Your life in Ottawa County, Kansas

What stands out

What stands out about Ottawa County: the overdose death rate is in the bottom 4% of American counties (0 per 100,000), high-school completion is in the top 8% of American counties (95%), and the property tax rate is in the top 10% of American counties (1.62%). Within Kansas it ranks 65th of 105 counties for the overdose death rate, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Ottawa County, Kansas. 5,768 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population held steady at 0.2% last year, and more Americans moved in than out (net +21).

Kansas stopped taxing Social Security entirely in 2024 and consolidated its brackets, and property taxes fall heavily on homeowners because agricultural land is assessed on use value. Johnson County, in the Kansas City suburbs, has the state's best-rated schools and highest home prices. The state sits squarely in Tornado Alley.

Money

The typical household here brings in $74,551 a year, higher than 81% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $39,552. Unemployment runs 2.5%, lower than 83% of American counties. 7% of workers work from home; for the rest the average commute is 22 minutes each way.

Kansas takes 5.5% of that median income in state income tax, about $4,073 a year.

Home

The median home costs $177K, cheaper than 73% of American counties, about 1.8 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $735 a month. Property tax is 1.62% of home value, roughly $2,554 a year on that median home, higher than 90% of American counties. 78% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 3.5 per 1,000 residents, lower than 71% of American counties.

A child born here can expect to live 75.4 years, shorter than 55% of American counties. There are 5 active physicians in the county, about 8.7 per 10,000 people. 7.8% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 2.99 where 3.0 is national grade level, lower than 52% of American counties. 95% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 66 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 72% of eligible voters turned out. Under Kansas law you can carry a concealed handgun without a permit, abortion is protected by state law, and marijuana is illegal.

Weather and risk

The year averages 56°F, highs near 68 and lows near 44, warmer than 52% of American counties. About 29 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 25 out of 100, safer than 75% of American counties; the county has had 17 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 142 Mbps down, slower than 74% of American counties. There are 3 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 0.9 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people.

Where these numbers come from

• BLS QCEW 2024
• CDC 2024
• CMS 2024
• Census 2023
• Census ACS
• Census ACS 2022
• Census Population Estimates 2023
• Census SAHIE 2024
• County Health Rankings 2024
• Derived from ACS 2022 home value / household income
• FAA Airport Database
• FEMA Disaster Declarations 1953–2026
• FEMA National Risk Index 2023 (0–100, all hazards)
• HRSA Area Health Resources File 2023
• IMLS
• NOAA Climate Normals
• National Park Service
• Ookla Speedtest Intelligence
• Open Brewery DB
• OpenElections 2024
• SEDA via County Health Rankings 2024 (3.0 = at grade level; not a Z-score)
• Tax Foundation 2023
• USDA Food Environment Atlas
• Zillow ZHVI 2024
• Kansas tax and law data: state revenue department, Tax Foundation, Giffords, Guttmacher (2026)

Percentiles compare this county with every other county that reports the same figure. Missing figures are left out rather than guessed. Share this page: the address is permanent.