New Census Data Shows Salina Outpacing Manhattan and Hutchinson in Retail and Medical Strength
New U.S. Census data paints a favorable picture for Salina and Saline County, showing the area continues to punch above its weight in two of the categories that matter most for a regional hub: retail sales and health care activity. While the city’s population has slipped modestly since 2020, the latest numbers show Salina still attracts strong spending and supports a large medical economy for a community its size.
For Salina, the Census reports $1.454 billion in retail sales in 2022, or about $31,562 per resident. That is a standout number, especially when compared with other Kansas cities in a similar size range. Manhattan posted $1.588 billion in retail sales, but at $29,506 per resident, still below Salina on a per-capita basis. Hutchinson came in at $808.1 million, or $20,338 per resident, while Leavenworth posted $613.6 million, or $16,551 per resident. In simple terms, Salina is generating more retail activity per person than each of those comparison cities.
The health care side is just as strong. Census shows Salina recorded $728.5 million in health care and social assistance receipts in 2022, ahead of Hutchinson at $521.1 million, Manhattan at $445.4 million, and Leavenworth at $345.8 million. That makes Salina the strongest health care market in this comparison group, reinforcing its long-standing role as a place people come not just to shop, but to get care.
Other categories show the same regional pull. Salina posted $177.0 million in accommodation and food services sales, ahead of Hutchinson and Leavenworth, though still behind Manhattan’s $212.4 million, which benefits from the university market. In transportation and warehousing, Salina recorded $119.6 million, trailing Hutchinson’s $135.7 million but remaining well ahead of Manhattan and Leavenworth. The numbers suggest Salina’s economy is not built on just one lane. It continues to function as a broader service, retail and health care center for surrounding communities.
The county-level picture adds more weight to that story. Saline County had 1,489 employer establishments, 26,138 jobs, and $1.235 billion in annual payroll in 2023, according to Census. The county also reported $1.466 billion in retail sales, $740.4 million in health care and social assistance receipts, $213.7 million in transportation and warehousing receipts, and $188.6 million in accommodation and food services sales. Those numbers help explain why Salina continues to function as a commercial and medical anchor for central Kansas.
There are other encouraging signs in the city data as well. Salina’s median household income was $61,783, ahead of Hutchinson and slightly ahead of Manhattan, while the city’s poverty rate of 13.0% was below both Hutchinson and far below Manhattan’s college-town-inflated figure. Salina also posted a 66.8% labor force participation rate and a relatively short 14.8-minute average commute, both signs of a local economy that remains active and accessible.
The softer spot in the data is population. Census estimates Salina’s 2024 population at 46,109, down about 1.6% from the 2020 base, while Saline County was estimated at 53,459 in 2024. But even with that slow slide, the local economy is still producing the kind of retail volume and medical receipts more commonly associated with cities that have stronger population momentum. That is the real takeaway from the latest Census release: Salina may not be booming in headcount, but it is still performing like a regional center where people come to spend money, seek care and do business.
Salina may also be setting itself up for a stronger next chapter. General Atomics has established a downtown Salina presence, while Pure Imagination Studios and its partners are building a $41 million spatial computing studio and learning center expected to create 101 jobs in the city. Add in the Salina Airport Authority’s finding that the airport-industrial center and its tenants supported 12,376 jobs and more than 41% of Saline County’s economic activity in 2024, and the picture becomes clearer. If those projects continue to land and grow as planned, Salina has a real shot at lifting average incomes and eventually turning that population line in a better direction.