McPherson Housing Study

(Information from McPherson Housing Coalition) 

Introduction

McPherson County, Kansas, encompasses a dynamic, growing region in central Kansas that is experiencing both employment growth and increasing housing demand. This Housing Study is a comprehensive assessment of the housing needs of both current and future residents. It examines existing housing conditions, anticipates future demands, and outlines detailed goals, policies, and strategies to address challenges in the regional housing market.

In 2020, the RDG Planning & Design completed a housing study for the City of McPherson, specific to its own housing condition and opportunities. This study focuses on the remainder of the County, but includes an update to some aspects of the McPherson city study using data from the 2020 Census and the 2023 American Community Survey (ACS). McPherson County has several remarkable qualities, including a growing a regional economy with a significant manufacturing sector and an increasing population. The county’s communities display individual demographic and economic factors and have housing and community development opportunities and challenges. Some of these can be addressed locally, but many will require cooperative, regional efforts to fulfill their housing needs.

Click here for McPherson study summary 

Why a Housing Study for McPherson County?

Residents in McPherson County are seeking quality housing to enhance their living conditions and those of their families. Affordable, attainable housing is a basic requirement for healthy communities and the residents who live in them. But housing is also a critical element of economic development policy and strategy.

Without places for workers to live, the diverse industries of McPherson and surround counties will be unable to grow and take advantage of their locational and economic advantages. An adequate supply of housing thus becomes a critical part of staff recruitment and retention strategies. Without these options, the region may struggle to support its current population and accommodate future growth.

Development of the Study

The need for cooperative action led to the creation of the McPherson County Housing Coalition (MHC), the sponsor of this study. MHC has provided support to local community housing initiatives on both large and small scales, and has developed pioneering projects providing accommodations for unhoused people and households with special needs. To understand the state of housing supply and demand in McPherson County, the study process included:

• • A series of local listening sessions.
• • A public survey that received 408 responses.
• • Demographic, economic, and housing snapshots and housing demand models for the county and each of its seven cities.
• • Fieldwork on bicycle of six of the cities (excluding the city of McPherson that received similar attention during the 2020 study) of the physical character and condition of housing on the ground.