Great Bend, KS Economic Development - Great-Bend-KS---Economic-Prosperity-Dashboard Dashboard
Barton County
Great Bend, Kansas - Economic Prosperity Dashboard
Great Bend MSA/Barton County Population
24,721
Great Bend MSA Regional Employment
13,148
Great Bend MSA Gross Regional Product
$2.0B
Population & Demographic Data
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 | 2019 Population | 2024 Population | Change | % Change | 2024 % of Cohort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5 years | 1,575 | 1,477 | -98 | -6% | 5.95% |
| 5 to 9 years | 1,742 | 1,597 | -145 | -8% | 6.43% |
| 10 to 14 years | 1,793 | 1,732 | -61 | -3% | 6.97% |
| 15 to 19 years | 1,770 | 1,707 | -63 | -4% | 6.87% |
| 20 to 24 years | 1,498 | 1,423 | -75 | -5% | 5.73% |
| 25 to 29 years | 1,499 | 1,352 | -147 | -10% | 5.44% |
| 30 to 34 years | 1,523 | 1,459 | -64 | -4% | 5.87% |
| 35 to 39 years | 1,600 | 1,476 | -124 | -8% | 5.94% |
| 40 to 44 years | 1,289 | 1,541 | 252 | 20% | 6.2% |
| 45 to 49 years | 1,228 | 1,250 | 22 | 2% | 5.03% |
| 50 to 54 years | 1,406 | 1,178 | -228 | -16% | 4.74% |
| 55 to 59 years | 1,923 | 1,361 | -562 | -29% | 5.48% |
| 60 to 64 years | 1,955 | 1,817 | -138 | -7% | 7.32% |
| 65 to 69 years | 1,623 | 1,725 | 102 | 6% | 6.95% |
| 70 to 74 years | 1,139 | 1,425 | 286 | 25% | 5.74% |
| 75 to 79 years | 859 | 958 | 99 | 12% | 3.86% |
| 80 to 84 years | 654 | 635 | -19 | -3% | 2.56% |
| 85 years and over | 862 | 722 | -140 | -16% | 2.91% |
Cost of Living Comparison vs. Peer Cities
Click columns to sort data
MSA | COL Index | COL Adjusted Current Average Earnings | Home Values | Rental Values |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Bend, KS | 95.7 | $62,085 | $124,511 | $797 |
| Wichita, KS | 94 | $76,011 | $222,066 | $1,165 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 93.7 | $88,585 | $326,895 | $1,526 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 115 | $89,552 | $575,130 | $1,887 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 93.7 | $78,148 | $245,682 | $1,392 |
For COL index, 100 is average and lower values indicate higher affordability
Labor Force, Unemployment, Industry & Occupation Data
Unemployment and Labor Force Participation Rates
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Label Unemployment Rate, colour chocolate
Unemployment Rate
Label Labor Force Participation Rate, colour mediumseagreen
Labor Force Participation Rate
2020
4.8%
66.5%
2021
3.2%
65%
2022
2.7%
64.6%
2023
2.9%
63.5%
2024
3.5%
64%
November 2025
3.4%
64.3%
December 2025
3.7%
64.9%
January 2026
4.8%
64%
February 2026
4.7%
65.5%
Industry Characteristics
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Industry | 2025 Jobs | 2025 Average Earnings Per Worker | 2025 LQ (Industry Concentration) | 2020-2025 % Change in Jobs | 2025 GRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government | 2,483 | $53,203 | 1.3 | -1.49% | 145.59M |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,958 | $58,789 | 1.09 | -5.37% | 139.13M |
| Retail Trade | 1,616 | $46,807 | 1.34 | 1.07% | 157.14M |
| Manufacturing | 1,032 | $62,253 | 1.06 | -2.07% | 135.75M |
| Construction | 842 | $74,086 | 1.1 | -21.29% | 95.56M |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 813 | $21,321 | 0.75 | 9.96% | 31.45M |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 642 | $63,002 | 4.29 | -3.29% | 77.51M |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 561 | $65,414 | 0.74 | 24.04% | 49.85M |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 553 | $36,474 | 0.85 | 1.81% | 31.42M |
| Finance and Insurance | 516 | $87,737 | 0.98 | -24.77% | 116.03M |
| Wholesale Trade | 497 | $81,102 | 1.07 | 3.48% | 120.59M |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 386 | $73,703 | 0.42 | 10.93% | 44.81M |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 383 | $76,501 | 8.6 | -7.94% | 508.98M |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 322 | $89,626 | 0.56 | -6.18% | 45.81M |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 149 | $55,931 | 0.65 | -2.2% | 57.16M |
| Utilities | 137 | $138,804 | 2.99 | 13.73% | 79.79M |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 87 | $25,554 | 0.36 | -2.07% | 4.58M |
| Information | 70 | $64,385 | 0.3 | 3.94% | 13.9M |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 53 | $177,844 | 0.27 | -15.66% | 11.14M |
| Educational Services | 50 | $30,520 | 0.15 | 1.72% | 2.14M |
Source: Lightcast
Occupation Concentration
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Profession | 2025 Jobs | 2024 Median Earnings | 2024 Average Hourly Wage | 2025 LQ (Occupation Concentration) | 2020-2025 % Change in Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales and Related | 3,210 | $40,837 | $40.8 | 1.38 | 19.55% |
| Management | 2,542 | $64,240 | $45.63 | 1.33 | 39.55% |
| Construction and Extraction | 1,917 | $44,207 | $28.03 | 2.13 | 13.16% |
| Office and Administrative Support | 1,793 | $39,685 | $21.52 | 0.87 | 16.83% |
| Business and Financial Operations | 1,699 | $77,396 | $61.2 | 1.03 | 45.95% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | 1,477 | $28,235 | $15.75 | 1.12 | 17.15% |
| Transportation and Material Moving | 1,365 | $38,983 | $23.27 | 0.81 | 44.17% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | 889 | $84,304 | $47.49 | 0.87 | 22.96% |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | 846 | $33,269 | $21.03 | 1.22 | 16.15% |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 788 | $46,199 | $26.06 | 1.09 | 16.16% |
| Educational Instruction and Library | 670 | $54,894 | $31.58 | 0.68 | 5.14% |
| Personal Care and Service | 654 | $33,501 | $24.58 | 0.93 | 19.09% |
| Production | 635 | $42,684 | $23.57 | 0.71 | -10.34% |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | 602 | $47,171 | $39.98 | 0.93 | 28.87% |
| Healthcare Support | 468 | $33,969 | $19.69 | 0.54 | 13% |
| Computer and Mathematical | 205 | $72,104 | $42.69 | 0.37 | 35.42% |
| Protective Service | 173 | $53,845 | $27.4 | 0.47 | 12.51% |
| Community and Social Service | 153 | $57,480 | $32.85 | 0.46 | 14.5% |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | 128 | $28,630 | $18.76 | 0.97 | 33.47% |
| Architecture and Engineering | 123 | $73,490 | $46.11 | 0.44 | 18.96% |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | 76 | $78,225 | $54.82 | 0.39 | 14.2% |
| Legal | 67 | $76,478 | $60.17 | 0.42 | -16.35% |
| Military-only | 33 | $41,521 | $25.88 | 0.39 | 15.1% |
Job Postings, Earnings, & Workforce Commute Data
Avg. Earnings Per Job (2025)
$58.9K
Projected 5-Year Job Growth (2025-2030)
-0.9%
Job Postings 5-Year Trend
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Job Postings by Industry
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Industry Sector | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 83 | 19.3% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 82 | 7.3% |
| Retail Trade | 74 | -17.6% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 36 | 0% |
| Information | 35 | 0% |
| Manufacturing | 33 | -9.1% |
| Educational Services | 27 | 7.4% |
| Wholesale Trade | 27 | -7.4% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 17 | 11.8% |
| Finance and Insurance | 10 | -10% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 10 | 30% |
| Utilities | 10 | -30% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | -142.9% |
| Construction | 5 | 20% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 0% |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 3 | 33.3% |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 2 | -50% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 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 | 30 | 13.3% |
| Barton Community College | 24 | 4.2% |
| Dillons | 19 | 0% |
| The University of Kansas Health System | 17 | -11.8% |
| Medicalodges | 14 | 21.4% |
| Walmart | 13 | 15.4% |
| Gqr | 12 | 33.3% |
| Kroger | 12 | -83.3% |
| Dollar General | 8 | 12.5% |
| Domino's Pizza | 8 | 50% |
| Walgreens Boots Alliance | 8 | -75% |
| Wealthbridge Financial Group | 8 | 37.5% |
| Barton County | 7 | 14.3% |
| Buckle | 7 | 0% |
| Clara Barton Medical Center | 7 | 14.3% |
| Meals On Wheels Of Barton County Kansas | 6 | |
| Rosewood Services | 6 | 50% |
| Positive Behavior Supports Corp. | 5 | 0% |
| Sunflower Diversified Services | 5 | -60% |
| Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers | 4 | 0% |
Annual Wage Ranges by Occupation (25th-75th Percentile)
Great Bend MSA (Barton County)
Life, Physical, and Social Science
$45,005
$116,805
Architecture and Engineering
$52,402
$112,463
Computer and Mathematical
$51,862
$109,564
Business and Financial Operations
$46,758
$107,877
Management
$28,044
$106,550
Legal
$38,970
$98,385
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
$50,044
$79,838
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
$23,908
$66,663
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
$38,024
$66,322
Sales and Related
$26,666
$62,701
Military-only
$25,093
$61,846
Construction and Extraction
$37,689
$60,863
Educational Instruction and Library
$30,880
$60,390
Community and Social Service
$36,678
$60,198
Protective Service
$38,679
$59,698
Transportation and Material Moving
$32,613
$54,081
Office and Administrative Support
$31,131
$51,050
Production
$34,094
$48,657
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
$22,343
$45,740
Personal Care and Service
$20,201
$45,136
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
$24,898
$38,144
Healthcare Support
$25,196
$35,340
Food Preparation and Serving Related
$22,020
$31,486
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 12% | 1% | -11% |
| Merchandising | 11% | 1% | -10% |
| Cash Register | 7% | 0% | -7% |
| General Mathematics | 6% | 0% | -6% |
| Good Driving Record | 5% | 0% | -5% |
| Auditing | 4% | 1% | -3% |
| Dollies | 4% | 0% | -4% |
| Lifting Ability | 4% | 0% | -4% |
| Effective Communication | 4% | 0% | -4% |
| Medication Administration | 4% | 0% | -4% |
| Merchandise Displays | 4% | 0% | -4% |
| Treatment Planning | 4% | 0% | -4% |
| Accounting | 3% | 3% | 0% |
| Cash Handling | 3% | 0% | -3% |
| Cashiering | 3% | 0% | -3% |
| Point Of Sale | 3% | 0% | -3% |
| Stocking Merchandise | 3% | 0% | -3% |
| Customer Complaint Resolution | 3% | 0% | -100% |
| Finance | 3% | 1% | -2% |
| Bagging Merchandise | 3% | 0% | -100% |
Commuting Patterns by Zip Code within Great Bend MSA
Hover to display values
Label 2025 Jobs, colour black
2025 Jobs
Label 2025 Resident Workers, colour rebeccapurple
2025 Resident Workers
Label 2025 Net Commuters, colour mediumseagreen
2025 Net Commuters
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.
Data pulled from Higher Ed Institutions within Great Bend and Surrounding 7 Counties
Education Data
5-Year Change in Education Program Completions (2019-2024)
-3%
Student Enrollment (2021)
60,937
Degrees by Institution
Institutions by Enrollment in Surrounding Counties (click headers to sort data)
Institution | 2024 Completions | 2011-2024 Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Hays State University | 3,183 | 2.2K 3.2K |
| Barton County Community College | 941 | 0.9K 0.9K |
| Sterling College | 130 | 0.1K 0.1K |
| Hays Academy of Hair Design | 58 | 0K 0.1K |
Housing Data
Zillow Home Values Trend
Hover to isolate/display values
Label Ellis County, colour cornflowerblue
Ellis County
Label Barton County, colour peru
Barton County
Label Rice County, colour mediumseagreen
Rice County
Label Russell County, colour lightsteelblue
Russell County
Label Ellsworth County, colour salmon
Ellsworth County
Label Stafford County, colour cornflowerblue
Stafford County
Lightcast, Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Community Survey, Zillow
Data