City profile · Kansas · Census ACS 2023

Lawrence, KS

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Lawrence - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

95,459
Residents
$62,838
Median income
$269,500
Median home
$1,182
Median rent (state)

Lawrence - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Lawrence lands in the 40th percentile for household income and the 21st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

40th
percentile, household income
60th
percentile, home value
35th
percentile, median rent
21st
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Lawrence, KS

Lawrence is a small city in Kansas, home to 95,459 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Lawrence households earn a median of $62,838 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.1%. Typical homes in Lawrence are valued around $269,500, and the median resident age is 29.2 years. Educational attainment runs 55.1% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 67.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 176 residential building permits were authorized in Lawrence (Construction Slowdown), down 53% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2618.0 incidents per 100,000 residents, near the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Lawrence's yearly average temperature at 54.9°F with 39.4 inches of precipitation per year and 10.4 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in Kansas run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Kansas at 90.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,182 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Kansas's average monthly utility costs around $217 (state average). Commute times here average 16.9 minutes, with 68.7% driving alone and 14.1% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 74.8 out of 100 (High).

Population

95,459 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Kansas

Median Household Income

$62,838 /yr

Poverty 6.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.1 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Kansas average

How does Lawrence compare to other US cities?

Here's how Lawrence stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 40% higher than other cities
Home value 60% pricier than other cities
Median rent 35% pricier than other cities
Safety 21% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Kansas, Lawrence ranks #91 of 109 Kansas cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Lawrence's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Kansas, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

40thIncome percentile
21stSafety percentile

40th percentile nationally for median household income · 21st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Lawrence's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Lawrence's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 38 Avg. percentile National median
Lawrence's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Lawrence's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$269,500 40th percentile more affordable than 40% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). This entry sits in this band. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Lawrence $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Lawrence, KS Lawrence, KS's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Lawrence, KS-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Lawrence, KS median $62,838/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Lawrence, KS's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Lawrence, KS. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 55.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 67.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
95,459
Median Income
$62,838
Median Home Value
$269,500
Median Age
29.2
Poverty Rate
6.1%
Labor force participation
67.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
55.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2618.0
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
461.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2156.5
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
54.9°F
Annual Precipitation
39.4"
Annual Snowfall
10.4"

Schools

Total Schools
20
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
94,500 residents95,000 residents95,500 residents96,000 residents96,500 residents97,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 94,936 residents 96,367 residents ▲ +1.5%
Lawrence's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
176
housing units authorized
Single-Family
127
detached homes
Multifamily
49
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 373
2020 292
2021 441
2022 305
2023 149
2024 176

Permit volume decreased 53% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
16.9 minutes
Drive Alone
68.7%
Carpool
7.1%
Public Transit
3.2%
Walk
4.5%
Work from Home
14.1%
Other
2.4%

Based on 53,484 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Kansas - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$110
avg/month
Natural Gas
$65
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$217
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Kansas state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Kansas state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Lawrence sits in

Cost of Living Index
90.1
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,182/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
74.8 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Kansas

Shawnee
68,175 people
Topeka
126,103 people
Lenexa
57,986 people
Manhattan
53,951 people
Olathe
143,720 people
Salina
46,432 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Lawrence's 95,459 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Tracy, CA
95,358 people
Edmond, OK
95,618 people
Deltona, FL
95,682 people
Reading, PA
94,836 people
Sandy, UT
94,723 people
Arden-Arcade, CA
96,319 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Lawrence's $62,838 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

New Richland, MN
$62,841 median income
Metolius, OR
$62,841 median income
Otter Creek, FL
$62,833 median income
Sullivan, IL
$62,845 median income
Paul, ID
$62,830 median income
The Dalles, OR
$62,830 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Lawrence, KS Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Lawrence, KS - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 76.5% 10.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7.8% White 76.5% Black or African American 4.8% Asian 5.4% American Indian 1.6% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.1% Two or more races 10.6% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Lawrence compares to nearby Kansas cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Lawrence (this city) 95,459 $62,838
Shawnee 68,175 $106,312
Topeka 126,103 $55,902
Lenexa 57,986 $102,344
Census ACS 5-year FIPS KS FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Lawrence, KS?

What is the population of Lawrence, KS? +

95,459 people live in Lawrence, KS according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Lawrence, KS? +

The median household income in Lawrence is $62,838 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Lawrence? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Lawrence; the closest available measure is the Kansas state average, a cost of living index of 90.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Kansas vary by metro area.

Is Lawrence, KS safe? +

Lawrence has a total crime rate of 2618.0 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Lawrence, KS? +

The median home value in Lawrence is $269,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Lawrence? +

Lawrence has an average annual temperature of 54.9°F, 39.4 inches of precipitation, and 10.4 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.