Kansas City’s South Asian Community by the Numbers: 2024 Census Data

The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates for 2020–2024 offer the most detailed look yet at the Indian community in Kansas City and the broader South Asian diaspora across the metro. The Kansas City metro area is home to an estimated 21,102 Indian residents, along with approximately 2,341 Pakistani, 1,162 Nepalese, and 402 Sri Lankan residents. This guide breaks those numbers down by county and city, from Overland Park and Olathe to Kansas City, MO and Lee’s Summit, so families, businesses, and community organizations can see where the community lives and how it is distributed.

Key Takeaways

• An estimated 21,102 Indian residents live in the Kansas City metro (alone or in combination with another Asian group).
• Johnson County, KS holds about 69% of the metro’s Indian population, with an estimated 14,640 residents.
• Overland Park alone is home to 9,823 Indian residents, about 47% of the metro total.
• Indian residents make up roughly 28% of all metro residents who identify as Asian alone.
• More than half of the metro’s Pakistani residents (54%) live in Johnson County.
• About half of the metro’s Nepalese residents (an estimated 576) live in Wyandotte County.

South Asian Population in the Kansas City Metro

At the metro level, the Indian community is by far the largest of the four South Asian groups measured here. The figures below use the Census Bureau’s “alone or in any combination” count, which includes people who identify with a group alone and those who identify with it alongside another Asian group. The “alone” column counts only people who reported a single Asian group.

Indian Population by County

The Kansas side of the metro dominates. Johnson and Wyandotte counties together account for about 15,270 Indian residents, or roughly 72% of the metro total. Jackson and Clay counties in Missouri add about 4,666 (22%), and the remaining estimated 1,166 live across the metro’s other counties.

Indian Population by City: Overland Park, Olathe, Kansas City and More

Overland Park is the heart of the Indian community in Kansas City. Among Overland Park residents who identify as Asian alone, more than half (about 52%) are Indian, and Leawood follows closely at about 48%. Lenexa, Olathe, and Shawnee have also grown into established suburban hubs, while Kansas City, MO has the largest Indian population on the Missouri side.

Indian Residents column uses the “alone or in combination” count. The share column compares Indian-alone residents to all Asian-alone residents in each city.

Pakistani, Nepalese, and Sri Lankan Communities in Kansas City

Pakistani residents follow a pattern similar to the Indian community. An estimated 1,272 live in Johnson County, more than half of the metro’s 2,341 total. Overland Park (1,064) and Kansas City, MO (625) are the two largest local communities, with smaller populations in Lee’s Summit (199) and Olathe (106).

The Nepalese community follows a different geography. Wyandotte County is home to an estimated 576 Nepalese residents, about half of the metro’s 1,162, making Kansas City, KS and its surroundings a key center for Nepalese families. Johnson County adds another 414, including about 238 in Overland Park and 109 in Shawnee.

The Sri Lankan community is the smallest of the four, at an estimated 402 metro-wide, with 144 in Johnson County. Its local estimates carry wide margins of error, so city- and county-level figures should be read as rough indicators.

Understanding the Numbers

The American Community Survey is an ongoing Census Bureau survey. Its 5-year estimates pool responses collected from 2020 through 2024, which makes them the most reliable ACS source for smaller communities and individual cities. Every figure is an estimate with a margin of error, and those margins grow wider as populations get smaller. The “alone or in combination” count may tally a person in more than one group, for example someone who identifies as both Indian and Pakistani, so the group totals should not be added together to produce a single South Asian headcount.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Indians live in Kansas City?

The Kansas City metro area has an estimated 21,102 Indian residents (alone or in combination), according to the 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates. About 3,680 of them live within Kansas City, MO city limits.

Where do most Indians live in the Kansas City area?

Most live in Johnson County, KS, which is home to an estimated 14,640 Indian residents. Overland Park leads all cities with 9,823, followed by Kansas City, MO, Olathe, Lenexa, and Leawood.

How many Indians live in Overland Park, KS?

Overland Park has an estimated 9,823 Indian residents, nearly half of the entire metro’s Indian population. Indian residents make up about 52% of Overland Park residents who identify as Asian alone.

How large is the Pakistani community in Kansas City?

The metro has an estimated 2,341 Pakistani residents, with more than half in Johnson County and the largest local communities in Overland Park and Kansas City, MO.

Where does the Nepalese community live in Kansas City?

About half of the metro’s estimated 1,162 Nepalese residents live in Wyandotte County, KS, with a second cluster in Johnson County.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, Table B02018 (Asian Alone or in Any Combination by Selected Groups) and Table B02015 (Asian Alone by Selected Groups), accessed via Census Reporter.

About KCdesi

For more than two decades, KCdesi has been the go-to digital home for the Indian and South Asian diaspora in Kansas City. From Overland Park and Olathe to Kansas City, MO and Lee’s Summit, KCdesi helps the community find local businesses, cultural events, temples and organizations, real estate, and the news that shapes desi life across the metro. As the community continues to grow, KCdesi remains committed to telling its story with reliable information and local insight, connecting longtime residents and newcomers alike.

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