SITUATION & TRENDS
SUPPLEMENT
SCOTT COUNTY
October 2002
Janet L. Griesel, Extension Associate
John C. Leatherman, Director
Provided as a service of the Office of Local Government
In cooperation with the Scott County Extension Office
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction ................................................................. 1
Population
Urban Population ...................................................... 2
Rural Population........................................................ 3
Proportion Rural
Farm Population
Place of Residence Five Years Earlier...................... 5
Proportion Same County
Income
Median Household Income ....................................... 7
Median Family Income .............................................. 8
Median Non-Family Income ...................................... 9
Household Income Distribution ................................. 9
Poverty Rate ........................................................... 10
Childhood Poverty Rate .......................................... 11
Elderly Poverty Rate................................................ 12
Working Poor .......................................................... 12
Income by Type....................................................... 13
Local Economy
Workers ................................................................... 16
Full-Time, Year Round Workers.............................. 17
Private Wage and Salary Workers .......................... 18
Government Workers .............................................. 18
Self-Employed Workers........................................... 19
Unpaid Family Workers ........................................... 19
Workers by Occupation ........................................... 20
Work Outside the County ........................................ 21
Work at Home ......................................................... 22
Drive to Work .......................................................... 22
Travel Time to Work ................................................ 23
Housing
Average Rooms per Housing Unit........................... 24
Bedrooms ................................................................ 25
Median Gross Rent ................................................. 25
Median Gross Rent as a Percentage of Income ..... 26
Median Selected Monthly Owner Costs .................. 27
With a Mortgage
Not Mortgaged
Monthly Owner Costs as a Percentage of Income .. 28
Median Year Built .................................................... 29
Units Built in Last Ten Years ................................... 30
Median Housing Value ............................................ 30
Basic Amenities....................................................... 32
Education
Preprimary School Enrollment................................. 34
Elementary and High School Enrollment................. 34
College Enrollment .................................................. 35
Population with at Least a High School Diploma..... 35
Social Environment
Marital Status .......................................................... 37
Speak a Language Other Than English .................. 38
Summary
Data Summary Table .............................................. 40
Relative Situation Chart........................................... 41
INTRODUCTION
This report contains information from the final major
release of data from Census 2000 and supplements
information presented in the Situation and Trends report
for Scott County released in January 2002. The Situation
and Trends report is available online at:
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/direct/Sit&Trends.htm or contact
the Office of Local Government.
Together with the Situation and Trends report, the
information presented here allows readers to take a
comprehensive look at Scott County’s current situation and
changes that have occurred over time. This information
can be used in a variety of ways including helping
residents understand trends affecting the county and
informing policy debate.
We begin this report with population indicators. These are
followed by indicators of the county’s income, local
economy, housing, education, and social environment.
Then, we summarize the situation in Scott County with a
data summary table and relative situation chart.
For each indicator in this report we compare Scott County
with Kansas and the average Kansas county. We also
present the high and low county values for each indicator
in the left-hand column to allow readers to see how Scott
County compares. For a discussion of how the averages
are calculated, understanding the measures presented,
and making comparisons, refer to pages 2-5 of the
Situation and Trends report for Scott County.
This report is provided as a service of the Office of Local
Government, a unit of K-State Research and Extension,
and represents our commitment to develop information
resources of use to local officials and the citizens of
Office of Local Government Kansas. The Office of Local Government works in
Department of Agricultural partnership with county Extension offices to provide this
Economics and other information. We hope this report will help
K-State Research & Extension improve understanding of local conditions and trends.
10E Umberger Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506-3415 The Office of Local Government welcomes any questions,
comments, or suggestions about this report or any of our
Phone: 785-532-2643 other services.
Fax: 785-532-3093
E-mail: olg@agecon.ksu.edu
1
POPULATION
Population may be the single most important indicator of a
county’s overall situation. The size of the local population,
its age distribution, and changes over time greatly affect
economic and social conditions in a county. Additional
information on Scott County’s population is available in the
Situation & Trends report released in January 2002.
URBAN POPULATION
Source The U.S. population has become more urban over time.
U.S. Census Bureau While this is partially due to definitional changes, the urban
population grew an amazing 636% over the last century
from just 30 million in 1900 to 222 million in 2000. Over
2000 the same period, the rural population grew only 28% to 59
High million.
Johnson 428,500
The urban population is of interest as urban places often
Low face a different set of circumstances than rural places. For
47 Counties 0 example, sprawl and crime are problems more typically
associated with urban places. From a more practical
standpoint, the urban population is important for
determining eligibility for certain state and federal
programs.
Traditionally, the urban population included all persons
living in incorporated places with a population of 2,500 or
more as well as those within census defined urbanized
areas (UAs). Urbanized areas contain a central place and
the densely settled territory surrounding it and must have a
population of at least 50,000. Areas in and around Kansas
City, Lawrence, Topeka, and Wichita meet this definition in
Kansas.
In 2000, the Census Bureau changed its practice of
defining all places with a population of 2,500 or more as
urban. Instead, the bureau defined urban clusters (UCs).
Clusters do not necessarily conform to place boundaries.
Rather, they include core census block groups or census
blocks with a population density of at least 1,000 people
per square mile and surrounding census blocks with an
overall density of at least 500 people per square mile.
2
In some cases, this definitional change caused places
classified as urban in 1990 to be classified as rural in
2000. In other cases, the opposite was true. While the
change in definition impacted some counties more
significantly than others, it makes it impossible to directly
compare the urban population in 1990 to that in 2000. We
will present the urban population for both periods but
caution the reader to more fully investigate how the
definitional change affected Scott County before drawing
firm conclusions about the change in the urban population
over time.
The urban population in Kansas increased from 1.71
million in 1990 to 1.92 million in 2000, continuing a steady
upward trend. In 2000, the urban population in Scott
County was 3,687 (Table 1). This represented a decrease
from 3,744 in 1990. The urban population in the average
Kansas county increased to 18,286 over the same period.
Table 1. Population by Urban/Rural Classification, Scott
County and Kansas County Average, 1990 and 2000
Scott County Average
1990 2000 1990 2000
Total Population: 5,289 5,120 23,596 25,604
Urban Population: 3,744 3,687 16,310 18,286
% of Total 70.8% 72.0% 32.2% 32.2%
Rural Population: 1,545 1,433 7,286 7,317
% of Total 29.2% 28.0% 67.8% 67.8%
Farm 223 332 1,029 855
Nonfarm 1,322 1,101 6,256 6,463
RURAL POPULATION
Source The Census Bureau defines the rural population as that
U.S. Census Bureau not classified as urban. See page 2 for a discussion of
how the Census Bureau defines the urban population. As
described there, changes in how urban is defined make it
2000 impossible to directly compare the rural population from
High the 1990 Census to that from Census 2000.
Sedgwick 39,710
Kansas’ rural population totaled 768,337 in 2000. This
Low was up from a rural population of 765,003 in 1990. In
Scott 1,433 2000, Scott County had a rural population of 1,433 (Table
1). This compared to a rural population of 7,317 in the
average Kansas county.
3
PROPORTION RURAL
2000 Only 28.6% of Kansas’ population was classified as rural in
High 2000. This marks a significant shift from 100 years earlier
47 Counties 100.0% when the rural population represented 77.6% of the state’s
population. Still, a majority of Kansas counties (67 in
Low 2000) have a larger rural than urban population. The rural
Johnson 5.0% population represented 67.8% of the population in the
average Kansas county and 28.0% of Scott County’s
population in 2000 (Table 1).
Not surprisingly, the rural population made up the smallest
proportion of the total population in 2000 for counties
encompassing the metropolitan areas of Kansas City,
Lawrence, Topeka, and Wichita (Figure 1). The rural
population also represented a relatively small proportion of
the total population for regional trade centers such as
Dodge City, Garden City, Liberal, Manhattan, and Salina.
Figure 1. Rural Population as a Percent of the Total Population, 2000
0% to 25%
25% to 50%
50% to 75%
75% to 100%
CN RA DC NT PL SM JW RP WS MS NM BR DP
AT
CD JA
SH TH SD GH RO OB MC CY PT
RL
JF LV
OT WY
LC GE SN
WB
WA LG GO TR EL RS DK DG JO
SA
EW MR OS
RH FR MI
GL WH SC LE NS BT LY
RC MP MN CS
CF AN LN
PN
HG SF HV
HM KE FI
ED RN
GW WO AL BB
GY BU
FO PR SG
ST GT HS KW KM WL NO
CR
EK
MT SV SW ME CA CM BA HP SU CL MG LB
CQ CK
4
PROPORTION FARM
2000 The rural population has both a farm and nonfarm
High component. The rural farm population includes all persons
Sheridan 28.8% living in a farm residence. The Census Bureau defines a
farm residence as a housing unit located on property an
Low acre or more in size from which $1,000 or more of
Wyandotte 0.1% agricultural products were sold in the preceding year.
While this is a very broad definition of a farm as $1,000 in
sales of most agricultural products represents an extremely
small operation, only 3.3% of the state’s population, or
89,758 Kansans, lived on farms in 2000. This represented
a decline of nearly 20,000 from 108,083 in 1990. While
the definition change referenced above may be partly
responsible for this decline, it is likely that a good portion of
this decline reflects the continuing decline in the number of
farms in Kansas. See page 72 of the Situation and Trends
Report for data related to the number of farms in Scott
County. The farm population represented 9.3% of the
population in the average Kansas county and 6.5% in
Scott County in 2000.
PLACE OF RESIDENCE
FIVE YEARS EARLIER
Source Information on the place of residence of a county’s
U.S. Census Bureau population five years earlier provides an indication of
residential mobility and migration. For example, if a
significant number of a county’s residents lived outside that
county five years earlier, this suggests the county has
experienced an influx of new residents over the period.
Such an influx could suggest persons are finding the
county a more desirable place to live, perhaps due to
economic growth in the county or a neighboring urban
center. It might also indicate that the county has a more
transient population for some reason. Counties that
contain universities, for example, tend to have a large
population turnover in any given five-year period.
A more mobile or migratory population may impact public
service provision. The county may need to provide more
services to support a growing population or offer a different
mix of services to meet the specific needs of a more
transient population. Individual counties will need to
identify more precisely who makes up their transient
population to assess these public service needs.
5
Families with young children, for example, have different
needs than college students or retirees.
For Census 2000, place of residence data represents an
individual’s place of residence on April 1, 1995. Similarly,
data from the 1990 Census refers to the place of residence
on April 1, 1985. As place of residence data refers to a
period five years earlier, only the population age 5 and up
is included.
Persons who resided in the same county five years earlier
may have lived in the same house the entire period or
moved to a different residence within the county. Persons
who resided outside the county five years earlier may have
lived in a different county within the same state, another
state, or a different country.
PROPORTION SAME
COUNTY
2000 Between 1990 and 2000, the number of individuals in
High Kansas residing in the same county five years earlier grew
Smith 86.6% from 76.4% of the population age 5 and up to 76.6%. Over
the same period, the proportion of Scott County residents
Low who lived in Scott County five years earlier increased 1.1%
Riley 46.6% to 83.1% (Table 2). The proportion declined 1.8%
between 1990 and 2000 in the average Kansas county.
1990-2000 Riley, Geary, and Douglas counties had the lowest
High proportion of their population residing in the same county
Riley 18.3% five years earlier. As described above, this is not
particularly surprising as the college students and soldiers
Low that make up a significant proportion of their populations
Hamilton 11.5% tend to be fairly transient.
Table 2. Population by Place of Residence Five Years Earlier,
Scott County and Kansas County Average, 1990 and 2000
Scott County Average
1990 2000 1990 2000
Population Over Age 5: 4,883 4,777 21,806 23,813
Resided in Same County: 4,014 3,969 16,660 18,251
% of Total 82.2% 83.1% 80.3% 78.7%
Resided Outside County: 869 808 5,146 5,562
% of Total 17.8% 16.9% 19.7% 21.3%
6
INCOME
Income allows individuals to buy goods and services and
serves as a broad measure of residents’ economic or
material well-being. Income indicators also provide
important information about the prosperity of the local
business community, the capacity of local government, and
residents’ social well-being. Low levels of income may be
associated with greater levels of child poverty and juvenile
crime, poor health, lower levels of educational attainment
and civic participation, and a greater need for social
programs.
The value of a dollar declines over time due to inflation –
general price increases. This distorts trends over time,
because a dollar today does not have as much purchasing
power as a dollar one year or five years ago. To make fair
comparisons of dollar amounts over time, income data are
adjusted to a single year’s value using an inflation index.
In this report, values are adjusted to 1999 dollars (1999$)
using the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE)
chain price index. By removing the effects of inflation, the
focus shifts to the “real” forces affecting changes over time.
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD
INCOME
Values are inflation- Median household income is the middle value of reported
adjusted to 1999 dollars. income for all households in the county. Household
income includes the income of all persons age 15 and over
in a household.
Source
U.S. Census Bureau Between 1989 and 1999, the median household income in
Kansas grew 16.4% to $40,624. Over the same period,
the median household income in the U.S. grew 9.2% to
1999 $41,994 and the median household income in the average
High Kansas county grew 17.9% to $34,838. Scott County’s
Johnson $61,455 median household income grew from $32,588 in 1989 to
$40,534 in 1999, an increase of 24.4% (Table 3).
Low
Woodson $25,335
7
Median Household Income, This data suggests that households in Kansas were better
continued off in 1999 than in 1989, as income growth outpaced
inflation. It is clear, however, that not all households
1989-1999 benefited equally. Some may even have been worse off in
High 1999. For a better idea of how households in Scott County
Ellsworth 39.4% fared, see the income distribution data presented on page
10.
Low
Woodson 0.9%
Table 3. Median Income, Scott County and Kansas
County Average, 1989 and 1999
Scott County Average
1989 1999 1989 1999
Median Household Income $32,588 $40,534 $29,652 $34,838
Median Family Income $37,440 $50,549 $35,980 $42,253
Median Nonfamily Income $16,204 $19,232 $15,298 $19,320
MEDIAN FAMILY
INCOME
Values are inflation- Median family income is the middle value of reported
adjusted to 1999 dollars. income for all family households in the county. Family
income includes the incomes of all members of the family
age 15 and over. Family households are those in which
Source two or more related persons live together. Persons in
U.S. Census Bureau family households may be related by birth, marriage, or
adoption.
1999 Family household incomes tend to be higher than
High nonfamily incomes. This is primarily because many family
Johnson $72,987 households have more than one income earner. This
often is not the case for nonfamily households, as they are
Low commonly persons living alone. See page 41 of the
Woodson $31,369 Situation & Trends report for data on the number of family
households by type in Scott County.
1989-1999 In 1999, Kansas’ median family income was $49,624. This
High represented an increase of 17.7% from $42,172 in 1989.
Chase 38.8% Over the same period, median family income grew 17.8%
to $42,253 in the average Kansas county and 35.0% in
Low Scott County (Table 3). Median family income increased in
Norton 0.1% real terms over the period in all but one Kansas county
(Norton).
8
MEDIAN NONFAMILY
INCOME
Values are inflation- Median nonfamily income is the middle value of reported
adjusted to 1999 dollars. income for all nonfamily households in the county.
Nonfamily income includes the incomes of all members of
the household age 15 and over. Nonfamily households
Source may be either one person living alone or a group of
U.S. Census Bureau unrelated persons living together.
Again, nonfamily income is generally lower than family
1999 income because the majority of nonfamily households are
High persons living alone. See page 44 of the Situation &
Johnson $36,588 Trends report for data on the number of nonfamily
households by type in Scott County.
Low
Woodson $14,485 Median nonfamily income in Kansas grew 21.5% between
1990 and 2000 to $23,002. This compared to growth of
27.9% in the average Kansas county (Table 3). Median
1989-1999 nonfamily income in Scott County grew from $16,204 in
High 1989 to $19,232 in 1999, a 18.7% increase. Only 3
Lincoln 68.3% Kansas counties (Edwards, Kearny, and Wallace)
experienced a decline in median nonfamily income
Low between 1989 and 1999.
Kearny 9.9%
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
DISTRIBUTION
Source Though counties may have a similar level of median
U.S. Census Bureau household income, income may be distributed very
differently across the households in each. For example,
one county may have a few extremely wealthy households
and large numbers of households with incomes at or below
the poverty level while another may have a large number
of households with a moderate level of income and a
reasonably equitable distribution of income. Table 4
illustrates how the distribution of income in Scott County
compares to that in the average Kansas county.
Between 1989 and 1999, households with higher levels of
income generally grew both in number and as a proportion
of total households. Households in the highest income
category showed particularly strong growth. The smaller
number of households in the lowest income category
suggests that low income households gained over the
period as well. In part, this reflects inflation as incomes
generally rise over time to account for increases in the
9
cost of living. Still, households in the lowest three income
categories represented a greater proportion of total
households in the average Kansas county in 2000 (64.3%)
than those in the highest three categories (35.7%).
Household income levels provide information about
resident’s economic well-being but also offer some
indication about the need for certain public services. A
large number of low income households, for example, may
indicate a greater need for social service programs.
Table 4. Households by Level of Income, Scott County and
Kansas County Average, 1989 and 1999
Scott County Average
1989 1999 1989 1999
Total Households: 2,017 2,047 9,012 9,895
Income $14,999 or Less: 506 296 2,317 1,478
% of Total 25.1% 14.5% 31.5% 18.0%
Income $15,000-$29,999 743 519 2,588 2,060
% of Total 36.8% 25.4% 32.4% 24.8%
Income $30,000-$44,999 453 350 1,933 1,939
% of Total 22.5% 17.1% 20.4% 21.5%
Income $45,000-$59,999 182 227 1,076 1,485
% of Total 9.0% 11.1% 8.8% 14.7%
Income $60,000-$74,999 79 266 523 1,064
% of Total 3.9% 13.0% 3.6% 8.9%
Income $75,000 or More: 54 389 574 1,870
% of Total 2.7% 19.0% 3.4% 12.1%
POVERTY RATE
Source Another indicator for assessing local economic well-being
U.S. Census Bureau is the poverty rate. As with the information on income
presented above, poverty data provides an indication of
the need for public services, particularly social service
1999 programs. Such needs, of course, vary depending on who
High in is in poverty. Children in poverty, for example, may
Riley 20.6% mean increased demand for after-school programs and
free or reduced school meals while elderly persons in a
Low similar situation may benefit from home meal delivery or
Johnson 3.4% home-based health care services. Data on the proportion
of children and the elderly in poverty is presented on the
following pages.
10
1989-1999 To determine a person’s poverty status, the Census
High Bureau compares the person’s total family income with the
Clark 127.5% poverty threshold for that person’s family size and
composition. If the total income of the family is below the
Low threshold, the individual and every member of their family
Chase 53.0% are considered poor. The characteristics used to
determine the poverty threshold are: family size, number of
children within the family, and age of the householder.
Poverty status for individuals not living in a family
household is determined in the same fashion. For 1999,
poverty thresholds ranged from just over $8,500 for a
person living alone to approximately $34,500 for a family of
nine or more. Poverty status is not computed for
institutionalized persons, people in military group quarters,
people living in college dorms, and unrelated individuals
under 15 years of age.
In 1999, 9.9% of the Kansas population, 12.4% of the U.S.
population, and 10.9% of the average Kansas county’s
population were in poverty. The poverty rate in Scott
County was 5.1% in 1999, down from 9.1% in 1989.
Between 1989 and 1999, the proportion of Kansans in
poverty fell 13.8%. This compares to a decline of 5.3% in
the U.S., a decline of 43.8% in Scott County, and a decline
of 13.3% in the average Kansas county over the same
period. Of 105 counties, 86 experienced a decline in their
poverty rate from 1989 to 1999.
CHILDHOOD POVERTY
RATE
1999 To more accurately assess the economic well-being of
High children, we present the poverty rate for persons under 18
Sheridan 27.9% for whom poverty status is determined. See our earlier
discussion of the poverty rate for more information about
Low how the Census Bureau determines poverty status.
Johnson 3.6%
In 1999, 12.0% of children under age 18 were in poverty in
Kansas, a 16.0% decline from 1989. A higher proportion
1989-1999 of children in the U.S. were in poverty in 1999, 16.6%. The
High percent of children in poverty in the average Kansas
Clark 470.9% county fell 5.4% from 15.8% in 1989 to 13.8% in 1999.
Over the same period, Scott County’s childhood poverty
Low rate fell from 7.0% to 6.1%, a decrease of 12.0%.
Thomas 58.9%
11
As the number of children under age 18 is small in many
Kansas counties, a small absolute change in the number
of children below poverty may result in a large percentage
change.
ELDERLY POVERTY
RATE
1999 The elderly poverty rate is the percent of persons age 65
High or over for whom poverty status is determined who have
Atchison 17.9% income below the poverty threshold. Refer to our earlier
discussion of the poverty rate for more information about
Low how the Census Bureau determines poverty status.
Johnson 3.6%
In 1999, 8.1% of persons age 65 and over in Kansas were
in poverty. This represented a 32.5% decline from 1989
1989-1999 when the elderly poverty rate was 12.0%. Ninety-nine of
High 105 Kansas counties saw declines in the elderly poverty
Pawnee 40.4% rate over the period. The rate fell 32.7% between 1989
and 1999 in the average Kansas county from 13.9% to
Low 9.1%. Similarly, the elderly poverty rate in Scott County
Sheridan 67.2% fell 41.1% from 13.8% to 8.1%.
WORKING POOR
1999 Though some assume that those in poverty do not work,
High this is not always the case. Many work full-time, year
Greeley 69.7% round jobs but still their income falls below the poverty
threshold. Here we present data on the percent of families
Low with income below the poverty level that had at least one
Scott 0.0% family member working full-time, year round in 1999.
Comparable data was unavailable for 1989.
In 1999, 23.6% of the 47,299 families in Kansas with
income below poverty had at least one member who
worked full-time, year round. This compared to 30.2% of
the families below poverty in the average Kansas county.
In Scott County, 0 families or 0.0% of those below poverty
had at least one member who worked full-time, year round
in 1999.
12
INCOME BY TYPE
Source Total income is actually the sum of eight different types of
U.S. Census Bureau income – wage or salary; self-employment; interest,
dividend, or net rental; social security; Supplemental
Security Income (SSI); public assistance; retirement; and
all other. Income does not include: money received from
the sale of property (unless the recipient was engaged in
the business of selling such property); capital gains; the
value of income “in kind” from food stamps, medical care,
etc.; the withdrawal of bank deposits; money borrowed; tax
refunds; the exchange of money between relatives living in
the same household; gifts and lump-sum inheritances,
insurance payments, and other types of lump-sum
receipts.
Table 5 shows the proportion of households receiving each
type of income and how much the average household
received for Scott County and the average Kansas county.
Data for 1989 is not presented as it is not directly
comparable with that from 1999.
While data is not directly comparable, we can make some
generalizations. The average household in Kansas, for
example, received more income in real terms from most
sources in 1999 than 1989. This means that income
growth generally outpaced inflation.
Income from other sources grew the most significantly over
the period. On average, households in Kansas received
57.0% more income from other sources in 1999 than 10
years earlier. The proportion of Kansas households
receiving other income also increased over the period
(33.4%). All other income includes unemployment
compensation, Veteran’s Administration (VA) payments,
alimony and child support, contributions received
periodically from people outside the household, military
family allotments, and other kinds of periodic income other
than earnings. Given the components of other income, the
greater number of households receiving it in 1999 may be
related to increases in the divorce rate over time or
increases in the number of veterans due to the Gulf War
and other military action in the 1990s.
The average Kansas household received 54.4% more
retirement income in 1999 than in 1989. The proportion of
households in Kansas receiving such income grew 14.9%
over the period. The majority of Kansas counties saw
similar increases. This growth likely reflects increases in
the number of persons of retirement age in the state
between 1989 and 1999. Growth will likely continue as the
13
the population continues to age and life expectancy
increases.
Income from social security and interest, dividends, and
rentals increased 14.7% and 19.8% respectively in the
average Kansas household between 1989 and 1999.
Interestingly, the proportion of households in the state
receiving each decreased (4.6% for social security and
9.1% for interest, dividends, and rentals). This result is
somewhat surprising as we would expect income from
these sources to be a large component of earnings for the
elderly who continue to increase in number as mentioned
above. Growth in income from interest, dividends, and
rentals may reflect, in part, the strength of the stock market
through the 1990s.
Wages and salaries were the most common source of
household income in Kansas in 1999, with 78.6% of
households receiving income from this source. This was
up 1.6% from the proportion receiving wage and salary
income in 1989. On average, Kansas households
received 18.3% more wage and salary income in 1999
than in 1989.
Self-employment income includes income from self-
employment in farm and nonfarm enterprises. Data on
households receiving farm and nonfarm self-employment
income were reported separately in 1989 but combined in
1999, making it impossible to calculate a percentage
change in the proportion receiving such income or the
amount received. It is important to recognize, however,
that self-employment earnings for farms are dependent on
farm prices in a given year. This may help to explain
higher or lower than expected self-employment income.
The remaining categories of income are SSI
(Supplemental Security Income -- a nationwide assistance
program that guarantees a minimum level of income for
needy aged, blind, or disabled individuals) and public
assistance (includes general assistance and Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families). Again, data on income
from these sources are not directly comparable as the two
categories were combined in 1989 but reported separately
in 1999. Welfare reform policies enacted in the mid-1990s,
such as the Personal Work Responsibility and Work
Opportunity Reconciliation Act which replaced Aid for
Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) with Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), likely impacted both
the number of households receiving public assistance
income and the amount received.
14
Table 5. Income by Type, Scott County and Kansas
County Average, 1999
Scott County Average
Wage or Salary Income:
% of Households 75.9% 72.2%
Average Amount Received $47,066 $38,127
Self-Employment Income:
% of Households 27.3% 22.5%
Average Amount Received $22,508 $20,453
Interest, Dividend, or Net Rental Income:
% of Households 43.6% 40.6%
Average Amount Received $11,254 $8,942
Social Security Income:
% of Households 29.4% 33.2%
Average Amount Received $11,060 $11,507
Supplemental Security Income:
% of Households 2.3% 3.4%
Average Amount Received $7,777 $5,956
Public Assistance Income:
% of Households 0.4% 2.3%
Average Amount Received $150 $2,195
Retirement Income:
% of Households 7.8% 14.3%
Average Amount Received $8,179 $13,819
All Other Income:
% of Households 11.6% 13.6%
Average Amount Received $3,990 $7,643
15
LOCAL ECONOMY
The strength of a county’s economy is important to the
current and future well-being of its residents. The
problems of economic decline are obvious, but economic
growth presents its own set of challenges.
PROPORTION WORKED
Source The Census Bureau defines workers as persons age 16
U.S. Census Bureau and over who worked one or more weeks in 1999. This
work may have been for pay or profit or without pay on a
family farm or in a family business. Active duty in the
1999 armed forces is also considered work.
High
Riley 83.0% In 1999, 73.8% of persons age 16 and over in Kansas
worked. This represented a 0.5% increase from 73.4% of
Low persons 16 and over in 1989. The proportion working fell
Elk 58.4% 0.3% over the same period in the average Kansas county
from 70.4% to 70.1%. Scott County had an increase of
9.3% in the proportion working from 72.9% in 1989 to
1989-1999 79.7% in 1999. Numbers of persons that worked in Scott
High County and the average Kansas county are presented in
Chase 12.5% Table 6. A lower proportion working in a given county may
indicate that retired persons make up a greater proportion
Low of its working age population. Similarly, a decrease over
Rawlins 10.7% time may reflect growth in the number of persons of
retirement age.
Traditionally, a greater proportion of males work than
females. Though the gap has narrowed over time, a
higher proportion of males worked than females in 1999 in
Kansas and all but one Kansas county (Norton County is
the exception). In Kansas, 80.6% of males age 16 and
over and 67.2% of females age 16 and over worked in
1999. Similarly, the average Kansas county had 78.1% of
males and 62.6% of females working in 1999. This
compared to 87.8% of males and 71.7% of females in
Scott County.
16
FULL-TIME, YEAR
ROUND WORKERS
Source Full-time, year round workers are those persons 16 and
U.S. Census Bureau over who usually worked 35 or more hours per week for 50
to 52 weeks of the year.
1999 Between 1989 and 1999, the number of full-time, year
High round workers in Kansas grew 16.1% to just over 900,000.
Johnson 175,514 Over the same period, the number of workers grew from
7,416 to 8,607 in the average Kansas county, an increase
Low of 8.1%. The number of full-time, year round workers in
Greeley 466 Scott County increased 7.7% from 1,731 in 1989 to 1,865
in 1999. Twenty-eight Kansas counties experienced a
decline in the number of full-time, year round workers from
1989-1999 1989 to 1999.
High
Miami 44.5% Additional data on the number of individuals in Scott
County and the average Kansas county that worked
Low various numbers of hours per week and weeks per year is
Rawlins 22.9% presented in Table 6. This data provides some indication
of the number of persons in the county working part-time or
seasonally.
Table 6. Work Status by Hours and Weeks Usually Worked,
Scott County and Kansas County Average, 1989 and 1999
Scott County Average
1989 1999 1989 1999
Persons Age 16 and Over:
Worked 2,881 3,125 13,142 14,464
Did Not Work 1,069 796 4,766 5,147
Workers By Hours Worked:
35 or More 2,218 2,546 10,170 11,286
15 to 34 421 424 2,337 2,488
1 to 14 242 155 636 690
Workers By Weeks Worked:
40 to 52 2,245 2,399 9,950 11,530
27 to 39 208 293 1,026 995
14 to 26 206 235 1,093 1,036
1 to 13 222 198 1,074 903
17
PRIVATE WAGE &
SALARY WORKERS
Source Private wage and salary workers are those who worked for
U.S. Census Bureau wages, salary, commission, tips, pay-in-kind, or piece rates
for a private for-profit employer or private not-for-profit, tax-
exempt or charitable organization. This includes persons
2000 who are self-employed in their own incorporated business
High as they are considered paid employees of their companies.
Johnson 205,956 Data refers to the primary job worked by employed
persons 16 and over in the week immediately prior to
Low completion of the Census questionnaire. For unemployed
Greeley 400 persons, data reflects their most recent job.
The number of private wage and salary workers in Kansas
1990-2000 grew 16.1% between 1990 and 2000 to 1,004,980. Over
High the same period, the number in Scott County grew 20.2%
Linn 59.0% from 1,660 to 1,995. In the average Kansas county, there
were 8,245 private wage and salary workers in 1990 and
Low 9,571 in 2000. This represented an increase of 12.4%.
Greeley 13.0%
GOVERNMENT
WORKERS
Government workers include persons who were employed
Source by any federal, tribal, state, or local governmental unit.
U.S. Census Bureau This includes local school districts. Again, data reflects the
job worked in the week prior to completing the Census
questionnaire.
2000
High Between 1990 and 2000, the number of government
Johnson 26,159 workers in Kansas grew 7.1% to nearly 204,000. This
compares to growth of 6.7% in the average Kansas county,
Low where the number of government workers increased from
Wallace 134 1,813 to 1,942. The number of government workers grew
21.2% in Scott County from 311 in 1990 to 377 in 2000.
1990-2000 In most Kansas counties, the majority of government
High workers are employed by the local government.
Chase 77.3% Exceptions are counties that house state universities, state
or federal prisons, military installations, or the state capital.
Low In 2000, 55.9% of government employees in the average
Sheridan 36.0% Kansas county worked for the local government. Local
government employees accounted for 46.1% of all
government workers in Kansas and 72.9% in Scott County.
18
SELF-EMPLOYED
WORKERS
Source Self-employed workers include only those who worked in
U.S. Census Bureau their own unincorporated business, professional practice,
or trade, or who operated a farm. We recognize that this
does not account for self-employed workers that work in
2000 their own incorporated businesses. These individuals are
High included with private wage and salary workers because the
Johnson 14,742 Census Bureau considers them paid employees of their
own companies. We maintain this distinction so we can
Low make accurate comparisons of the number of workers over
Greeley 142 time.
The number of self-employed workers in unincorporated
1990-2000 businesses in Kansas fell 6.2% between 1990 and 2000 to
High approximately 102,400. Over the same period, the number
Ellsworth 22.5% of self-employed workers in the average Kansas county fell
12.7% from 1,040 to 975. The number of self-employed
Low workers in unincorporated businesses in Scott County fell
Morton 41.6% from 515 in 1990 to 360 in 2000, a 30.1% decrease.
UNPAID FAMILY
WORKERS
Unpaid family workers are persons who worked 15 hours
Source or more without pay in a business or on a farm operated by
U.S. Census Bureau a relative.
Unpaid family workers in Kansas numbered just over 5,000
2000 in 2000, a decrease of 27.4% from 1990. Over the same
High period, the number of unpaid family workers in the average
Sedgwick 455 Kansas county increased 14.7% to 48. The number in
Scott County decreased 15.8% from 19 in 1990 to 16 in
Low 2000. As the number of unpaid family workers in many
Greeley 0 counties is small, an increase or decrease of a few workers
may result in a large percent change.
1990-2000
High
Ottawa 600.0%
Low
Greeley 100.0%
19
WORKERS BY
OCCUPATION
Source Occupational classifications reflect the kind of work a
U.S. Census Bureau person does on the job. This data reflects the primary job
worked by employed civilians age 16 and over in the week
immediately prior to completion of the Census
questionnaire. Data is presented for 2000 only as data
from 1990 and 2000 are not directly comparable due to
revisions reflecting changes to the Standard Occupational
Classifications.
Of the 23 occupational classifications we consider here, 11
are considered management, professional, and technical
occupations. They are: management except farming; farm
management; business operations and financial
specialists; computer and math; architecture and
engineering; life, physical, and social science; community
and social service; legal; education, training, and library;
arts, entertainment, sports, and media; and healthcare
practitioners and technicians. Service occupations include:
healthcare support; protective service; food preparation
and serving; building and ground cleaning and
maintenance; and personal care and service. Sales and
office occupations are of two types: sales and related and
office and administrative support. Remaining occupations
considered are: construction and extraction; installation,
maintenance, and repair; production; transportation and
material moving; and farming, fishing, and forestry.
In 2000, the largest proportion of the population age 16
and over in Kansas worked in office and administrative
support occupations (15.2%). Occupations rounding out
the top five included: sales and related (10.7%), production
(8.9%), management other than farming (7.9%), and
education, training, & library (6.4%).
Similar occupations represented the largest proportion of
jobs in the average Kansas county, though farming and
transportation were relatively more important than in the
state as a whole. In 2000, occupations representing the
largest proportion of the population in the average Kansas
county were office and administrative support (13.6%),
production (8.6%), sales and related (8.6%), transportation
and materials moving (7.5%), and farm management
(7.1%). Figure 2 presents the most significant occupations
in Scott County compared to their relative importance in
the average Kansas county for 2000.
20
Figure 2. Workers by Occupation, Scott County and
Kansas County Average, 2000
Office & Admin. 11.1%
Support 13.6%
9.6%
Farm Managers 7.1%
Occupation
Farming, Fishing, & 9.1%
Forestry 3.4%
8.4%
Education 6.9%
8.4%
Sales & Related 8.6%
53.4%
All Other 60.5%
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0%
Percentage of Workers
Scott Average Kansas County
PROPORTION WORKING
OUTSIDE THE COUNTY
Source The proportion of workers who work outside the county
U.S. Census Bureau serves as an indicator of out-commuting. Data is for all
workers age 16 or over who worked during the week
immediately proceeding completion of the Census
2000 questionnaire.
High
Jefferson 67.4% If a large proportion of a county’s workers commute to jobs
elsewhere, this may suggest the county lacks suitable
Low employment for its residents. Or, it could indicate the
Sedgwick 3.5% county serves as a “bedroom community” for one of its
neighbors.
1990-2000 In 2000, 22.6% of Kansas workers worked outside their
High county of residence. This represented an increase of
Norton 166.9% 12.5% from 20.1% of workers in 1990. Over the same
period, the proportion working outside the average Kansas
Low county grew 36.7% from 18.9% to 23.9%. The proportion
Johnson 15.2% working outside Scott County grew from 8.4% in 1990 to
11.1% in 2000, an increase of 31.8%.
21
While this is useful information, it is important to recognize
that a number of workers are likely commuting into the
county to work. Workers commuting into the county may
even offset the number commuting out. Unfortunately,
data on in-commuting is not currently available.
PROPORTION WORKING
AT HOME
Source Persons working at home include anyone who indicated
U.S. Census Bureau that they usually worked at home regardless of their
profession. Therefore, those working at home could be
farmers, owners of home-based businesses, or
2000 telecommuters.
High
Gove 13.5% Four percent of workers or 51,862 Kansans worked at
home in 2000. This represented a 4.6% decline from the
Low 4.1% of workers doing so in 1990. This is somewhat
Wyandotte 2.0% surprising as anecdotal evidence suggests that
telecommuting is on the rise. It may be that a decline in
the number of farms is offsetting any increase in
1990-2000 telecommuting or that telecommuting is not yet a viable
High alternative for most Kansans.
Russell 148.0%
Six percent of workers in the average Kansas county
Low worked at home in 2000. This represented a 9.2% decline
Stanton 62.0% from 1990 when 7.2% of workers worked at home.
Between 1990 and 2000, the proportion working at home
in Scott County fell 18.5% from 7.1% of workers to 5.8%.
Table 7 presents the number working from home in Scott
County in each year.
PROPORTION DRIVING
TO WORK
Source This data represents the principal means of transportation
U.S. Census Bureau workers age 16 and over used in the week immediately
prior to completion of the Census questionnaire. Drivers
include those who traveled to and from work in a car, truck,
2000 van, or motorcycle whether they drove alone or carpooled.
High Non-drivers may have taken public transportation, walked,
Shawnee 94.8% biked, or used some other means of transport.
Low
Gove 77.2%
22
1990-2000 The majority of Kansans (92.2%) drove to and from work in
High 2000. This was up slightly from 90.5% in 1990. The
Nemaha 14.6% proportion driving to work increased 3.8% in the average
Kansas county over the same period from 85.8% of
Low workers to 89.0%. In Scott County, 87.0% of workers
Wallace 7.8% drove in 1990 and 91.1% in 2000. This represented an
increase of 4.7%.
Only 11.5% of the Kansans that drove to work in 2000
carpooled. This compared to 12.9% in the average
Kansas county and 12.1% in Scott County.
TRAVEL TIME TO WORK
Source Travel time to work is the travel time in minutes that
U.S. Census Bureau workers usually took to get from home to work (one-way)
during the week immediately proceeding completion of the
Census questionnaire. Travel time includes time spent
waiting for public transportation, picking up passengers in
carpools, and time spent on other activities related to
getting to work. Data on travel time may provide an
indication of urban sprawl and give readers some idea
where county residents are traveling to work.
Table 7 presents data on workers’ travel time for both Scott
County and the average Kansas county.
Table 7. Travel Time to Work, Scott County and Kansas
County Average, 1990 and 2000
Scott County Average
1990 2000 1990 2000
Traveled to Work: 2,315 2,588 10,763 11,995
60 Minutes: 117 68 302 421
% of Travelers 5.1% 2.6% 3.6% 5.1%
Worked at Home: 178 160 465 494
23
HOUSING
Adequate housing is one of several factors affecting local
quality of life and the potential for economic growth. The
quantity, quality, and affordability of housing are all
important. Here we focus on indicators of quality and
affordability. Information about the number of housing
units is available in the Situation & Trends report for Scott
County.
AVERAGE ROOMS PER
HOUSING UNIT
Source By Census Bureau definition, rooms include living rooms,
U.S. Census Bureau dining rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, finished recreation
rooms, enclosed porches suitable for year-round use, and
lodgers’ rooms. Excluded are: strip or pullman kitchens,
2000 bathrooms, open porches, balconies, halls or foyers, half-
High rooms, utility rooms, unfinished attics or basements, or
Gove 6.8 other unfinished space used for storage. A partially
divided room is a separate room only if there is a partition
Low from floor to ceiling.
Seward & Wyandotte 5.3
In general, the number of rooms per housing unit has
grown over time indicating that homes today are larger
1990-2000 than they were in the past. This was certainly true in
High Kansas between 1990 and 2000. In 2000, housing units in
Linn 14.6% Kansas averaged 5.8 rooms each. This represented a
3.5% increase from 5.6 rooms per unit in 1990. Over the
Low same period, rooms per unit in the average Kansas county
Seward 1.8% grew 3.7% from 5.7 to 5.9. Only 4 Kansas counties
experienced a decline in the number of rooms per unit
between 1990 and 2000 (Chase, Elk, Finney, and
Seward). The number of rooms per unit in Scott County
grew 5.4% over the period from 6.0 to 6.3.
Owner-occupied units tend to have more rooms each than
renter-occupied units. For example, in 2000 owner-
occupied units in Kansas averaged 6.6 rooms each, while
renter-occupied units averaged only 4.4. The same held
true for the average Kansas county, where owner-occupied
units had 6.4 rooms each and renter-occupied only 5.0,
and all 105 Kansas counties. In Scott County, owner-
occupied units had 7.0 rooms each in 2000 and renter-
occupied units had 4.8
24
BEDROOMS
Source The Census Bureau classifies all rooms designed to be
U.S. Census Bureau used as bedrooms as such, even if they are currently being
used for other purposes. Thus, the number of bedrooms
for a given unit should equal the number of rooms in that
unit that would be listed as bedrooms if the home,
apartment, or mobile home were on the market for sale or
rent. A housing unit consisting of only one room, such as
an efficiency apartment, is classified as having no
bedrooms. Table 8 presents housing units by the number
of bedrooms for Scott County and the average Kansas
county.
Table 8. Housing Units by Number of Bedrooms, Scott
County and Kansas County Average, 1990 and 2000
Scott County Average
1990 2000 1990 2000
Housing Units: 2,305 2,291 9,944 10,773
No Bedrooms 11 12 127 179
1 Bedroom 208 171 1,135 1,227
2 Bedrooms 695 657 3,232 3,150
3 Bedrooms 1,037 900 3,763 4,058
4 Bedrooms 234 404 1,376 1,742
5 or More Bedrooms 120 147 310 416
MEDIAN GROSS RENT
Values are inflation- Gross rent is monthly contract rent plus the estimated
adjusted to 2000 dollars. average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water, and
sewer) and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.), if these
are paid by the renter. Median gross rent is the middle
Source value: one-half of renter-occupied households fall below
U.S. Census Bureau the median and one-half above.
Between 1990 and 2000, median gross rent in Kansas
2000 grew 6.6% to $498. This indicates that it was relatively
High more expensive to rent housing in Kansas in 2000 than 10
Johnson $702 years earlier. Median gross rent grew 10.4% in the
average Kansas county over the same period from $352 to
Low $387. Scott County’s median gross rent grew from $398 in
Jewell $266 1990 to $402 in 2000, an increase of 1.0%. Only 5 Kansas
counties experienced a decline in median gross rent over
the period (Greenwood, Pawnee, Pratt, Riley, and
Woodson).
25
Median Gross Rent,
continued
1990-2000
High
Jackson 44.9%
Low
Pawnee 6.2%
MEDIAN GROSS RENT
AS A PERCENTAGE OF
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Source Gross rent as a percentage of household income is a
U.S. Census Bureau computed ratio of monthly gross rent to monthly household
income (total household income divided by 12). This
provides a measure of the percentage of household
2000 income being used to pay for housing. Gross rent as a
High percentage of household income is not computed for
Douglas 29.3% renter-occupied households that do not pay cash rent or
for households that reported no income or a net loss. One-
Low half of cases fall below the median and one-half above.
Trego 15.0%
In general, median gross rent as a percentage of
household income has fallen over time. This implies that
1990-2000 while rental costs have generally increased in Kansas,
High household income has grown faster.
Gove 38.1%
In Kansas, median gross rent as a percentage of
Low household income in 1999 was 23.4%. This represented a
Decatur 26.0% 4.5% decline from 24.5% of household income in 1989.
Median gross rent as a percentage of household income
fell 4.9% in the average Kansas county over the same
period from 22.2% to 20.9%. In Scott County, median
gross rent as a percentage of household income fell 8.1%
from 23.4% of income in 1989 to 21.5% in 1999.
Table 9 presents the number of renter-occupied
households in Scott County and the average Kansas
county by gross rent as a percentage of household
income.
Households with lower incomes tend to spend a greater
proportion of that income on rent. Nearly eighty percent
(78.2%) of renter-occupied households in Kansas with
income of less than $10,000 in 1999 spent 35% or more of
that income on rent. By comparison, only 0.8% of
households with income of $50,000 or more spent 35% or
26
more of their income on rent. In fact, 90.9% of households
with income of $50,000 or more spent less than 20% on
rent.
Table 9. Renter-Occupied Households by Gross Rent as a Percentage
of Household Income, Scott County and Kansas County
Average, 1990 and 2000
Scott County Average
1990 2000 1990 2000
Units with Gross Rent as a % of
372 424 2,570 2,721
Income Computed:
Less Than 20%: 140 188 919 1,097
% of Computed Units 37.6% 44.3% 43.6% 48.0%
20% to 24%: 67 82 408 392
% of Computed Units 18.0% 19.3% 15.1% 13.5%
25% to 29%: 70 31 295 294
% of Computed Units 18.8% 7.3% 10.5% 9.9%
30% to 34%: 9 14 208 199
% of Computed Units 2.4% 3.3% 7.4% 6.4%
35% or More: 86 109 740 740
% of Computed Units 23.1% 25.7% 23.4% 22.2%
MEDIAN SELECTED
MONTHLY OWNER
COSTS
Values are inflation- The Census Bureau defines selected monthly owner costs
adjusted to 2000 dollars. as the sum of payments for mortgages, deeds of trust,
contracts to purchase, or similar debts on the property; real
Source estate taxes; fire, hazard, and flood insurance on the
U.S. Census Bureau property; utilities (electricity, gas, water, and sewer); and
fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). Where appropriate,
selected owner costs also include monthly condominium
fees and mobile home costs. The data on selected
monthly owner costs presented here is for specified owner-
occupied units only. These include 1-family homes on less
than 10 acres without a business on the property.
The median selected monthly owner cost is the middle
value: one-half of owner-occupied households fall below
the median and one-half above. Medians are calculated
separately for units with a mortgage and those not
mortgaged as shown on the following page.
27
WITH A MORTGAGE
2000 Between 1990 and 2000, median monthly owner costs for
High owner-occupied units with a mortgage in Kansas grew
Johnson $1,228 12.6% to $888. This indicates that it was relatively more
expensive to own a home in Kansas in 2000 than in 1990.
Low Median monthly owner costs grew 14.6% in the average
Osborne $483 Kansas county over the same period from $602 to $687.
Only two Kansas counties experienced a decline in median
monthly owner costs between 1990 and 2000 (Barber and
1990-2000 Republic). Median monthly owner costs for mortgaged
High units in Scott County grew from $679 in 1990 to $760 in
Stevens 39.6% 2000, an increase of 11.9%.
Low
Republic 3.4%
NOT MORTGAGED
2000 In 2000, median monthly owner costs for non-mortgaged
High owner-occupied units in Kansas totaled $273. This
Johnson $350 represented a 16.3% increase from $235 in 1990. Again,
this tells us it was more expensive to own a home in
Low Kansas in 2000 than in 1990. Over the same period,
Chautauqua $199 median monthly owner costs in the average Kansas county
grew 18.1% from $216 to $254. For non-mortgaged units,
median monthly owner costs grew in all but one Kansas
1990-2000 county between 1990 and 2000 (Chautauqua County is the
High exception). Median owner costs in Scott County grew
Ottawa 37.6% 13.9% over the period from $251 to $286.
Low
Chautauqua 0.3%
SELECTED MONTHLY
OWNER COSTS AS A
PERCENTAGE OF
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Source As with gross rent, selected monthly owner costs as a
U.S. Census Bureau percentage of household income is a computed ratio of
monthly owner costs to monthly household income (total
household income divided by 12). This provides a
measure of the percentage of household income being
used to pay for housing. Monthly owner costs as a
percentage of household income is not computed for
owner-occupied households that reported no income or a
net loss.
28
Table 10 presents data on the number of owner-occupied
households by monthly owner costs as a percentage of
household income for Scott County and the average
Kansas county.
As owner costs are typically higher for mortgaged than
non-mortgaged units, costs generally represent a higher
proportion of income in units with mortgages. Median
monthly owner costs as a percentage of household income
in 1999 was 17.9% for mortgaged units in Scott County but
only 10.9% for non-mortgaged units.
Table 10. Specified Owner-Occupied Households by Selected
Monthly Owner Costs as a Percentage of Household Income,
Scott County and Kansas County Average, 1990 and 2000
Scott County Average
1990 2000 1990 2000
Units with Owner Costs as a
1,090 1,214 4,804 5,505
% of Income Computed:
Less Than 20%: 700 831 3,024 3,482
% of Computed Units 64.2% 68.5% 68.1% 68.1%
20% to 24%: 171 163 689 751
% of Computed Units 15.7% 13.4% 11.8% 11.3%
25% to 29%: 106 57 408 433
% of Computed Units 9.7% 4.7% 6.7% 6.5%
30% to 34%: 35 69 221 258
% of Computed Units 3.2% 5.7% 3.9% 4.1%
35% or More: 78 94 463 581
% of Computed Units 7.2% 7.7% 9.4% 9.9%
MEDIAN YEAR BUILT
Source Year built refers to when the unit was first constructed, not
U.S. Census Bureau when it was remodeled, added to, or converted. Year built
is reported for both occupied and vacant units. One-half of
units were built before the median year built and one-half
2000 after.
High
Johnson 1979 The median year built for housing units in Kansas was
1966 in 2000, up 5 years from 1961 in 1990. That the
Low median year built was more recent in 2000 is not surprising
9 Counties 1939 given that new housing is constantly being built while older
housing is, in some cases, eliminated. The median year
built also grew in the average Kansas county from 1952 in
1990 to 1955 in 2000. Over the same period, the median
year built in Scott County grew from 1959 to 1964.
29
Median Year Built, This tells us that the median age of housing in Scott
continued County in 2000 was 36 years. This compares to a median
age of 45 years in the average Kansas county and 34
1990-2000 years in Kansas. The median age of housing was
High greatest, 61 years, in 9 Kansas counties (Comanche, Elk,
Gray & Ottawa 12 years Jewell, Lincoln, Marshall, Osborne, Republic, Smith, and
Washington).
Low
Sheridan 6 years
UNITS BUILT IN LAST
TEN YEARS
Source Data on the number of housing units built in the last ten
U.S. Census Bureau years provides a measure of the amount of residential
development that has taken place in the county over that
period. An increase over time suggests residential
2000 development has picked up, while a decrease suggests
High the opposite. Data represents only those units that were
Johnson 42,068 occupied when the Census was conducted.
Low Between 1990 and 2000, 154,102 housing units were built
Comanche 26 in Kansas. This represented a 4.6% decline from the
161,602 units built in the state between 1980 and 1990.
The number of units built in the average Kansas county
1990-2000 declined 17.7% over the same period from 1,539 between
High 1980 and 1990 to 1,468 between 1990 and 2000.
Hodgeman 80.6% Meanwhile, the number of units built in the last 10 years in
Scott County grew 52.2% from 159 to 242. Of the 242 built
Low between 1990 and 2000, 188 were owner-occupied and 54
Barber 85.4% renter-occupied.
As the number of housing units built in a 10-year period is
small in many Kansas counties, a small change in the
number of units built can result in a large percentage
change.
MEDIAN HOUSING
VALUE
Values are inflation- Housing value is the respondent’s estimate of how much
adjusted to 2000 dollars. the property (house and lot, mobile home and lot, or
condominium unit) would sell for if it were for sale. Data is
for specified owner-occupied units only. These are 1-
Source family houses on less than 10 acres without a business on
U.S. Census Bureau the property. One-half of the specified units have a value
below the median and one-half above.
30
2000 Between 1990 and 2000, median housing value in Kansas
High grew 28.4% to $83,500. Over the same period, median
Johnson $150,100 housing value in the average Kansas county increased
30.2% from $44,128 to $57,129. Scott County’s median
Low housing value grew from $55,625 in 1990 to $72,100 in
Jewell $24,000 2000, an increase of 29.6%. Only 3 Kansas counties
experienced a decline in median housing value over the
period (Barber, Comanche, and Geary).
1990-2000
High Figure 3 allows the reader to compare the proportion of
Miami 76.4% households in various value categories for Scott County
and the average Kansas county.
Low
Barber 5.8%
Figure 3. Owner-Occupied Housing Units by Value,
Scott County and Kansas County Average, 2000
100% $250,000 or More
90% $100,000 - $249,999
80%
70% $60,000 - $99,999
60%
50%
40%
$40,000 - $59,999
30%
20% $20,000 - $39,999
10% $19,999 or Less
0%
Scott Average County
31
BASIC AMENITIES
Source Here we present data on several basic household
U.S. Census Bureau amenities including: availability of a vehicle, telephone
service, and the completeness of kitchen and plumbing
facilities.
In 2000, 4.4% of occupied housing units in Scott County
did not have a vehicle available. This compared to 5.1% of
occupied units in the average Kansas county and 5.7% in
Kansas (Table 11). Vehicles include passenger cars,
vans, and pick-up or panel trucks of one-ton capacity or
less that are kept at home and available for use by
household members.
Only 2.8% of occupied households in Kansas did not have
a telephone in working order that they were able to make
and receive calls from in 2000. This compared to 3.2% of
occupied units in the average Kansas county and 3.5% in
Scott County.
The Census Bureau defines households with the following
as having complete kitchen facilities: a sink with piped
water, a range or cook top and oven, and a refrigerator. In
2000, 1.4% of housing units in Kansas, 2.6% of those in
the average Kansas county, and 1.6% of those in Scott
County did not have complete kitchen facilities.
Complete plumbing facilities include the following: hot and
cold piped water, a flush toilet, and a bathtub or shower.
One percent of housing units in Kansas did not have
complete plumbing facilities in 2000. This compared to
2.0% of units in the average Kansas county and 0.7% in
Scott County.
32
Table 11. Housing Units by Basic Amenities, Scott County
and Kansas County Average, 1990 and 2000
Scott County Average
1990 2000 1990 2000
Occupied by Vehicles Available:
None 97 91 572 567
1 or More 1,925 1,954 8,425 9,318
Occupied by Telephone Service:
Do Not Have 66 72 397 279
Have 1,956 1,973 8,600 9,606
Units by Kitchen Facilities:
Incomplete 8 37 110 151
Complete 2,297 2,254 9,834 10,622
Units by Plumbing Facilities
Incomplete 8 16 75 110
Complete 2,297 2,275 9,869 10,664
33
EDUCATION
The level of educational attainment and quality of
educational institutions also impact local quality of life. In
addition to data on educational attainment, we present
data on school enrollment. Rapid changes in school
enrollment can cause problems that are difficult to deal
with. Additional educational data is available in the
Situation & Trends report for Scott County.
PREPRIMARY SCHOOL
ENROLLMENT
Source The Census Bureau considers persons enrolled in school if
U.S. Census Bureau they reported attending a public or private school or
college at anytime between February 1 of the year the
Census was conducted and their completion of the Census
2000 questionnaire. Preprimary school students are those
High enrolled in nursery school and kindergarten.
Johnson 18,396
Between 1990 and 2000, preprimary school enrollment in
Low Kansas grew 82.3% to 90,376. In part, this growth reflects
Greeley 43 an increased emphasis during the 1990s on early head
start and other programs for 3 and 4 year olds. Enrollment
in the average Kansas county increased 75.1% from 472
1990 – 2000 students to 861. Only 4 Kansas counties saw a decline in
High preprimary enrollment between 1990 and 2000 (Greeley,
Morton 297.5% Ness, Phillips, Woodson). In each case, the decline
represented a change of less than 25 students. In Scott
Low County, preprimary enrollment grew 14.0% from 100
Ness 20.0% students in 1990 to 114 in 2000.
ELEMENTARY AND
HIGH SCHOOL
ENROLLMENT
Source Elementary and high school enrollees have completed at
U.S. Census Bureau least kindergarten but not high school. Most of elementary
and high school students in Kansas attend schools
supported by local public school districts (90% in 2000).
34
2000 Rapid changes in elementary and high school enrollment
High can have a variety of short-term impacts on local school
Sedgwick 85,449 districts. Increases may lead to overcrowding, boost class
sizes, and create the need for new buildings and other
Low infrastructure. Declining school enrollment may make it
Comanche 299 impossible to offer a full range of courses and activities
and, eventually, lead to school closures or consolidation.
1990 – 2000 Elementary and high school students in Kansas numbered
High just over 490,000 in 2000, an increase of 13.5% from
Hamilton 40.1% 1990. The number enrolled in the average Kansas county
increased 5.3% over the same period from 4,111 to 4,668.
Low Enrollment declined in Scott County from 1,026 in 1990 to
Comanche 25.3% 985 in 2000. This was a decrease of 4.0%.
COLLEGE
ENROLLMENT
Source The Census Bureau defines college students as those
U.S. Census Bureau persons enrolled in schooling which leads to a college
degree, whether bachelor’s, graduate, or professional.
2000 In 2000, 176,453 Kansans were enrolled in college. This
High represented a 5.7% decrease from 187,130 in 1990. The
Sedgwick 27,503 number of college enrollees in the average Kansas county
fell 17.1% over the same period from 1,782 to 1,681.
Low College students numbered 130 in Scott County in 2000.
Greeley 19 This was down 17.7% from 158 in 1990. As the number of
college enrollees is small in many Kansas counties, a
small change in the number of students enrolled may result
1990 – 2000 in a large percentage change.
High
Rice 61.1%
Low
Greeley 75.0%
PROPORTION AGE 25
AND OVER WITH AT
LEAST A HIGH SCHOOL
DIPLOMA
Source Long-term economic competitiveness is directly linked to
U.S. Census Bureau the skill and education level of an area’s labor force.
Educational attainment is one of the best measures of
these attributes available.
35
At Least High School In 2000, 86.0% of Kansans age 25 and over had at least a
Diploma, continued high school diploma. This was an increase of 5.8% from
81.3% of persons 25 and over in 1990. This continues an
2000 upward trend and suggests that today’s youth are
High obtaining higher levels of education than their parents and
Johnson 94.9% grandparents did.
Low Between 1990 and 2000, the proportion receiving at least
Seward 63.7% a high school diploma in the average Kansas county grew
8.2% from 77.7% to 83.9%. Over the same period,
persons in Scott County with at least a high school diploma
1990 – 2000 grew from 77.2% of the population age 25 and over to
High 84.5%. This was an increase of 9.4%. Only six Kansas
Elk 18.9% counties reported declines in the proportion with at least a
high school diploma between 1990 and 2000 (Finney,
Low Ford, Grant, Haskell, Lyon, and Seward). Five of the six
Seward 11.8% are located in southwest Kansas where population growth
has been particularly strong in recent years (See page 6 of
the Situation & Trends report for Scott County).
Table 12 presents additional data on educational
attainment for Scott County and the average Kansas
county.
Table 12. Highest Level of Education Attained, Scott County
and Kansas County Average, 1990 and 2000
Scott County Average
1990 2000 1990 2000
Population Age 25 & Over: 3,405 3,376 14,914 16,202
Less Than 9th Grade: 443 237 1,152 839
% of Population 13.0% 7.0% 7.7% 5.2%
9th -12th Grade, No Diploma: 332 285 1,641 1,425
% of Population 9.8% 8.4% 11.0% 8.8%
High School Diploma: 1,154 974 4,897 4,834
% of Population 33.9% 28.9% 32.8% 29.8%
Some College, No Degree: 832 867 3,266 3,978
% of Population 24.4% 25.7% 21.9% 24.6%
Associate Degree: 174 236 811 944
% of Population 5.1% 7.0% 5.4% 5.8%
Bachelor's Degree: 316 495 2,105 2,764
% of Population 9.3% 14.7% 14.1% 17.1%
Graduate or Professional Degree: 154 282 1,042 1,416
% of Population 4.5% 8.4% 7.0% 8.7%
36
SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
The housing and education indicators presented earlier in
the report provide some insight into Scott County’s social
situation. Here, we present additional indicators related to
the county’s social environment.
PROPORTION MARRIED
Source In 2000, 59.3% of Kansans age 15 and over were married.
U.S. Census Bureau This represented a 4.0% decline from 1990 when 61.7%
were married. A slightly higher proportion (63.0%) was
married in the average Kansas county in 2000. Again, this
2000 was down from 1990 when 65.8% were married. Married
High persons increased as a proportion of persons age 15 and
Haskell 70.6% over in only 6 Kansas counties between 1990 and 2000
(Chautauqua, Kiowa, Norton, Pawnee, Thomas, and
Low Wallace). Over the period, married persons fell from
Riley 44.3% 67.5% of the population age 15 and over in Scott County
to 65.1%. This was a decrease of 3.5%. In part, the
decline in the proportion married in most Kansas counties
1990-2000 may reflect broader societal changes such as persons
High waiting longer to marry and rising divorce rates.
Pawnee 16.2%
Additional data on marital status is presented in Table 13.
Low
Chase 11.6%
Table 13. Population Age 15 and Over by Marital Status, Scott
County and Kansas County Average, 1990 and 2000
Scott County Average
1990 2000 1990 2000
Population Age 15 and Over: 4,014 4,033 18,227 20,006
Married: 2,708 2,626 11,255 11,859
Spouse Present 2,619 2,483 10,738 11,105
Spouse Absent 89 143 517 754
Unmarried: 1,306 1,407 6,972 8,147
Never Married 636 771 4,050 4,814
Divorced 309 308 1,541 2,016
Widowed 361 328 1,382 1,317
37
PROPORTION
SPEAKING A
LANGUAGE OTHER
THAN ENGLISH
Source The population speaking a language other than English
U.S. Census Bureau includes only those who sometimes or always speak
another language at home. It does not include those who
speak a language other than English only at school or
2000 work, or those who were limited to only a few expressions
High or slang of the other language.
Seward 41.2%
Nearly 9 percent of Kansans spoke a language other than
Low English at home in 2000. This represented a 52.1%
Comanche 1.6% increase from the proportion doing so in 1990. Over the
same period, the proportion speaking a language other
than English grew 32.9% in the average Kansas county to
1990-2000 6.8% of the population. In Scott County, the proportion
High grew from 3.9% of the population in 1990 to 5.8% in 2000.
Hamilton 202.9% This was an increase of 49.3%.
Low More than 25% of the population spoke a language other
Logan 55.6% than English at home in four Kansas counties (Finney,
Ford, Grant, and Seward). All are located in southwest
Kansas.
Spanish was the most common non-English language
spoken at home. Nearly 63% of Kansans speaking
another language at home spoke Spanish in 2000. This
compared to 58.3% of those speaking a language other
than English at home in the average Kansas county and
83.3% in Scott County.
While most people who speak a language other than
English at home also speak English, many report that they
either do not speak English well or at all. In 2000, 24.1%
of persons speaking a language other than English at
home in Kansas, 16.7% of those in the average Kansas
county, and 27.2% of those in Scott County indicated that
they spoke English “not well” or “not at all”. It is important
to recognize that this data reflects the respondent’s own
perception of their ability to speak English and may not
reflect that of others.
38
SUMMARY
Data for Scott County is summarized on the following
pages in a data summary table and relative situation chart.
These figures allow the reader to get a quick overall picture
of where the county stands relative to other counties and
the average Kansas county. For more information on a
specific indicator, refer to the discussion of that indicator
earlier in the report. See the table of contents for a
complete listing of indicators.
39
Data Summary for Scott County, Kansas
Most Recent Value % Change
Year County KS County From County KS County
Average Year Average
Population
Urban Population 2000 3,687 18,286 1990 N.A. N.A.
Rural Population 2000 1,433 7,317 1990 N.A. N.A.
% Rural 2000 28.0% 67.8% 1990 N.A. N.A.
% Farm 2000 6.5% 9.3% 1990 N.A. N.A.
% Lived in County 5 Years Prior 2000 83.1% 78.7% 1990 1.1% -1.8%
Income
Median Household Income 1999 $40,534 $34,838 1989 24.4% 17.9%
Median Family Income 1999 $50,549 $42,253 1989 35.0% 17.8%
Median Nonfamily Income 1999 $19,232 $19,320 1989 18.7% 27.9%
Poverty Rate 1999 5.1% 10.9% 1989 -43.8% -13.3%
Childhood Poverty Rate 1999 6.1% 13.8% 1989 -12.0% -5.4%
Elderly Poverty Rate 1999 8.1% 9.1% 1989 -41.1% -32.7%
Economy
% Work 1999 79.7% 70.1% 1989 9.3% -0.3%
Full-Time, Year Round Workers 1999 1,865 8,607 1989 7.7% 8.1%
Private Wage & Salary Workers 2000 1,995 9,571 1990 20.2% 12.4%
Government Workers 2000 377 1,942 1990 21.2% 6.7%
Self-Employed Workers 2000 360 975 1990 -30.1% -12.7%
Unpaid Family Workers 2000 16 48 1990 -15.8% 14.7%
% Work Outside County 2000 11.1% 23.9% 1990 31.8% 36.7%
% Work at Home 2000 5.8% 6.0% 1990 -18.5% -9.2%
% Drive to Work 2000 91.1% 89.0% 1990 4.7% 3.8%
Housing
Average Rooms Per Unit 2000 6.3 5.9 1990 5.4% 3.7%
Median Gross Rent 2000 $402 $387 1990 1.0% 10.4%
Median Gross Rent as a % of Income 2000 21.5% 20.9% 1990 -8.1% -4.9%
Median Owner Costs -- Mortgaged 2000 $760 $687 1990 11.9% 14.6%
Median Owner Costs -- Not Mortgaged 2000 $286 $254 1990 13.9% 18.1%
Units Built in Last 10 Years 2000 242 1,468 1990 52.2% -17.7%
Median Housing Value 2000 $72,100 $57,129 1990 29.6% 30.2%
Education
Preprimary Enrollment 2000 114 861 1990 14.0% 75.1%
Elementary & High School Enrollment 2000 985 4,668 1990 -4.0% 5.3%
College Enrollment 2000 130 1,681 1990 -17.7% -17.1%
% With at Least a High School Diploma 2000 84.5% 83.9% 1990 9.4% 8.2%
Social Environment
% Married 2000 65.1% 63.0% 1990 -3.5% -4.3%
% Speak Non-English at Home 2000 5.8% 6.8% 1990 49.3% 32.9%
N.A. -- Not applicable due to changes in Census Bureau definitions of urban and rural. See page 2 for additional information.
40
Relative Situation for Scott County, Kansas
Kansas
County
Average
Urban Population, 2000
Kansas County Range Rural Population, 2000
♦ County Value
% Farm, 2000
% Lived in County 5 Years Prior, 2000
Median Household Income, 1989-99
Median Family Income, 1989-99
Median Nonfamily Income, 1989-99
Poverty Rate, 1999
Childhood Poverty Rate, 1999
Elderly Poverty Rate, 1999
% Work, 1999
Full-Time, Year Round Workers, 1989-99
Private Wage & Salary Workers, 1990-00
Government Workers, 1990-00
Self-Employed Workers, 1990-00
% Work Outside County, 2000
% Work at Home, 2000
% Drive to Work, 2000
Median Gross Rent, 1990-00
Median Owner Costs -- Mortgaged, 1990-00
Median Owner Costs -- Not Mortgaged, 1990-00
Median Housing Value, 1990-00
Preprimary Enrollment, 1990-00
Elementary & High School Enrollment, 1990-00
College Enrollment, 1990-00
% With at Least a High School Diploma, 2000
% Married, 2000
% Speak Non-English at Home, 2000
% Speak Non-English at Home, 2000
Below county average Above county average
41
Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service,
Manhattan, Kansas
It is the policy of Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service that all
persons shall have equal opportunity and access to its educational programs, services, activities, and materials
without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability. Kansas State University is an equal
opportunity organization.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, as amended. Kansas State
University, County Extension Councils, Extension Districts, and United States Department of Agriculture Cooperating,
Marc. A. Johnson, Director.