Borrowing in Doniphan County, KS: a county-level guide

First look: Doniphan County, KS

With an estimated 7,503 residents (ACS 2020 to 2024), Doniphan County ranks 50th of 105 in Kansas for population. Density: about 19.1 residents per square mile across 393 square miles of land. For statistical purposes it belongs to the St. Joseph, MO-KS metro area, as delineated by the Office of Management and Budget in July 2023. Largest place: Wathena, about 1,554 residents (21% of Doniphan County); 9 Census places in all. At 7,503 people, Doniphan County is a small survey sample, so small differences in these figures may be noise.

The Doniphan County housing market in figures

Median gross rent, utilities included, comes to $776 in Doniphan County versus $1,060 statewide. About 3 in 10 Doniphan County renters pay 30% or more of income for rent. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $135,200, about 1.8 times the median household income. Homeowners 81%, renters 19%. Half the housing stock was built before 1970.

Doniphan County owners: get one secured and one unsecured quote, then compare the total cost and what you would put up as collateral (side by side).

Doniphan County at the extremes

Ranked against the other 104 county-level areas in Kansas, these are the Doniphan County figures furthest from the middle.

• Homeownership: 81% in Doniphan County. Only 14 of 105 Kansas counties are higher. Most households here own, so home equity is often an alternative to weigh.
• On the share of mobile homes, Doniphan County sits near the top of Kansas at 10.4%, 17th highest of 105. Repairs on manufactured homes are a common loan purpose; get written quotes.
• The share of households earning $100,000 or more: 36% in Doniphan County. Only 17 of 105 Kansas counties are higher. High earners still overpay when they skip comparing offers.

Doniphan County industries and commutes

Education and health care (28%), manufacturing (18%) and retail trade (12%) lead Doniphan County's job mix. The sharpest difference from the state is in manufacturing, at 18% locally and 12% for Kansas. The survey's unemployment rate for Doniphan County averages 1.6% over 2020 to 2024 (state: 3.9%). 36% of Doniphan County workers get to work in under 15 minutes, while 10% need 45 or more. No car: 2.7% of Doniphan County households.

Shorter commutes usually mean lower vehicle costs, which can leave more room for a payment, or for paying a loan off early.

What Doniphan County households earn

Half of Doniphan County households take in less than $74,028 a year and half take in more, about the same as the Kansas median of $74,275. Only 20 Kansas counties post a higher median.

Some 25% of households here live on less than $35,000 a year; 36% have six-figure incomes. Census counts 9.6% of Doniphan County residents in poverty, against 11.3% across Kansas. Doniphan County scores 0.413 on the Gini index, where higher means more unequal incomes. A household earning below the $74,028 median should test any payment carefully; one earning above it should still pick the shortest term it can manage.

Towns and communities in Doniphan County

4,948 of Doniphan County's 7,503 residents live in its 9 Census places (66%); the 9 largest are listed. Wathena ($87,222) and Troy ($52,232) mark the top and bottom of Doniphan County's income range among larger places. Rent is cheapest in Wathena ($428) and steepest in Elwood ($839). Wathena and every other Doniphan County community use this county guide.

CDP: census-designated place, an unincorporated community mapped for statistics.

How Doniphan County compares with nearby counties

Atchison County is closest, 20 miles from center to center; the sixth, Platte County, is 35 miles off. 2 of the six report a higher median household income than Doniphan County; Platte County is highest at $96,227 and Atchison County lowest at $61,112. The list crosses into Missouri, where different lending rules and regulators apply.

People and households in Doniphan County

College graduates make up 22% of the adult population. The uninsured rate is 6.4%, against 8.8% for Kansas.

Room for a loan payment in Doniphan County

Lenders compare monthly debt payments with gross monthly income, the debt-to-income ratio. For a Doniphan County household at the medians it works out like this; treat it as an illustration only.

• Monthly gross at the median, Doniphan County: $6,169
• Less median rent of $776, which is 13% of it
• At 36%, room after rent is $1,445 a month
• With a 43% ceiling, about $1,877 remains for car, card, student and any new loan payments

These are gross figures; take-home pay in Doniphan County will be lower after taxes and deductions.

Reading the Doniphan County data as a borrower

Based on the Doniphan County data above, these borrowing questions are most likely to matter locally.

• Debt consolidation. One fixed payment can save money only if the written APR and fees beat what you pay now (guide).
• Requirements. Lenders weigh credit history, documented income and existing debt (what to gather).
• Scams. A fee demanded before funding is a red flag; report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (spotting scams).

Steps before you apply in Doniphan County

Steps that save money for Doniphan County residents:

• Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
• Prequalify with soft pulls where offered, then compare in writing.
• Look the lender up with the state regulator first.
• Never pay a fee up front to get a loan.

Lender oversight for Doniphan County

No county office licenses personal lenders. For Doniphan County, check the Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner. Problems with a lender can also go to the CFPB. The Kansas page has statewide figures to set beside Doniphan County's.

Other Kansas guides

For statewide rules and data, see the Kansas guide.

• Kansas state guide