Douglas County, Kansas Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Douglas County is located in Kansas with a total population of 120,302. It is the 5th most populous county out of 105 in Kansas. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Douglas County is 31.6 years. This is 16% lower than the state median of 37.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Douglas County is $69,746. This is 6% lower than the state median of $74,275. It is also 14% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 14.7%. This is 31% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.3%. The unemployment rate is 4.2%. This is 8% higher than the state rate of 3.9%. The median home value is $309,400. Housing costs are 42% higher than the state median of $217,200. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.4x. 50.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 25% lower than the state average of 67.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Douglas County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 76.0% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 7.2%.

Education

53.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Douglas County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 49% higher than the state rate of 35.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 95.6%. Notably, 24.5% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Douglas County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Kansas and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.