Pawnee Rock, Kansas Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 258, Pawnee Rock's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Pawnee Rock is a small community located in Kansas, within Barton County. The total population is 258. It ranks as the 390th most populous out of 721 Census-designated places in Kansas.

Age Demographics

The median age in Pawnee Rock is 42.2 years. This is 13% higher than the state median of 37.4 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Pawnee Rock is $48,026. This is 35% lower than the state median of $74,275. It is also 41% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 41.1%. This is 264% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.3%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Pawnee Rock, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $59,600. Housing costs are 73% lower than the state median of $217,200. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.2x, Pawnee Rock is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 84.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 25% higher than the state average of 67.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Pawnee Rock is White (non-Hispanic), making up 71.7% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 12.8%.

Education

8.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 77% lower 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 92.9%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Pawnee Rock, Kansas is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Kansas state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 721 Census-designated places in Kansas. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.