County · Kansas

Pottawatomie County, Kansas

Pottawatomie County, Kansas. Pottawatomie County had 27,186 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 7.2% since 2020, faster than Kansas (+1.3%). It holds 35 places (12 cities, villages and boroughs and 23 towns and townships) and 5 census tracts. GEOID 20149.

Pottawatomie County is one of the 3 counties of the Manhattan, KS metropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

27,186

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 25,348 · ACS 2020-2024: 26,204

Median household income

$92,325

±$5,521 (90% margin)
Kansas: $74,275

Median home value

$245,900

±$11,263 (90% margin)
Kansas: $217,200

Median gross rent

$924

±$105 (90% margin)
Kansas: $1,060

How many people live in Pottawatomie County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 25,348 residents in Pottawatomie County. The Census Bureau estimates 27,186 for July 1, 2025, up 7.2% since 2020, faster than Kansas (+1.3%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 26,204 over 841 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 +469 (25,891)
2021→2022 +443 (26,334)
2022→2023 +159 (26,493)
2023→2024 +365 (26,858)
2024→2025 +328 (27,186)

Pottawatomie County in Kansas. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Pottawatomie County	Kansas	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	26,204	2,947,197	+2,357
Households	9,381±270	1,174,060	+683
Average household size	2.75±0.08	2.44	no clear change
Housing units	10,214±44	1,293,635	+565

Pottawatomie County's population since 2000

From 18,209 in 2000 to 27,186 in 2025: up 49.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. 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.

2000 Census 18,209
2005 (estimate) 19,444
2010 Census 21,604
2015 (estimate) 23,145
2020 Census 25,348
2025 (estimate) 27,186

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); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Pottawatomie County?

Pottawatomie County holds 35 places: 12 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places) and 23 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government). The largest is Wamego Township with 5,838 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Pottawatomie County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Wamego Township	township	5,670	5,751±16	$103,387	$198,400	4.1%	100%
Blue Township	township	4,926	5,173±21	$118,385	$338,900	6.8%	100%
Wamego	city	4,841	4,386±713	$78,809	$198,300	5.2%	100%
St. George Township	township	4,494	4,787±22	$88,553	$281,600	7.4%	100%
St. Marys Township	township	3,832	3,932±37	$81,900	$225,000	8.7%	100%
St. Marys	city	2,759	2,788±286	$76,771	$206,900	8.6%	100%
St. George	city	1,054	1,039±213	$100,956	$253,500	5.3%	100%
Louisville Township	township	1,005	954±240	$67,778	$205,200	2.0%	100%
Mill Creek Township, Pottawatomie County	township	957	968±182	$62,083	$180,600	12.9%	100%
Westmoreland	city	740	703±164	$64,750	$145,500	11.3%	100%
Rock Creek Township, Pottawatomie County	township	691	559±146	$64,265	$133,500	13.9%	100%
Pottawatomie Township, Pottawatomie CountyGEOID 2014957250	township	688	714±192	$87,143	$249,600	7.1%	100%
Onaga	city	679	727±139	$49,444	$116,200	13.6%	100%
Emmett TownshipGEOID 2014921125	township	450	906±479	$73,689	$10,000 or less	3.9%	100%
Belvue TownshipGEOID 2014905950	township	392	245±87	$73,438	$229,700	5.7%	100%
Blue Valley Township	township	380	360±110	$79,375	$157,100	12.8%	100%
Shannon Township, Pottawatomie CountyGEOID 2014964300	township	256	322±151	not published	$309,100	6.8%	100%
Union Township, Pottawatomie CountyGEOID 2014972250	township	239	93±65	$197,772	$424,100	0.0%	100%
Grant Township, Pottawatomie CountyGEOID 2014927950	township	235	413±236	$109,899	$268,400	1.2%	100%
Lone Tree Township, Pottawatomie CountyGEOID 2014942550	township	227	313±132	$106,250	$128,100	1.0%	100%
OlsburgGEOID 2052825	city	218	269±100	$77,083	$150,700	17.1%	100%
Green TownshipGEOID 2014928450	township	213	211±83	$87,917	$231,700	0.0%	100%
BelvueGEOID 2005925	city	177	175±78	$81,111	$184,400	8.0%	100%
EmmettGEOID 2021100	city	170	178±89	$56,250	$98,800	19.7%	100%
Clear Creek Township, Pottawatomie CountyGEOID 2014913800	township	150	91±53	$93,542	not published	0.0%	100%
Center Township, Pottawatomie CountyGEOID 2014912000	township	138	22±27	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
LouisvilleGEOID 2042925	city	131	175±106	not published	$57,100	4.6%	100%
Sherman Township, Pottawatomie CountyGEOID 2014965050	township	126	186±102	not published	$360,000	31.7%	100%
HavensvilleGEOID 2030775	city	119	172±121	$140,134	not published	2.9%	100%
WheatonGEOID 2077700	city	98	72±32	$75,417	$85,700	4.2%	100%
Lincoln Township, Pottawatomie CountyGEOID 2014941000	township	95	77±47	$64,125	$336,000	6.5%	100%
Vienna TownshipGEOID 2014973875	township	80	41±34	$68,333	not published	7.3%	100%
Spring Creek Township, Pottawatomie CountyGEOID 2014967475	township	55	56±36	not published	$400,000	19.6%	100%
St. Clere TownshipGEOID 2014962150	township	49	30±39	not published	not published	0.0%	100%
Manhattan	city	54,100	54,239±52	$60,172	$246,700	23.3%	0%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Pottawatomie County?

The median resident of Pottawatomie County is 36.4 years old; 28.8% are under 18 and 15.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 87.1%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 6.1%. 2.3% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Pottawatomie County	Kansas	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	36.4±0.4	37.4	+1.0
Under 18 years	28.8%±0.1 pts	23.8%	–
65 years and over	15.3%±0.2 pts	17.0%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	6.1%	13.6%	+0.9 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	87.1%±0.9 pts	72.7%	−2.8 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	1.6%±0.5 pts	5.2%	no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0.4%±0.3 pts	2.9%	–
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.2%±0.1 pts	0.4%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.1%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	3.7%±0.9 pts	4.8%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.7%±0.6 pts	0.4%	–
Born outside the United States	2.3%±0.7 pts	7.4%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	2.9%±0.9 pts	12.1%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	10.2%±1.8 pts	6.8%	–
With a disability	11.2%±1.3 pts	13.5%	–
No health insurance coverage	4.7%±1.1 pts	8.8%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	96.4%±0.9 pts	92.0%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	38.2%±3.0 pts	35.6%	+4.4 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	13.9%±2.1 pts	13.4%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	1.2%±0.7 pts	3.0%	–

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 Pottawatomie County earn?

Half of Pottawatomie County's 9,381 households earn less than $92,325 a year (±$5,521), against $74,275 in Kansas. In 2015-2019 the median was $82,253 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $10,072 after inflation. 6.7% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Pottawatomie County	Kansas	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$92,325±$5,521	$74,275	+$10,072
Mean household income	$105,915±$5,707	$100,417	–
Per capita income	$38,494±$1,894	$40,978	no clear change
People below the poverty line	6.7%±1.2 pts	11.3%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	6.5%±2.3 pts	13.1%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	4.4%±1.3 pts	6.8%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	92.5%±1.7 pts	90.7%	–

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 Pottawatomie County?

Owners occupy 82.2% of Pottawatomie County's occupied homes and renters 17.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $245,900 by its owner (±$11,263). The median renter pays $924 a month including utilities, and 29.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Pottawatomie County	Kansas	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$245,900±$11,263	$217,200	+$20,560
Median gross rent	$924±$105	$1,060	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	29.0%±7.6 pts	34.5%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,814±$64	$1,689	–
Owner-occupied homes	82.2%±2.5 pts	67.2%	no clear change
Housing units	10,214±44	1,293,635	+565
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.9%	–
Rental vacancy rate	6.4%±7.6 pts	6.2%	–
Single-family detached homes	79.4%±3.0 pts	71.8%	–
Mobile homes	10.1%±2.0 pts	4.0%	–
Built 2020 or later	2.8%±1.1 pts	1.4%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	17.7%±2.3 pts	15.4%	–

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 many new homes is Pottawatomie County building?

Builders took permits for 132 new housing units across Pottawatomie County in 2025 (125 single-family), 4.9 per 1,000 residents.

2019 196 units
2020 164 units
2021 180 units
2022 145 units
2023 100 units
2024 117 units
2025 132 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Pottawatomie County get to work?

80.2% of Pottawatomie County's workers drive alone and 7.4% work from home. The average trip to work takes 23.2 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 2.1%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Pottawatomie County	Kansas	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	65.5%±2.1 pts	66.1%	–
Unemployment rate	2.1%±0.8 pts	3.9%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	80.2%±2.8 pts	75.4%	–
Carpooled	9.4%±2.1 pts	8.7%	–
Public transportation	0.0%±0.2 pts	0.4%	–
Walked	2.3%±0.8 pts	2.3%	–
Worked from home	7.4%±1.8 pts	11.8%	+3.1 pts
Mean travel time to work	23.2 min±1.8	19.7 min	no clear change

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 are Pottawatomie County's census tracts?

Pottawatomie County is divided into 5 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $74,379 (Tract 3) to $110,724 (Tract 1.01).

Census tracts of Pottawatomie County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 1.0120149000101	Louisville (8%)	2,497	2,480±413	$110,724	$293,400	$1,188	1.0%
Tract 1.0220149000102	Manhattan (19%)	7,973	8,245±306	$102,368	$310,100	$1,306	8.5%
Tract 220149000200	Wamego (68%)	5,991	6,185±249	$98,750	$199,500	$849	3.9%
Tract 320149000300	St. Marys (32%)	4,745	5,124±477	$74,379	$205,200	$896	7.6%
Tract 420149000400	Onaga (9%)	4,142	4,170±354	$80,750	$219,500	$908	9.3%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Pottawatomie County compare with Kansas's other counties?

Pottawatomie County's rank among Kansas's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	22nd of 105
Growth 2020-2025	1st of 105
Residents per square mile	27th of 105
Median household income	2nd of 105
Median home value	5th of 105
Median gross rent	21st of 104
Poverty rate	92nd of 102
Bachelor's degree or higher	5th of 105
Median age	90th of 105

Every county in Kansas

Source: PlainCities ranks 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 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 Pottawatomie County 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' school search.