Jobs, pay and daily life in Great Bend, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Great Bend is a city in Kansas with 14,479 residents. The median household earns $54,139 a year and the median rent is $759 a month, which is 16.8% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Great Bend compares. Among the 60 largest places in Kansas, Great Bend is #26 by population, #6 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #55 for college degrees (#1 = most), #51 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Barton County, is #41 of 105 counties for average pay ($48,896).
Great Bend has 14,479 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.5% of the population of Kansas. It covers 11 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,375 people per square mile. The median age is 36.5, about the same as the state median (36.5 against 37.4).
The median gross rent is $759 a month (rent plus utilities), 28% below the state median ($759 against $1,060). Over a year that is 16.8% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $133,900, which is 2.5 times the median household income ($54,139); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 55.9% of households own their home, 17% below the state average (55.9% against 67.2%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Barton County was 3.9%. 62.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Barton County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 83.9% drive alone, 0.1% use public transit, 2.4% walk, 5.9% work from home. 5.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 29% below the state average (5.2% against 7.4%).
19.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 44% below the state share (19.9% against 35.6%). 7.8% of residents were born outside the United States, 7% above the state share (7.8% against 7.4%). The poverty rate is 16.9%, 50% above the state rate (16.9% against 11.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 82°F (27.7°C), and the coolest is Jan at 31°F (-0.6°C). About 718 mm (28 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (117 mm) and Jan the driest (16 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Pratt (46 miles, rent 5% higher); Hays (46 miles, rent 21% higher); Hutchinson (52 miles, rent 16% higher); McPherson (61 miles, rent 22% higher). Rent differences are against Great Bend; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Kansas (341) →State guide: KansasCountry guideBarton CountyKansas rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 341 federal postings open in Kansas (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 18.9% |
| Construction | 12.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 11.2% |
| Retail trade | 11.1% |
| Public administration | 8.7% |
| Other services | 7.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 7.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 6.1% |
| Manufacturing | 6.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 5.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 1.5% |
| Information | 1.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Great Bend lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barton County | 25,097 | $1,623 million | $64,686 | 11,522 | 890 | $48,896 | +0.2% | 3.9% | 12,233 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,516 | 21.6% | $37,582 | 1.32 |
| Manufacturing | 1,034 | 14.8% | $48,339 | 1.09 |
| Accommodation and food services | 792 | 11.3% | $17,961 | 0.76 |
| Construction | 692 | 9.9% | $65,112 | 1.14 |
| Wholesale trade | 510 | 7.3% | $70,316 | 1.12 |
| Administrative and waste services | 493 | 7.0% | $56,561 | 0.73 |
| Finance and insurance | 483 | 6.9% | $65,921 | 1.03 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 382 | 5.5% | $62,698 | 8.77 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 275 | 3.9% | $53,724 | 2.95 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 254 | 3.6% | $67,852 | 0.52 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 174 | 2.5% | $46,990 | 0.50 |
| Utilities | 137 | 2.0% | $103,704 | 3.13 |
| Real estate and rental | 111 | 1.6% | $39,883 | 0.62 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 77 | 1.1% | $13,543 | 0.40 |
| Information | 74 | 1.1% | $49,713 | 0.34 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 83.9% |
| Public transit | 0.1% |
| Walk | 2.4% |
| Work from home | 5.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 5.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,139 |
| Income per person | $32,972 |
| Median gross rent per month | $759 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.8% |
| Median home value | $133,900 |
| Homeowners | 55.9% |
| Poverty rate | 16.9% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.58%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 36.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 86.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 19.9% |
| Born abroad | 7.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 62.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.6 | 31 | 16 |
| Feb | 0.8 | 33 | 23 |
| Mar | 7.2 | 45 | 41 |
| Apr | 12.9 | 55 | 66 |
| May | 18.7 | 66 | 117 |
| Jun | 24.9 | 77 | 98 |
| Jul | 27.7 | 82 | 89 |
| Aug | 25.9 | 79 | 102 |
| Sep | 21.2 | 70 | 59 |
| Oct | 13.2 | 56 | 58 |
| Nov | 6.2 | 43 | 23 |
| Dec | 0.2 | 32 | 26 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pratt | KS | 46 mi | 6,577 | $63,819 | $798 |
| Hays | KS | 46 mi | 21,143 | $58,459 | $922 |
| Hutchinson | KS | 52 mi | 39,709 | $58,687 | $881 |
| McPherson | KS | 61 mi | 13,995 | $77,529 | $925 |
| Salina | KS | 71 mi | 46,307 | $61,783 | $959 |
| Dodge City | KS | 78 mi | 27,613 | $68,721 | $1,045 |
| Newton | KS | 82 mi | 18,397 | $68,885 | $903 |
| Goddard | KS | 83 mi | 6,030 | $94,004 | $1,758 |
| Maize | KS | 83 mi | 6,824 | $72,024 | $1,399 |
| Valley Center | KS | 86 mi | 8,590 | $77,020 | $883 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
14,479 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$759 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.8% of the median household income.
$54,139 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.9% (BLS county, Barton County (latest month 2026M09)).
Kansas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.