People are moving to Kansas from these states the most, Census data shows
Kansas saw modest net population growth from July 2024 to July 2025, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau, but where are new residents coming from?
The Census Bureau estimated Kansas had 2,977,220 residents as of July 1, 2025, up by 6,614 individuals compared to the previous year. While some states lost residents during the pandemic, the Sunflower State’s population is up from its 2020 figure of 2,937,986.
A handful of states are leading in moves to Kansas, including some in the Midwest, as well as the South.
While Kansas is gaining residents overall, some of the state’s counties are performing better than others for growth. Johnson, Sedgwick, Wyandotte, Leavenworth, Riley, Douglas, Butler, Miami, Pottawatomie and Finney counties led in population growth in Kansas from 2023 to 2024.
Conversely, Montgomery, Kingman, Labette, Cloud, Brown, Morton, Marion, Osborne, Gove and Ellsworth counties saw the greatest population decline in the state from 2023 to 2024, according to Census data.
Sedgwick County may continue to grow at a relatively fast rate, as a 2025 forecast from Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research projected Wichita could see a 25% population boom over the next 50 years, as reported by KWCH.
Here’s what to know about migration to and from Kansas in 2024, the most recent year for which Census data is available.
Where are new Kansas residents coming from?
Here’s a roundup of the top 10 states with movers to Kansas in 2024, according to the Census Bureau:
1. Missouri: 21,660 movers to Kansas
2. Colorado: 6,987
3. Texas: 6,355
4. Oklahoma: 5,414
5. California: 5,217
6. Arizona: 4,068
7. Nebraska: 3,236
8. Tennessee: 2,515
9. Florida: 2,512
10. Washington: 1,979
Some of the same states that saw the greatest number of residents move to Kansas also made the list for top states Kansans are moving to. Missouri was the No. 1 destination state for former residents, with 18,446 movers, with Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Georgia, Michigan and Maryland rounding out the top 10.
Note: An AI tool assisted with organizing the data for this story. A Wichita Eagle journalist reviewed the data and wrote the story. It was also edited by an Eagle editor. You can read more about our AI policy here.
This story was originally published February 25, 2026 at 5:15 AM.
