County outline
Where McPherson County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.7% of McPherson County’s measured area and water for 0.3%. Its combined area converts to 2,332.6 square kilometers or approximately 576,386 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 898.285 | 2,326.547 | 574,902.4 |
| Water | 2.318 | 6.004 | 1,483.5 |
| Total | 900.603 | 2,332.551 | 576,385.9 |
How McPherson County compares
By original Census land area, McPherson County ranks #26 of 105 in Kansas and #866 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.231 times the Kansas county-equivalent median of 729.7 square miles. It accounts for 1.1% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Kansas ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of McPherson County
The Census Bureau estimates that 30,064 people lived in McPherson County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,483 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #20 of 105 in Kansas. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 30,229, the population has declined by 165 (−0.5%), compared with +1.3% for Kansas as a whole.
With 898.3 square miles of land, that is 33 people per square mile (13 per km²), placing McPherson County #1,905 nationally for density and #20 in Kansas. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Kansas median is 8.1. Put another way, there are about 19 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 30,195 | 30,174 | 30,114 | 30,152 | 30,095 | 30,064 |
| Change | — | −21 | −60 | +38 | −57 | −31 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in McPherson County
8 incorporated places lie at least partly in McPherson County. Together they are home to 23,139 people (77%); the other 6,925 (23%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is McPherson city, with 13,918 residents in the county. Among places with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Lindsborg city grew fastest since then (+1.1%).
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| McPherson cityCounty seat | 13,918 | −1.2% | 8.188 |
| Lindsborg city | 3,824 | +1.1% | 1.833 |
| Moundridge city | 1,939 | −1.6% | 1.569 |
| Inman city | 1,309 | −2.5% | 0.801 |
| Galva city | 817 | −2.2% | 0.499 |
| Canton city | 654 | −4.5% | 0.497 |
| Marquette city | 588 | −2.8% | 0.482 |
| Windom city | 90 | +2.3% | 0.201 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside McPherson County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
McPherson County is a central county of the McPherson, KS Micropolitan Statistical Area. McPherson County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 898.3 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #219 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #439 by population.
ZIP codes
13 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in McPherson County; 9 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
67062671076711467416674286744367448674566746067464674766749167546
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering McPherson County
McPherson County shares a land border with 6 county equivalents. It has more land than 4 of them. The largest neighbor is Reno County (1,255.3 mi²) and the smallest is Harvey County (539.8 mi²). Together with its neighbors, McPherson County forms a block of 5,799.7 mi² of land, of which it holds 15.5%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. McPherson | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reno County | 1,255.3 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Marion County | 944.3 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Rice County | 726.2 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Saline County | 720.2 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Ellsworth County | 715.6 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Harvey County | 539.8 | 1.7× smaller | Compare |
How big is McPherson County compared with U.S. states?
McPherson County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.2 times as much. Kansas’s county land could hold about 91 areas the size of McPherson County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 30 miles (48.2 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about McPherson County?
McPherson County has more land than 2,356 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places McPherson County at #974 nationally by total area, 108 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.3%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.9 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside McPherson County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #865 | Vermilion County, Illinois | 898.3 | Compare |
| #866 | McPherson County, Kansas | 898.3 | This county |
| #867 | Kingfisher County, Oklahoma | 898.1 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 38.395812, -97.647489. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 2,326,547,455 m²; AWATER: 6,003,326 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is McPherson County?
McPherson County, Kansas has 898.3 square miles (2,326.5 km²) of land and 2.318 square miles of water, for a total area of 900.6 square miles. It ranks #866 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is McPherson County the largest county in Kansas?
No. McPherson County ranks #26 of 105 in Kansas by land area. The largest is Butler County, with 1,429.7 square miles of land.
What counties border McPherson County?
McPherson County shares a land border with Marion County, Saline County, Rice County, Harvey County, Reno County, and Ellsworth County.
What is the population of McPherson County?
The Census Bureau estimates McPherson County had 30,064 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,483 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 33 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of McPherson County?
The county seat of McPherson County is McPherson.
What cities and towns are in McPherson County?
McPherson County has 8 incorporated places. The most populous five are McPherson city, Lindsborg city, Moundridge city, Inman city, and Galva city; 6,925 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is McPherson County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the McPherson, KS Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in McPherson County?
13 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in McPherson County, and 9 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does McPherson County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.2 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in McPherson County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 574,902 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 576,386 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.