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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

Saved
PLACEStable

Cottonwood Falls, KS

Stable overall. Population is the clearest support signal, while gdp / output needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

Post on XLinkedIn
Overall score59out of 100
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0
52
100
72
99

Population

1,041

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

-12.2% YoY

0

$146.8M

Output changed -12.2% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth2.5%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

52

4.6%

Unemployment is 4.6% for June 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg3.8%
U.S. avg4.2%

Population

+27.4% 5-year

100

1,041

Population moved +27.4% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population2,947,197
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

72

19.8%

Median rent consumes 19.8% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.1K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$8.0K per resident

99

$20.5M

$20.5M in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$31.0B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$20.5M

$8.0K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Social Security Administration$13.2M
2. Department of Agriculture$5.4M
3. Railroad Retirement Board$901.7K

Top recipients

Dollars
1. REDACTED DUE TO PII$5.4M
2. BURTON RANCH LLC$288.3K
3. KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$248.2K

Affordable

Housing Affordability

19.8%

of median income

1BR estimate$687
2BR estimate$905
Median income$50,750
Median home value$85,100

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

1,041

Median age

40.2

Bachelor's degree+

23.0%

Poverty rate

9.1%

Labor force participation

56.0%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.2%

U.S. GDP YoY

+6.5%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

June 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-07-30

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+5.0%

GDP CAGR

+1.6%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
2020817
2021832
2022888
2023944
20241,041
GDP (5 years)
2020$135.3M
2021$153.4M
2022$162.2M
2023$167.2M
2024$146.8M

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

20241,041
20251,072 *
20261,128 *

R² = 94.0% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$146.8M
2025$164.0M *
2026$167.7M *

R² = 21.3% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$50,750/yr
Median rent$838/mo
Rent share of income19.8%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$5,164/yr
Mortgage share of income10.2%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate4.6%
State avg3.8%
U.S. avg4.2%
Labor force participation56.0%
Poverty rate9.1%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. June 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$85,100
Median monthly rent$838
Price-to-rent ratio8.5x

Low price-to-rent ratio — buying may be more favorable than renting in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateModerate
Composite score48/100
Economic growth0/100
Labor market52/100
Population momentum100/100
Overall stability59/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Cottonwood Falls city, Kansas

City/Town

Part of

Emporia, KS

Nearby locations

Strong City, KSElmdale, KSMatfield Green, KSCedar Point, KSDunlap, KS