Strategic Planning Data Analysis: McPherson County

Abstract

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

McPherson is a county of about 27,000 people, situated in central Kansas. Its population is a mixture of small urban and rural. The county is connected with four major highways, including Interstate 135. The county's economy includes proportionally large manufacturing and mining sectors, retail and service sectors that remain to be more fully developed, and an agricultural sector that retains a significant role in the county's economy relative to the region and non-metropolitan areas. During the 1980s, McPherson County escaped many of the declines in population and economic base that occurred throughout Kansas' non-metropolitan counties. However, projections indicate that population growth will slow further and level off after the turn of the century, presenting both challenges and opportunities for continued economic development in McPherson County.