City · Kansas
Harper, Kansas
Harper, city, in Harper County, Kansas. Harper had 1,287 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,313 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,136 (±178). GEOID 2030175.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,287
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,313 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,136 ±178
Median household income
$54,250
±$14,468 (90% margin)
Kansas: $74,275
Median home value
$78,600
±$5,850 (90% margin)
Kansas: $217,200
Median gross rent
$805
±$220 (90% margin)
Kansas: $1,060
Where is Harper and what county is it in?
Harper is a city in Harper County, Kansas. It covers 1.6 square miles of land, 809 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Harper, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,287 people lived in Harper on July 1, 2025, down 1.6% since 2020, while Kansas grew 1.3%. The 2020 Census counted 1,313 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,136 (±178).
| Measure | Harper | Harper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,136 ±178 | 5,400 | no clear change |
| Households | 506 ±81 | 2,206 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.23 ±0.26 | 2.36 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 741 ±77 | 3,020 | no clear change |
Harper's population since 2000
From 1,567 in 2000 to 1,287 in 2025: down 17.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Harper as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Harper?
The median resident of Harper is 37.6 years old; 19.9% are under 18 and 18.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 80.6%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 10.7%.
| Measure | Harper | Harper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.6 ±3.3 | 40.6 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.9% ±5.4 pts | 25.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.5% ±4.0 pts | 21.7% | – |
| Male | 49.3% ±4.7 pts | 49.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 10.7% ±6.0 pts | 8.1% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 80.6% ±6.7 pts | 86.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.3 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.7 pts | 0.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±1.9 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.1% ±2.2 pts | 4.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±2.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 6.3% ±4.5 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.8% ±4.3 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.0% ±2.7 pts | 7.1% | – |
| With a disability | 20.6% ±6.1 pts | 19.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 14.9% ±6.4 pts | 8.5% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 85.1% ±7.3 pts | 90.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 9.7% ±4.3 pts | 22.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.8% ±2.9 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.4% ±4.3 pts | 89.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.4% ±0.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Harper earn?
Half of Harper's 506 households earn less than $54,250 a year (±$14,468), against $53,488 in Harper County and $74,275 in Kansas. In 2015-2019 it was $57,395 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 19.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Harper | Harper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,250 ±$14,468 | $53,488 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $78,646 ±$15,503 | $70,967 | – |
| Per capita income | $30,284 ±$4,584 | $29,878 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 19.1% ±8.4 pts | 17.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 23.0% ±20.5 pts | 24.2% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.9% ±3.9 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 87.5% ±5.4 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 81.8% ±6.3 pts | 82.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Harper?
Owners occupy 63.4% of Harper's occupied homes and renters 36.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $78,600 by its owner (±$5,850). The median renter pays $805 a month including utilities, and 43.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Harper | Harper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $78,600 ±$5,850 | $83,800 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $805 ±$220 | $690 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 43.9% ±18.5 pts | 28.2% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,193 ±$155 | $1,206 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 63.4% ±9.2 pts | 75.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 36.6% ±9.2 pts | 24.9% | – |
| Housing units | 741 ±77 | 3,020 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±8.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 21.9% ±11.6 pts | 17.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 76.4% ±7.3 pts | 83.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 7.6% ±4.8 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±4.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.1% ±3.3 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 32.3% ±7.4 pts | 27.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 14.0% ±6.3 pts | 4.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Harper work and get to work?
70.9% of Harper's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 13.9 minutes.
| Measure | Harper | Harper County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.0% ±7.4 pts | 55.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.8% ±1.0 pts | 2.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 70.9% ±8.6 pts | 77.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 16.8% ±7.4 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±5.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Walked | 3.2% ±2.5 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 2.4% ±2.8 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 13.9 min ±3.7 | 16.3 min | −5.9 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Harper?
No census tract lies mostly in Harper; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9616Harper County | 1,744 | $62,424 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Harper) · Census block assignment files
How does Harper compare with other places in Kansas?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Harper is the 9,341st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 162nd-most populous of 625 in Kansas.
Harper ranks 314th of 374 places in Kansas with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 162nd | 625 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 251st | 373 |
| Residents per square mile | 171st | 376 |
| Median household income | 314th | 374 |
| Per capita income | 299th | 375 |
| Median home value | 350th | 370 |
| Median gross rent | 207th | 333 |
| Poverty rate | 24th | 266 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 372nd | 374 |
| Median age | 246th | 376 |
| Owner-occupied share | 319th | 374 |
| Travel time to work | 322nd | 375 |
Harper's figures with every place in Kansas (CSV)
Every place in Kansas, sortable · Compare Harper with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Harper?
15 of the 57 figures for Harper on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Harper are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Harper.