Jobs, pay and daily life in Ottawa, 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.
Ottawa is a city in Kansas with 12,678 residents. The median household earns $71,699 a year and the median rent is $1,032 a month, which is 17.3% of the median household income. The nearest metropolitan area with BLS wage data is Kansas City, MO-KS (1,096,110 jobs), about 22 miles away; this place is probably not part of it, so its pay tables are a reference only.
How Ottawa compares. Among the 60 largest places in Kansas, Ottawa is #29 by population, #59 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #43 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #41 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Franklin County, is #33 of 105 counties for average pay ($50,350).
Ottawa has 12,678 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of Kansas. It covers 10 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,228 people per square mile. The median age is 36.9, about the same as the state median (36.9 against 37.4).
The median gross rent is $1,032 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($1,032 against $1,060). Over a year that is 17.3% 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 $166,500, which is 2.3 times the median household income ($71,699); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 59.8% of households own their home, 11% below the state average (59.8% against 67.2%).
The nearest metropolitan area with wage data is Kansas City, MO-KS, metropolitan area has 1,096,110 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $50,820 a year, about the same as the national median ($50,820 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (123,320 jobs, median $46,980); transportation and material moving (104,360 jobs, median $44,570); food preparation and serving related (96,330 jobs, median $32,000). The area is most specialised in personal care and service (1.2 times) and architecture and engineering (1.2 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($117,420) and computer and mathematical ($100,770). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Franklin County was 3.6%. 68.3% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Franklin County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 75.0% drive alone, 0.1% use public transit, 1.6% walk, 9.6% work from home. 18.7% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 153% above the state average (18.7% against 7.4%).
25.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 28% below the state share (25.8% against 35.6%). 2.0% of residents were born outside the United States, 72% below the state share (2.0% against 7.4%). The poverty rate is 9.1%, 19% below the state rate (9.1% against 11.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 79°F (26.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 29°F (-1.5°C). About 1,046 mm (41 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (148 mm) and Jan the driest (34 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: Paola (22 miles, rent 6% higher); Gardner (23 miles, rent 27% higher); Lawrence (25 miles, rent 6% higher); Eudora (25 miles, rent 18% higher). Rent differences are against Ottawa; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Kansas (341) →State guide: KansasCountry guideFranklin 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.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 31,080 | 1.26 | $90,490 | $47,080 | $219,230 | -14% |
| Registered Nurses | 29,650 | 1.24 | $83,040 | $66,970 | $103,540 | -15% |
| Retail Salespersons | 26,110 | 0.95 | $34,320 | $28,630 | $47,150 | -3% |
| Cashiers | 24,160 | 1.11 | $30,700 | $28,600 | $38,160 | -7% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 23,580 | 1.18 | $36,850 | $30,000 | $52,130 | -1% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 22,240 | 1.22 | $44,350 | $31,420 | $62,510 | -1% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 20,870 | 0.69 | $32,780 | $28,600 | $44,420 | -8% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 20,120 | 0.74 | $29,560 | $23,550 | $35,840 | -5% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 19,070 | 0.92 | $41,700 | $31,350 | $51,600 | +4% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 18,230 | 1.25 | $60,170 | $44,070 | $80,900 | +3% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 16,540 | 1.03 | $36,080 | $28,600 | $63,260 | +2% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 15,930 | 1.32 | $46,810 | $33,680 | $61,720 | -2% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 13,850 | 3.07 | $30,170 | $29,180 | $34,800 | -2% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 13,770 | 1.39 | $54,990 | $36,810 | $78,900 | +23% |
| Nursing Assistants | 13,370 | 1.31 | $39,710 | $36,510 | $48,130 | -6% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 12,950 | 0.83 | $36,350 | $30,200 | $47,050 | -1% |
| Software Developers | 12,160 | 1.02 | $124,990 | $76,340 | $169,440 | -8% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 11,500 | 1.17 | $61,060 | $48,120 | $78,940 | -5% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 11,260 | 1.10 | $80,040 | $54,680 | $130,320 | -4% |
| Office Clerks, General | 10,520 | 0.61 | $45,640 | $31,110 | $65,730 | +1% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 990 | 0.69 | $221,640 | $80,390 | $503,890 | +4% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 980 | 2.68 | $218,080 | $167,250 | $464,130 | -8% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 590 | 0.77 | $213,950 | $74,550 | $425,160 | -12% |
| Dentists, General | 1,070 | 1.22 | $171,690 | $95,610 | $340,330 | +0% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 4,710 | 1.00 | $168,050 | $105,680 | $234,030 | -4% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 1,820 | 1.17 | $162,680 | $109,840 | $225,460 | -5% |
| Financial Managers | 4,970 | 0.84 | $162,490 | $101,060 | $296,870 | -2% |
| Purchasing Managers | 690 | 1.17 | $161,910 | $102,730 | $221,670 | +9% |
| Human Resources Managers | 1,380 | 0.89 | $140,890 | $91,780 | $220,570 | -6% |
| Pharmacists | 2,640 | 1.16 | $139,460 | $85,500 | $172,430 | -1% |
| Marketing Managers | 2,260 | 0.81 | $139,240 | $81,710 | $227,820 | -17% |
| Managers, All Other | 3,780 | 0.86 | $136,530 | $73,750 | $211,950 | -4% |
| Lawyers | 5,310 | 1.00 | $134,640 | $78,310 | $287,200 | -16% |
| Physician Assistants | 540 | 0.47 | $133,350 | $101,600 | $165,740 | -2% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 1,960 | 0.97 | $130,850 | $60,310 | $205,470 | +25% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 2,730 | 1.20 | $130,760 | $97,030 | $159,810 | -1% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 1,430 | 0.82 | $129,300 | $79,750 | $208,930 | +3% |
| Database Architects | 570 | 1.21 | $127,590 | $67,690 | $165,010 | -9% |
| Physicians, All Other | 3,310 | 1.37 | $126,260 | $67,070 | $448,550 | -53% |
| Software Developers | 12,160 | 1.02 | $124,990 | $76,340 | $169,440 | -8% |
These figures are for the nearest metropolitan area with wage data, Kansas City, MO-KS, about 22 miles away. They show what the regional labour market pays; they are not a measure of this city.
Median pay across all occupations: $50,820 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 21.4% |
| Retail trade | 16.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 14.6% |
| Manufacturing | 10.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.0% |
| Construction | 5.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 5.0% |
| Public administration | 4.2% |
| Other services | 3.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.0% |
| Information | 1.6% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 1.2% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Ottawa 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 26,106 | $1,168 million | $44,734 | 10,085 | 711 | $50,350 | -1.9% | 3.6% | 14,000 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,065 | 31.7% | $62,861 | 4.84 |
| Retail trade | 1,170 | 18.0% | $31,116 | 1.16 |
| Manufacturing | 817 | 12.5% | $63,119 | 0.99 |
| Accommodation and food services | 756 | 11.6% | $18,558 | 0.82 |
| Construction | 563 | 8.6% | $73,495 | 1.06 |
| Professional and technical services | 492 | 7.6% | $60,522 | 0.70 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 154 | 2.4% | $43,712 | 0.51 |
| Finance and insurance | 127 | 1.9% | $61,726 | 0.31 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 118 | 1.8% | $55,535 | 1.45 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 116 | 1.8% | $15,905 | 0.68 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 62 | 1.0% | $59,642 | 1.63 |
| Real estate and rental | 46 | 0.7% | $38,454 | 0.29 |
| Information | 27 | 0.4% | $43,910 | 0.14 |
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 | 75.0% |
| Public transit | 0.1% |
| Walk | 1.6% |
| Work from home | 9.6% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 18.7% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,699 |
| Income per person | $33,124 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,032 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 17.3% |
| Median home value | $166,500 |
| Homeowners | 59.8% |
| Poverty rate | 9.1% |
| Price level of the nearest metro area (US = 100) | 92.5 |
| Nearest metro median pay, all occupations | $50,820 |
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 | 36.9 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 25.8% |
| Born abroad | 2.0% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 68.3% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -1.5 | 29 | 34 |
| Feb | 0.3 | 33 | 44 |
| Mar | 7.0 | 45 | 69 |
| Apr | 13.1 | 56 | 106 |
| May | 18.4 | 65 | 148 |
| Jun | 23.7 | 75 | 142 |
| Jul | 26.2 | 79 | 101 |
| Aug | 25.3 | 78 | 125 |
| Sep | 20.6 | 69 | 94 |
| Oct | 13.3 | 56 | 92 |
| Nov | 6.7 | 44 | 48 |
| Dec | 0.6 | 33 | 43 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paola | KS | 22 mi | 5,770 | $74,662 | $1,091 |
| Gardner | KS | 23 mi | 24,526 | $96,818 | $1,306 |
| Lawrence | KS | 25 mi | 96,051 | $65,009 | $1,091 |
| Eudora | KS | 25 mi | 6,119 | $118,184 | $1,222 |
| Spring Hill | KS | 26 mi | 9,120 | $112,428 | $1,108 |
| De Soto | KS | 31 mi | 6,414 | $104,000 | $1,158 |
| Olathe | KS | 31 mi | 145,057 | $114,009 | $1,314 |
| Lenexa | KS | 35 mi | 58,384 | $103,239 | $1,454 |
| Tonganoxie | KS | 36 mi | 5,891 | $80,109 | $1,224 |
| Overland Park | KS | 37 mi | 200,306 | $104,834 | $1,515 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
12,678 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,032 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 17.3% of the median household income.
$71,699 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.6% (BLS county, Franklin County (latest month 2026M09)).
Kansas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.