Market Overview

“the regional economic hub of south-central Kansas”

The Wichita Market is comprised of six counties: Sedgwick, Butler, Harvey, Cowley, Sumner, and Marion. It represents the regional economic hub of south-central Kansas providing financial, medical, retail, and business services to more than 1 million people within 100 miles of the city. The Wichita MSA, ranked 94th, is home to more than 535,000 people with 4/5 of them residing in Sedgwick county alone.

Known as the “Air Capital of the World”, Wichita is the single largest city in the state of Kansas and ranked in the top 25 healthiest job markets. Boeing, Cessna, Raytheon, Bombardier, McConnell Air Force Base, as well as more than 700 aircraft-related manufacturers call Wichita home. It has the second highest concentration of manufacturing jobs to skilled labor in the country.

The city also has a strong telecommunications and fiber optics network providing employment for many high-tech firms. In fact, Forbes ASAP Magazine rated Wichita as one of the top cities for starting and nurturing an information aged-business. Not only is its economy prosperous and stable, but it is diversified providing the opportunity for such companies as Coleman, Koch Industries, Rent-A-Center, and even Pizza Hut to have their original roots here making it one of the countries major mid-sized metropolitans.

Kansas’ two largest shopping malls are in the Wichita market offering a wide variety of national retailers for consumers to choose from. Wichita offers more than a dozen golf courses, greyhound racing, an ice sports center, The Metropolitan Ballet, The Wichita Symphony, and the hometown favorite, Wichita State Shockers. Exploration Place, the new $62 million science and learning center, has three interactive high-tech theaters and is the cities’ latest tourist attraction.

Yes, Wichita has come a long way from its beginning as a trading post and cowtown more than 100 years ago…

Market Demographics

Demographics
Neilson TV Households Rank	69
Adults Age 18+ Rank	70
Population of Adults 18+	1,462,063
Total Population	1,840,460
% Population Change from 1990 to 2009	9
Average Age	43
Average Household Income	77,974
Average Number of Vehicles per Household	1.7
Population Density (People per Sq/Mile)	379
Race Distribution (%)
White	73
African American	15
Asian	2
American Indian	0
Hawaiian	0
Multi-Race	4
Other	5
Ethnicity (%)
Hispanic	17
Research Profiles (%)
Traveled 500 or more total miles in a month	43.1
Household plans to buy any new vehicle next year	5.8
Have visited a casino last year	27
Plan to switch wireless/cellular carrier next year	7.4
Personally attended/visited a live theater last year	15.8
Participated in golf last year	13.7
Bought any items on the internet last year	48.2
Usually see a new movie opening weekend in a year	6
Did not read any daily newspaper(s) yesterday	53.2
Accessed the internet last month	67.9
Drove alone to any place last week	94.7
Car pooled to any place last week	3.1
Spent 30 minutes or more traveling to work one way	8.4

Sources: 2009 Census Estimates; 2009 Scarborough