Great Bend is a vibrant community of around 16,000 people located in the heart of America; near the geographical center of Kansas. The central location of the city allows for short travel to anywhere in the state, including Wichita and Kansas City. Denver is also just a mere six hours drive away.
The people of Great Bend enjoy conveniences of a larger city, like first rate educational, medical and recreation facilities. For all of the large city conveniences the community still retains its small-town sensibilities and values. Those sensibilities and values have given rise to innovators and entrepreneurs who have shaped the modern world. Noble Laureate Jack Kilby, inventor of the integrated circuit and pocket calculator spent his formative years in Great Bend. Adventurer and co-founder of JanSport, Skip Yowell, is an alumnus of Great Bend High School.
Incentives available through the City of Great Bend, Barton County, and the State of Kansas make relocation or expansion in the community competitive. Companies in Great Bend enjoy an adaptable and hard working regional labor pool of close to 30,000. Through partnerships with Barton Community College and the State of Kansas, the community has the ability to rapidly train or retain the existing workforce to meet the needs of business.
Population and Job Growth over Time
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Population by Educational Attainment
Barton County
Occupation Demographics
Barton County
Population by Age Cohort
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Age Cohort | 2018 Population | 2023 Population | Change | % Change | 2023 % of Cohort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 years | 1,612 | 1,540 | -72 | -4% | 6.18% |
| 5 to 9 years | 1,767 | 1,636 | -131 | -7% | 6.57% |
| 10 to 14 years | 1,760 | 1,758 | -2 | -0% | 7.06% |
| 15 to 19 years | 1,773 | 1,699 | -74 | -4% | 6.82% |
| 20 to 24 years | 1,537 | 1,419 | -118 | -8% | 5.7% |
| 25 to 29 years | 1,544 | 1,327 | -217 | -14% | 5.33% |
| 30 to 34 years | 1,540 | 1,480 | -60 | -4% | 5.94% |
| 35 to 39 years | 1,580 | 1,502 | -78 | -5% | 6.03% |
| 40 to 44 years | 1,248 | 1,510 | 262 | 21% | 6.06% |
| 45 to 49 years | 1,252 | 1,185 | -67 | -5% | 4.76% |
| 50 to 54 years | 1,500 | 1,208 | -292 | -19% | 4.85% |
| 55 to 59 years | 1,996 | 1,468 | -528 | -26% | 5.9% |
| 60 to 64 years | 1,990 | 1,869 | -121 | -6% | 7.51% |
| 65 to 69 years | 1,551 | 1,755 | 204 | 13% | 7.05% |
| 70 to 74 years | 1,097 | 1,360 | 263 | 24% | 5.46% |
| 75 to 79 years | 847 | 893 | 46 | 5% | 3.59% |
| 80 to 84 years | 659 | 624 | -35 | -5% | 2.51% |
| 85 years and over | 867 | 666 | -201 | -23% | 2.67% |
Cost of Living Comparison vs. Peer Cities
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Cost of Living Indexes | Overall Index: Homeowner, No Child care, Taxes Not Considered | Food & Groceries | Housing (Homeowner) | Median Home Cost | Utilities | Transportation | Health | Miscellaneous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Bend, KS | 70.4 | 92.4 | 36.7 | 99,000 | 99.8 | 65.5 | 103.2 | 98.1 |
| Wichita, KS | 81.6 | 95 | 55.9 | 172,400 | 103.5 | 80.4 | 102.9 | 97.3 |
| Kansas City, KS | 82.8 | 93.9 | 43.8 | 163,900 | 100.3 | 91.2 | 102.3 | 101.5 |
| Denver, CO | 127.8 | 101.9 | 184.3 | 576,000 | 96.2 | 116.1 | 83.9 | 102.8 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 84.4 | 94.7 | 56.2 | 187,700 | 97.1 | 95.5 | 106.2 | 93.8 |
The Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the President’s Council of Economic Advisors and Brookings Institution. The index contains a cost comparison for six primary categories: food, housing, utilities, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods and services. It uses over 60 goods and services collected at the local level from over 300 independent researchers. The average for all participating places is 100. A ranking of less than 100 is increasing in affordability, while incremental increases above 100 reflect a higher cost of living comparably.
Unemployment and Labor Force Participation Rates
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Industry Characteristics
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Industry | 2024 Jobs | 2024 Average Earnings Per Worker | 2024 LQ (Industry Concentration) | 2019-2024 % Change in Jobs | 2024 GRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 2,796 | $61,975 | 2.47 | 38.62% | |
| Retail Trade | 2,625 | $44,328 | 1.46 | 23.73% | |
| Finance and Insurance | 2,028 | $49,749 | 1.6 | 81.05% | |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1,688 | $56,707 | 1.43 | 62.9% | |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 1,581 | $30,215 | 1.12 | 4.31% | |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,568 | $82,107 | 0.67 | 10.12% | |
| Government | 1,326 | $63,811 | 0.57 | 4.38% | |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1,305 | $31,134 | 1.16 | 16.33% | |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 972 | $65,832 | 0.64 | 25.06% | |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 886 | $31,963 | 0.76 | 2.77% | |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 713 | $36,804 | 0.63 | 46.1% | |
| Manufacturing | 633 | $62,836 | 0.51 | -3.65% | |
| Wholesale Trade | 594 | $107,931 | 0.93 | 29.25% | |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 578 | $23,505 | 1.73 | 7.32% | |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 345 | $34,508 | 0.79 | 2.7% | |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 246 | $96,094 | 2.49 | 40.25% | |
| Educational Services | 219 | $24,009 | 0.45 | -0.48% | |
| Information | 178 | $51,309 | 0.5 | 11.91% | |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 17 | $51,322 | 0.06 | -87.08% | |
| Utilities | 17 | $194,483 | 0.29 | -70.42% |
Source: Lightcast
Occupation Concentration
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Profession | 2024 Jobs | 2024 Median Salary | 2024 Average Hourly Wage | 2024 LQ (Occupation Concentration) | 2019-2024 % Change in Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales and Related | 3,229 | $40,416 | $39.7 | 1.38 | 24.29% |
| Management | 2,493 | $61,125 | $44.08 | 1.31 | 47.88% |
| Construction and Extraction | 1,907 | $43,940 | $27.75 | 2.17 | 27.3% |
| Business and Financial Operations | 1,801 | $74,308 | $57.47 | 1.1 | 78.53% |
| Office and Administrative Support | 1,662 | $39,937 | $21.75 | 0.8 | 16.22% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | 1,486 | $28,691 | $15.76 | 1.13 | 0.7% |
| Transportation and Material Moving | 1,332 | $39,030 | $23.2 | 0.82 | 34.73% |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | 853 | $32,481 | $20.66 | 1.24 | 5.84% |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 786 | $46,894 | $26.46 | 1.1 | 25.51% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | 760 | $84,880 | $49.02 | 0.76 | 23.83% |
| Educational Instruction and Library | 683 | $55,197 | $30.54 | 0.7 | 1.49% |
| Personal Care and Service | 679 | $33,244 | $24.6 | 0.98 | 10.08% |
| Production | 589 | $43,401 | $24.01 | 0.66 | -4.13% |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | 538 | $44,394 | $36.83 | 0.86 | 15.17% |
| Healthcare Support | 519 | $33,320 | $19.88 | 0.62 | -0.17% |
| Computer and Mathematical | 188 | $70,511 | $42.03 | 0.34 | 20.65% |
| Community and Social Service | 172 | $56,556 | $31.64 | 0.54 | 12.85% |
| Protective Service | 166 | $53,556 | $27.2 | 0.46 | 10.82% |
| Architecture and Engineering | 153 | $71,098 | $46.42 | 0.56 | 32.76% |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | 144 | $28,112 | $19.12 | 1.1 | 26.77% |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | 73 | $75,975 | $52.83 | 0.38 | 29.34% |
| Legal | 64 | $74,015 | $58.02 | 0.4 | -15.43% |
| Military-only | 32 | $39,150 | $24.4 | 0.37 | 17.78% |
Job Postings 5-Year Trend
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Job Postings by Industry
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Industry Sector (2-Digit) | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 80 | 17.5% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 74 | -1.4% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 71 | 28.2% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 47 | 29.8% |
| Wholesale Trade | 33 | -12.1% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 28 | 21.4% |
| Educational Services | 22 | 22.7% |
| Manufacturing | 22 | 9.1% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 15 | 33.3% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 10 | 60% |
| Finance and Insurance | 9 | -66.7% |
| Utilities | 8 | 37.5% |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 6 | 83.3% |
| Construction | 5 | 20% |
| Information | 4 | 75% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 0% |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 2 | |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 1 | 0% |
| Public Administration | 1 | 0% |
Top 20 Companies
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Company | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Great Bend Tribune | 39 | -2.6% |
| The University of Kansas Health System | 28 | -46.4% |
| Barton Community College | 22 | 22.7% |
| Pizza Hut | 21 | 42.9% |
| Walmart | 21 | 28.6% |
| Dillons | 20 | 10% |
| Kroger | 12 | 25% |
| Domino's Pizza | 8 | 0% |
| Innovative Livestock Services | 8 | 50% |
| RetailData | 8 | 12.5% |
| Rdsolutions Systems | 7 | 14.3% |
| Walgreens Boots Alliance | 7 | -57.1% |
| Aloden | 6 | |
| Barton County | 6 | 50% |
| Nr Healthcare Limited | 6 | 50% |
| Rfi Solutions | 6 | |
| AutoZone | 5 | 0% |
| Driveline | 5 | 40% |
| Homegrown | 5 | |
| Medicalodges | 5 | 40% |
Annual Wage Ranges by Occupation (25th-75th Percentile)
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Job Postings by Educational Attainment
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Job Postings by Experience Level
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Skill Gap in Workforce
Skill | Frequency in Job Postings | Frequency in Candidates | Skill Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merchandising | 11% | 1% | -10% |
| Nursing | 9% | 1% | -8% |
| General Mathematics | 7% | 0% | -7% |
| Restaurant Operation | 7% | 0% | -7% |
| Cash Register | 7% | 0% | -7% |
| Auditing | 5% | 1% | -4% |
| Medical Records | 5% | 1% | -4% |
| Food Safety And Sanitation | 5% | 0% | -5% |
| Safety Procedures | 5% | 0% | -5% |
| Effective Communication | 4% | 0% | -4% |
| Product Knowledge | 4% | 0% | -4% |
| Inventory Control | 4% | 0% | -4% |
| Inventory Management | 4% | 2% | -2% |
| Accounting | 3% | 3% | 0% |
| Equipment Inspection | 3% | 0% | -100% |
| Stocking Merchandise | 3% | 0% | -3% |
| Marketing | 3% | 5% | 2% |
| Patient Education And Counseling | 3% | 0% | -3% |
| Point Of Sale | 3% | 0% | -3% |
| Vital Signs | 3% | 0% | -3% |
Commuting Patterns by Zip Code within Great Bend MSA
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Net commuters is the number of people commuting into or out of the area. For negative values, there are more people commuting out for work than in. For positive values, there are more commuters coming in than out.
Degrees by Institution
Institutions by Enrollment in Surrounding Counties (click headers to sort data)
Institution | 2023 Completions | 2010-2023 Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Hays State University | 3,350 | 1.4K 3.4K |
| Barton County Community College | 913 | 0.9K 0.9K |
| Sterling College | 105 | 0.1K 0.1K |
| Hays Academy of Hair Design | 51 | 0K 0.1K |