 641 jobs, 15.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 4,104 jobs at an average annual pay of $47,946, or $922 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Thomas County?
11 7(a) approvals totaling $21.9 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $1,400,000, plus 3 504 approvals worth $1.5 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Thomas County?
5 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $2.3 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Thomas 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 Thomas 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 Thomas 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.
Thomas County
Cities and places in Thomas.
6 Census places lie wholly or partly in Thomas County. All 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colby | city | 5,387 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Brewster | city | 459 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Rexford | city | 146 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Gem | city | 98 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Levant | CDP | 63 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Menlo | city | 24 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 3 of the county's 11 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Thomas County, the largest being Oakley (3). 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.
Nearby