WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KSNT) — The population of Kansas is forecast to grow more slowly in the next 50 years than previously predicted, according to a new report. A Wichita State economic research center predicted the population of Kansas will grow on average about 0.3% annually in the next 50 years. Previous predictions estimated 0.4%. Several factors are slowing growth, including more competition for labor, the departure of retirees from Kansas and a changing fertility rate. Jeremy Hill, an economist at Wichita State University, says the area has had an outmigration of working age females. Meanwhile, the 65-and-up age group is expected to have the highest growth rate in Kansas. Minority populations are also expected to grow much more quickly than the white population.
