Economic Intelligence | Any Geography

Riley County, KS

Welcome to Riley County.

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Riley County has a population of 72.1 thousand and a total area (land and water combined) of 622.1 square miles.

Total GDP for the county increased 23%, in the five years ending in 2022, to reach $3.4 billion.

Between 2000 and 2024 presidential elections, Riley County voted five out of six times for Republicans and only once for a Democratic candidate.

Riley County comprises Manhattan, KS metropolitan area.

The largest city in the county is Manhattan.

Surrounding counties and county equivalents include: Clay County, Geary County, Marshall County, Pottawatomie County, Wabaunsee County, and Washington County.

Presidential Election

🔵 Democrat    🔴 Republican

Election Year
Candidates (Party)*
Votes (% Total)Landslide
Scale**
🔵🔴
2000
🔴George W. Bush
🔵Al Gore
33.9%58.47%++
2004
🔴George W. Bush
🔵John Kerry
37.82%60.6%++
2008
🔵Barack Obama
🔴John McCain
45.64%52.66%+
2012
🔵Barack Obama
🔴Mitt Romney
42.54%54.53%+
2016
🔴Donald Trump
🔵Hillary Clinton
43.38%46.94%+
2020
🔵Joe Biden
🔴Donald Trump
50.71%46.12%+
2024
🔴Donald Trump
🔵Kamala Harris
Notes:
*Presidential Tickets
2000 (R) George W. Bush & Dick Cheney; (D) Al Gore & Joe Lieberman
2004 (R) George W. Bush & Dick Cheney; (D)John Kerry & John Edwards
2008 (D) Barack Obama & Joe Biden; (R) John McCain & Sarah Palin
2012 (D) Barack Obama & Joe Biden; (R) Mitt Romney & Paul Ryan
2016 (R) Donald Trump & Mike Pence; (D) Hillary Clinton & Tim Kaine
2020 (D) Joe Biden & Kamala Harris; (R) Donald Trump & Mike Pence
2024 (R) Donald Trump & JD Vance; (D) Kamala Harris & Tim Waltz
**Landslide Scale (county)
+ Victory margin was less than 20 percent
++ Victory margin was between 20 to 49 percentage points of more votes
+++ Victory margin was more than half but below three quarters
++++ Victory margin was three quarters or more

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Economic Significance

Key IndustryAs %
County GDP
GDP
Growth*
County GDP1100%23%
Government
Enterprises
31%14%
Private Industries69%28%
Agriculture1%0%
Mining1%0%
Utilities<1%63%
Construction4%10%
Manufacturing2%30%
– Durable2%30%
– Nondurable<1%23%
Trade10%28%
– Wholesale3%22%
– Retail8%30%
Transportation<1%0%
Information2%17%
Finance & Insurance5%14%
Real Estate16%0%
Professional &
Business Services
7%45%
Educational Services1%19%
Healthcare &
Social Services
8%16%
Arts, Recreation &
Entertainment
<1%45%
Accommodation &
Food Services
5%22%
Other Services24%38%
Notes:
*Growth rates are based on most recent five-year value available and are updated dynamically
1. All industry total.
2. Includes various repairs, maintenance, personal care, religious organizations, social and professional organizations etc.

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Local Vibrancy

Total*Vibrancy
Indicator
(1-100)**
🚙 Automobile Dealers1462
🪑 Furniture &
Home Furnishings
1254
📺 Electronics & Appliance1060
🛒 Grocery Stores1661
🍾 Beer, Wine & Liquor Stores1367
⚕️ Health & Personal Care1865
⛽ Gasoline Stations1445
👕 Clothing Stores2568
👠 Shoe Stores641
🧳 Luggage, Leather Goods & Jewelry850
🏸 Sporting Goods643
📚 Book Stores & News Dealers325
🏬 Department Stores838
💐 Florists325
🎁 Gift, Novelty & Souvenir Shops537
🐕 Pet & Pet Supplies 322
🍺 Bars & Taverns1466
🍽️ Full-service restaurants4269
🍔 Limited-service restaurants4568
🏠 Offices of Real Estate Agents & Brokers4473
🛏️ Traveler Accommodation844
Notes:
* Total counts of establishments are places of business.
** Vibrancy score is based on comparisons of relevant establishments per square mile of land area among all counties and county equivalents in the United States; A score of 100 means the county is in the top one percentile.

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Wealth Indicators

Household Income by Distribution
As % County’s
Total Household Income
Average Household Income
Maximum Household Income
Top 5%120%$306,600 N/A
Top 20%47%$174,300 $172,500
Next highest 20%23%$86,500 $104,300
Middle 20%16%$58,500 $69,300
Second lowest 20%10%$39,000 $48,000
Bottom 20%4%$16,600 $28,100
Notes:
1. Households with aggregate income above 95% of all households in the county
% Total
Households
Average Household
Income*
Wages & Salaries72%$68,000
Self-Employment14%$47,200
Investment Income118%$31,800
Social Security37%$20,500
Supplemental Security4%Below $10,000
Public AssistanceLess than 1%Below $10,000
Retirement22%$21,000
Notes:
* Calculation based on households claim to have specific source of income; Households may have more than one source of income
1Includes interest, dividends, and net rental income

Under
25*
Age 25
to 49*
Age 50
to 64*
Age 65
& Older*
Below
$25K
11%7%4%2%
$25K
– $49K
6%8%3%3%
$50K
– $99K
5%13%7%6%
$100K
– $199K
1%8%6%4%
$200K
& more
<1%2%3%1%
Notes:
* Age of heads of households

 

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Median Earnings by Worker Characteristics
Race/EthnicityMaleFemale
Non-Hispanic White$47,400 $29,800
African-AmericanBelow $10,000
Hispanic$42,600 $20,900
Asian
Level of Education MaleFemale
Below Highschool$42,000
Highschool & GED$55,200 $26,600
Some College to
Associate’s
$57,500 $32,700
College/Bachelor’s
Degree
$46,900 $32,300
Graduate Degree$59,100 $53,000
OccupationMaleFemale
White-Collar1$55,300 $38,400
STEM2$69,200
Gray-Collar3$63,800 $45,200
Pink-Collar4Below $10,000Below $10,000
Sales5$32,200 $26,300
Blue-Collar6$50,300 $28,100
Notes:
1. Management, business, science, and arts occupations
2. Computer, engineering, and science occupations
3. Protective service occupations including firefighters and law enforcement
4. Personal care and service occupations
5. Sales and sales related
6.Production, transportation, and material moving occupations

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Climate Risks

Disaster CategoryNatural Hazard
Risk Rating
Annual Loss
Per Capita
Avalanche
Coastal Flooding
Cold Waves+
Drought+
Earthquake+$
Hail+$
Heat Waves+$
Hurricane
Ice Storm+
Landslide+
Lightning+$
Riverine Flooding+$
Strong Wind+$
Tornado+$
Tsunami
Volcanic Activity
Wildfires+$
Winter Weather+
Notes:
Locations with insufficient data or not rated are left blank.
+: Very low to Relatively low risk ratings
++: Relatively moderate
+++: Relatively high
++++: Very high
$: Expected per capita annual loss from the natural disaster is below $100
$$: $100-499
$$$: $500-999
$$$$: $1,000 and more

 

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ZIP Codes in Riley County