U.S. Census Releases Final Data: Shawnee County Grows In Population And Diversity
The U.S. Census Bureau released sub-state data on Thursday, August 12, 2021 showing that Shawnee County population grew to a historic high population of 178,909, an increase of ~1,000 people over ten years. Shawnee County is one of 14 counties that showed population increases in Kansas.
The data also showed that Shawnee County has become more diverse and more affluent. Poverty declined 44% over the past ten years to 9.7%, from 17.5% in 2010 and average household incomes increased by 33%. Total GDP for Shawnee County grew by nearly $1B at the same time.
Demographically Shawnee County saw the largest gains in the Hispanic or Latino (of any race) population, growing by 23.6%, Asian by 20.9%, Pacific Islander by 42.9%, and bi-racial Topekans grew by 157.2%. Those identifying as white alone decreased from 81% of the population in 2010 to 74% of the population in 2020. Those identifying as non-Hispanic African American population declined by 7%.
“We are excited to see our county continue to grow sustainably. Initial forecasts were indicating our county could see a population loss,” said Matt Pivarnik, CEO, Greater Topeka Partnership. “The fact that we grew to a new historically high population, and that our community is more prosperous than we were ten years ago, is an important metric that shows that word is getting out. Topeka and Shawnee County is an incredible place to live and build a better life for yourself.”
“Shawnee County really exceeded forecast expectations,” said Freddy Mawyin, senior economic advisor, Greater Topeka Partnership. “Initial data estimates released earlier this year had projected that our community would see modest declines in population. What earlier models did not account for is our increased momentum that our community has achieved over the past few years. The renewed investment in our city and sense of community pride is clearly making an impact, and more people are choosing Topeka than ever before.”
“I am proud to see our community make such strong advances,” said Michelle De La Isla, mayor, City of Topeka, “As a city and county, we have worked tirelessly over these past ten years to build a healthier and more vibrant place to live. We are seeing those results pay dividends today. Shawnee County is bigger, more diverse, and more successful than ever. I am excited to see what we can accomplish over the next ten years.”
“It is encouraging to see Shawnee County continue its trajectory of stable growth,” said Kevin Cook, county commissioner, Shawnee County Commission. “Our community strategy, Momentum 2022 was developed to attract talent, create an attractive community, ensure a diverse economy, improve our image and foster and promote a diverse and inclusive Topeka and Shawnee County. These results show we are well on our way to achieving our goals, and the growth towards these objectives over the past few years has been catalytic.”
“These numbers are very important,” said Curtis Sneden, president, Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce. “The US Census redistricting data provides vital direction to Federal leadership on how future funding will be allocated, as well as informs how political representation will be apportioned. This historically high population will position Topeka and Shawnee County to have greater influence in the decade to come.”
