Strategic Planning Data Analysis: Stafford County

Abstract

This report, commissioned for the Stafford County strategic planning project, surveys some of the more significant demographic and economic trends in Stafford County Kansas, over the period 1980 to the present time. Through contrast and comparison with nearby counties, relative strengths and weaknesses have been assessed.

Stafford is a county of about 5,400 people, situated in south-central Kansas. Its population is entirely rural and the county has no direct interstate access. Recent economic activity, while limited, has been centered around a strong agricultural base. During the 1980s, Stafford experienced many of the same declines in population and economic base that occurred throughout Kansas' non-metropolitan counties. However, there are several indications that the severe adjustments of the early to mid-1980s have slowed, suggesting that stability in the Stafford County economy could result.