Rice County Demographics

A map of Rice County's Population by Race

Rice County, Kansas has an estimated population of 9,350, a less than 1% change from the 9,427 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 77.6% White, 14.0% Hispanic, 6.0% Multiracial, 1.8% Black, 0.6% Native American/Other, and 0.0% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Rice County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Rice has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Kansas overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Rice County, that probability was 34.3% in 2020 and 37.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Rice County is ranked the 41st most populous county in Kansas, out of 105 counties. Rice County was ranked the 42nd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Rice County's White Population

7,258 residents of Rice County, or 77.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Rice County is slightly higher than in Kansas overall, where 72.7% of the population is White. Rice County ranks 76th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 105 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rice County's White population has declined by an estimated 3.5%. White residents' share of Rice County's population has decreased from 79.8% to 77.6%.

Rice County is less White than neighboring Ellsworth County (83.8% White), Reno County (82% White), McPherson County (89.1% White), Barton County (78.9% White), and Stafford County (81.1% White).

Rice County's Black Population

169 residents of Rice County, or 1.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Rice County is slightly lower than in Kansas overall, where 5.2% of the population is Black. Rice County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 105 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rice County's Black population has grown by an estimated 30.0%. Black residents' share of Rice County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.8%.

Rice County is more Black than neighboring McPherson County (1.7% Black), Barton County (0.6% Black), and Stafford County (0.2% Black). Rice County is less Black than neighboring Ellsworth County (3.4% Black), and Reno County (2.7% Black).

Rice County's Asian Population

3 residents of Rice County, or 0.0% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Rice County is slightly lower than in Kansas overall, where 2.9% of the population is Asian. Rice County ranks 73rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 105 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rice County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 90.0%. Asian residents' share of Rice County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.0%.

Rice County is less Asian than neighboring Ellsworth County (0.5% Asian), Reno County (0.5% Asian), McPherson County (0.4% Asian), and Barton County (0.2% Asian).

Rice County's Hispanic Population

1,305 residents of Rice County, or 14.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Rice County is comparable to the share in Kansas overall, where 13.6% of the population is Hispanic. Rice County ranks 22nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 105 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rice County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 1.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Rice County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 14.0%.

Rice County is more Hispanic than neighboring Ellsworth County (6.1% Hispanic), Reno County (10.4% Hispanic), McPherson County (5.6% Hispanic), and Stafford County (13.4% Hispanic). Rice County is less Hispanic than neighboring Barton County (16.7% Hispanic).

Rice County's Native American/Other Population

58 residents of Rice County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Rice County is comparable to the share in Kansas overall, where 0.9% of the population is Native American/Other. Rice County ranks 72nd statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 105 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rice County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 5.5%. Native American/Other residents' share of Rice County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Rice County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Ellsworth County (0.3% Native American/Other), McPherson County (0.1% Native American/Other), and Barton County (0.3% Native American/Other). Rice County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Reno County (0.9% Native American/Other), and Stafford County (0.7% Native American/Other).

Rice County's Multiracial Population

557 residents of Rice County, or 6.0% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Rice County is comparable to the share in Kansas overall, where 4.8% of the population is Multiracial. Rice County ranks 41st statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 105 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Rice County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 38.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Rice County's population has increased from 4.3% to 6.0%.

Rice County is more Multiracial than neighboring Ellsworth County (5.9% Multiracial), Reno County (3.5% Multiracial), McPherson County (3.1% Multiracial), Barton County (3.2% Multiracial), and Stafford County (4.7% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.