County · Kansas

Riley County, Kansas

Riley County, Kansas. Riley County had 72,598 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.9% since 2020, in line with Kansas (+1.3%). It holds 23 places (5 cities, villages and boroughs, 14 towns and townships and 4 census-designated) and 17 census tracts. GEOID 20161.

Riley 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

72,598

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 71,959 · ACS 2020-2024: 71,946

Median household income

$61,098

±$1,445 (90% margin)
Kansas: $74,275

Median home value

$237,100

±$11,412 (90% margin)
Kansas: $217,200

Median gross rent

$1,046

±$38 (90% margin)
Kansas: $1,060

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

The 2020 Census counted 71,959 residents in Riley County. The Census Bureau estimates 72,598 for July 1, 2025, up 0.9% since 2020, in line with Kansas (+1.3%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 71,946 over 610 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 −122 (71,889)
2021→2022 −302 (71,587)
2022→2023 −57 (71,530)
2023→2024 +542 (72,072)
2024→2025 +526 (72,598)

Riley County in Kansas. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Riley County	Kansas	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	71,946	2,947,197	−3,110
Households	27,695±467	1,174,060	+1,205
Average household size	2.22±0.04	2.44	−0.24
Housing units	30,755±82	1,293,635	no clear change

Riley County's population since 2000

From 62,843 in 2000 to 72,598 in 2025: up 15.5%. 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 62,843
2005 (estimate) 64,751
2010 Census 71,115
2015 (estimate) 77,293
2020 Census 71,959
2025 (estimate) 72,598

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 Riley County?

Riley County holds 23 places: 5 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places), 14 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government) and 4 census-designated places. The largest is Manhattan with 54,673 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 Riley County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Manhattan	city	54,100	54,239±52	$60,172	$246,700	23.3%	100%
Madison Township, Riley County	township	9,432	9,271±20	$56,367	$185,900	10.9%	100%
Fort Riley	CDP	9,230	8,606±566	$54,362	not published	10.7%	90%
Manhattan Township	township	2,190	1,779±422	$63,182	$171,400	8.1%	100%
Ogden Township	township	2,029	2,345±451	$83,864	$199,700	4.2%	100%
Ogden	city	1,661	1,696±387	$68,421	$156,800	5.9%	100%
Riley	city	938	943±225	$93,750	$163,100	4.9%	100%
Grant Township, Riley CountyGEOID 2016128075	township	870	779±248	$166,648	$364,100	9.8%	100%
Wildcat Township, Riley CountyGEOID 2016179175	township	786	771±245	$80,924	$244,400	0.0%	100%
Bala Township	township	740	767±265	$82,386	$158,800	4.8%	100%
Sherman Township, Riley County	township	585	775±290	$97,417	$205,500	1.3%	100%
Leonardville	city	432	514±172	$77,083	$110,400	7.4%	100%
Zeandale TownshipGEOID 2016180900	township	360	172±101	not published	not published	24.4%	100%
Jackson Township, Riley CountyGEOID 2016134900	township	273	441±175	$108,125	$158,900	5.2%	100%
Swede Creek TownshipGEOID 2016169650	township	204	216±86	$122,279	$425,000	0.0%	100%
RandolphGEOID 2058475	city	159	178±61	$82,500	$150,000	12.9%	100%
Ashland TownshipGEOID 2016102725	township	147	87±53	not published	$292,900	0.0%	100%
KeatsGEOID 2036200	CDP	96	182±168	$36,557	not published	0.0%	100%
May Day TownshipGEOID 2016145225	township	86	102±94	not published	not published	6.9%	100%
Center Township, Riley CountyGEOID 2016112100	township	81	126±89	$92,250	$258,900	5.6%	100%
Fancy Creek TownshipGEOID 2016122950	township	76	76±78	not published	not published	52.6%	100%
ZeandaleGEOID 2080875	CDP	62	0±11	not published	not published	–	100%
BalaGEOID 2003800	CDP	29	0±11	not published	not published	–	100%

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 Riley County?

The median resident of Riley County is 25.5 years old; 16.1% are under 18 and 10.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 73.6%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 10.0%. 6.7% 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	Riley County	Kansas	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	25.5±0.1	37.4	+0.4
Under 18 years	16.1%	23.8%	–
65 years and over	10.0%±0.1 pts	17.0%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	10.0%	13.6%	+1.7 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	73.6%±0.5 pts	72.7%	−2.9 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	6.4%±0.5 pts	5.2%	no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic	4.1%±0.4 pts	2.9%	−0.8 pts
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	4.9%±0.7 pts	4.8%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.6%±0.4 pts	0.4%	–
Born outside the United States	6.7%±1.0 pts	7.4%	−1.4 pts
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	8.7%±1.1 pts	12.1%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	7.7%±0.9 pts	6.8%	–
With a disability	12.3%±1.1 pts	13.5%	–
No health insurance coverage	7.0%±1.2 pts	8.8%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	97.0%±0.7 pts	92.0%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	48.9%±2.2 pts	35.6%	+3.3 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	22.2%±1.7 pts	13.4%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	5.4%±0.9 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 Riley County earn?

Half of Riley County's 27,695 households earn less than $61,098 a year (±$1,445), against $74,275 in Kansas. In 2015-2019 it was $63,021 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 19.9% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Riley County	Kansas	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$61,098±$1,445	$74,275	no clear change
Mean household income	$85,480±$3,833	$100,417	–
Per capita income	$36,484±$1,558	$40,978	+$2,921
People below the poverty line	19.9%±1.7 pts	11.3%	−2.5 pts
Children under 18 below the poverty line	14.0%±3.1 pts	13.1%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	6.7%±1.5 pts	6.8%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	91.9%±1.6 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 Riley County?

Owners occupy 46.1% of Riley County's occupied homes and renters 53.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $237,100 by its owner (±$11,412). The median renter pays $1,046 a month including utilities, and 41.5% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Riley County	Kansas	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$237,100±$11,412	$217,200	no clear change
Median gross rent	$1,046±$38	$1,060	−$118
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	41.5%±3.8 pts	34.5%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,761±$69	$1,689	–
Owner-occupied homes	46.1%±1.6 pts	67.2%	+2.9 pts
Housing units	30,755±82	1,293,635	no clear change
Homeowner vacancy rate	1.7%±1.1 pts	0.9%	–
Rental vacancy rate	5.6%±1.9 pts	6.2%	–
Single-family detached homes	50.0%±2.0 pts	71.8%	–
Mobile homes	5.0%±1.3 pts	4.0%	–
Built 2020 or later	0.7%±0.3 pts	1.4%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	8.5%±1.2 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 Riley County building?

Builders took permits for 243 new housing units across Riley County in 2025 (93 single-family), 3.3 per 1,000 residents.

2019 127 units
2020 225 units
2021 82 units
2022 136 units
2023 112 units
2024 126 units
2025 243 units

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

How do people in Riley County get to work?

64.5% of Riley County's workers drive alone and 11.2% work from home. The average trip to work takes 16.3 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.8%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Riley County	Kansas	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	71.5%±1.7 pts	66.1%	–
Unemployment rate	3.8%±0.9 pts	3.9%	−2.0 pts
Drove alone to work	64.5%±1.9 pts	75.4%	–
Carpooled	8.8%±1.5 pts	8.7%	–
Public transportation	0.2%±0.1 pts	0.4%	–
Walked	13.6%±1.2 pts	2.3%	–
Worked from home	11.2%±1.4 pts	11.8%	+5.5 pts
Mean travel time to work	16.3 min±1.5	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 Riley County's census tracts?

Riley County is divided into 17 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $23,456 (Tract 11.01) to $100,790 (Tract 6.02).

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

Tract 2.0120161000201	Manhattan (32%)	3,188	2,566±491	$53,243	not published	$1,028	21.7%
Tract 2.0220161000202	Manhattan (93%)	6,814	6,231±771	$57,750	$145,100	$1,120	11.5%
Tract 3.0320161000303	Manhattan	2,951	3,139±299	$31,975	$193,800	$941	49.7%
Tract 3.0420161000304	Manhattan	4,435	5,332±639	$64,183	$287,800	$970	34.1%
Tract 520161000500	Manhattan	4,277	4,558±640	$34,544	$158,000	$925	43.6%
Tract 6.0120161000601	Manhattan	3,773	3,370±312	$84,028	$287,600	$1,089	6.2%
Tract 6.0220161000602	Manhattan (79%)	6,439	6,983±682	$100,790	$384,100	$1,334	5.3%
Tract 720161000700	Manhattan	3,811	3,674±477	$63,250	$235,800	$874	21.5%
Tract 8.0120161000801	Manhattan	3,786	3,747±609	$25,852	$192,700	$851	43.4%
Tract 8.0220161000802	Manhattan	2,084	1,941±480	$52,297	$150,400	$1,149	19.9%
Tract 920161000900	Ogden (24%)	5,130	5,163±584	$67,039	$232,700	$983	16.2%
Tract 10.0220161001002	Fort Riley (51%)	8,279	8,173±271	$52,738	not published	$1,202	12.6%
Tract 11.0120161001101	Manhattan (89%)	4,271	4,265±326	$23,456	$240,400	$781	46.7%
Tract 11.0220161001102	Manhattan (94%)	3,733	2,963±352	$61,270	$256,700	$768	24.9%
Tract 13.0120161001301	Manhattan (82%)	4,037	4,729±468	$98,836	$349,300	$1,115	12.9%
Tract 13.0220161001302	Riley (9%)	4,950	5,112±517	$95,667	$216,500	$755	4.8%
Tract 980020161980000	–	1	0±11	not published	not published	not published	–

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

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

Riley County's rank among Kansas's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	7th of 105
Growth 2020-2025	16th of 105
Residents per square mile	7th of 105
Median household income	70th of 105
Median home value	6th of 105
Median gross rent	9th of 104
Poverty rate	2nd of 102
Bachelor's degree or higher	3rd of 105
Median age	105th 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 Riley 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.