TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas saw its population grow 3% from 2010 to 2020 and the state will keep its four U.S. House seats.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported Monday that the state had 2,937,880 residents in its most recent, once-a-decade population count. That was 84,762 more than the 2010 census figure of 2,853,118.
The state’s population growth over the decade was less than the national figure of 7.4%.
Even without the loss of a congressional seat, the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly face a contentious battle next year over adjusting political boundaries.
GOP legislators hope to redraw the 3rd Congressional District in the Kansas City area so that it’s easier for Republicans to oust the only Kansas Democrat in Congress, Rep. Sharice Davids.
The 1st District of western and central Kansas is likely to expand. Ninety of the state’s 105 counties have been losing population, while northeast Kansas has seen the most robust growth.
Legislative seats also are expected to shift from rural areas to northeast Kansas and perhaps the Wichita area.
More detailed figures will be released later this year showing population by race, Hispanic origin, gender and housing at geographic levels as small as neighborhoods. This redistricting data will be used for redrawing precise congressional and legislative districts.