by Kristen Carney
Updated: June 20, 2024
The richest county in Kansas is Johnson County with an average household income of $138,482 as of 2022 and 622,237 people as of 2023 according to the most current Census data available (citation).
Rank | County | Population | Average Income | Median Income |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Johnson County | 622,237 | $138,482 | $103,644 |
2 | Meade County | 3,911 | $118,809 | $74,063 |
3 | Miami County | 35,320 | $102,739 | $85,564 |
4 | Grant County | 7,147 | $101,550 | $84,808 |
5 | Leavenworth County | 83,518 | $101,341 | $84,307 |
6 | Pottawatomie County | 26,382 | $97,130 | $85,241 |
7 | Thomas County | 7,865 | $95,662 | $72,417 |
8 | Sheridan County | 2,423 | $95,576 | $66,719 |
9 | Nemaha County | 10,114 | $94,845 | $72,788 |
10 | Wichita County | 2,082 | $94,598 | $69,551 |
11 | Butler County | 68,632 | $94,378 | $77,724 |
12 | Gray County | 5,743 | $93,977 | $74,500 |
13 | Jefferson County | 18,327 | $93,904 | $74,562 |
14 | Logan County | 2,665 | $91,613 | $70,382 |
15 | Trego County | 2,731 | $90,516 | $77,500 |
16 | Ness County | 2,618 | $89,559 | $64,907 |
17 | Douglas County | 120,553 | $89,488 | $66,153 |
18 | Sherman County | 5,844 | $89,437 | $61,404 |
19 | Haskell County | 3,630 | $89,104 | $66,458 |
20 | Kiowa County | 2,374 | $89,071 | $70,347 |
We usually suggest using median income data – either instead of or in addition to – average income data as a true indicator of wealth. If you haven’t thought about median versus average since your last standardized test, you aren’t alone. Here’s what they are:
Now let’s say you had the following simplified set of income data.
Household 1: $30,000
Household 2: $50,000
Household 3: $1,000,000
The average income for this set is $360,000. The outlier data point ($1,000,000) skews the average WAY up. Conversely, the average income would be skewed WAY down if someone had an income of $500. The median income for the same data set is $50,000. Outlier data doesn’t skew the median.
So most business owners should use the median income as a true indicator of wealth, because it provides a more accurate representation of a typical income, especially in areas with significant income disparity.
If your target market is high-income households, the average income may be more relevant. This is because the average income can highlight the presence of a higher concentration of wealthy individuals, which is beneficial for luxury goods and services marketing. We’re using average income on this page because using the Census’s highest reported median value of $250,001 could result in multiple ties for the richest geography.
The Census' American Community Survey uses $250,000+ as a jam value for median income estimates to protect privacy, ensure data consistency, and simplify reporting. A "jam value" in survey data refers to a placeholder or default value used when actual data points are unavailable, incomplete, or exceed certain thresholds. We represent this jam value as $250,001 to make it easy for you to sort.
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United States Census Bureau. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. Web. May 2024. http://www.census.gov/.
United States Census Bureau. B01001 SEX BY AGE, 2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Office. Web. 7 December 2023. http://www.census.gov/.
United States Census Bureau. B19013 Median Household Income, 2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Office. Web. 7 December 2023. http://www.census.gov/.
United States Census Bureau. “DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS.” 2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Office. Web. 07 December 2023. http://www.census.gov/.
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