Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Kansas a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Kansas.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Sunflower State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Kansas, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 105 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Kansas For 2024
Pottawatomie County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Kansas. And you should avoid Chautauqua County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Kansas. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Kansas and the cheapest places to live in Kansas.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Kansas For 2024
1. Pottawatomie County
Biggest Place: Manhattan
Population: 25,482
Median Income: $85,241 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $280,833 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.9% (25th best)
More on Pottawatomie County: Data
2. Johnson County
Biggest Place: Overland Park
Population: 610,742
Median Income: $103,644 (best)
Median Home Price: $406,714 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (52nd best)
More on Johnson County: Data
3. Miami County
Biggest Place: Spring Hill
Population: 34,312
Median Income: $85,564 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $338,199 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (46th best)
More on Miami County: Data
4. Sheridan County
Biggest Place: Hoxie
Population: 2,450
Median Income: $66,719 (29th best)
Median Home Price: $152,120 (30th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.4% (5th best)
More on Sheridan County: Data
5. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Valley Falls
Population: 18,387
Median Income: $74,562 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $246,364 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (63rd best)
More on Jefferson County: Data
6. Nemaha County
Biggest Place: Sabetha
Population: 10,219
Median Income: $72,788 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $191,113 (17th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.7% (20th best)
More on Nemaha County: Data
7. Butler County
Biggest Place: Andover
Population: 67,618
Median Income: $77,724 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $225,656 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (5best)
More on Butler County: Data
8. Wabaunsee County
Biggest Place: Wamego
Population: 6,922
Median Income: $70,000 (19th best)
Median Home Price: $225,911 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.0% (48th best)
More on Wabaunsee County: Data
9. Thomas County
Biggest Place: Colby
Population: 7,907
Median Income: $72,417 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $158,943 (27th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.6% (6th best)
More on Thomas County: Data
10. Jackson County
Biggest Place: Holton
Population: 13,274
Median Income: $70,385 (16th best)
Median Home Price: $219,186 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (28th best)
More on Jackson County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Kansas county is the best?
To give you the best county in Kansas, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Kansas across each of the criteria from one to 105, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Kansas.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Sunflower State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Kansas.
Read on to see why Pottawatomie County is the best county, while Chautauqua County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Kansas.
Summary: The Best Counties In Kansas To Call Home For 2024
Living in Kansas can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Kansas are Pottawatomie County, Johnson County, Miami County, Sheridan County, Jefferson County, Nemaha County, Butler County, Wabaunsee County, Thomas County, and Jackson County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Kansas according to the data:
- Chautauqua County
- Montgomery County
- Elk County
For more Kansas reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Kansas
- Best Counties To Live In Kansas
- Richest Cities In Kansas
- Safest Places In Kansas
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Kansas
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pottawatomie County | 25,482 | $85,241 | $280,833 |
| 2 | Johnson County | 610,742 | $103,644 | $406,714 |
| 3 | Miami County | 34,312 | $85,564 | $338,199 |
| 4 | Sheridan County | 2,450 | $66,719 | $152,120 |
| 5 | Jefferson County | 18,387 | $74,562 | $246,364 |
| 6 | Nemaha County | 10,219 | $72,788 | $191,113 |
| 7 | Butler County | 67,618 | $77,724 | $225,656 |
| 8 | Wabaunsee County | 6,922 | $70,000 | $225,911 |
| 9 | Thomas County | 7,907 | $72,417 | $158,943 |
| 10 | Jackson County | 13,274 | $70,385 | $219,186 |
| 11 | Trego County | 2,798 | $77,500 | $115,972 |
| 12 | Franklin County | 25,968 | $68,217 | $216,881 |
| 13 | Mcpherson County | 30,085 | $71,250 | $201,265 |
| 14 | Rooks County | 4,925 | $60,821 | $98,738 |
| 15 | Ottawa County | 5,768 | $74,551 | $146,174 |
| 16 | Clay County | 8,088 | $57,765 | $134,541 |
| 17 | Leavenworth County | 82,050 | $84,307 | $303,940 |
| 18 | Washington County | 5,529 | $59,432 | $120,789 |
| 19 | Republic County | 4,686 | $54,531 | $93,580 |
| 20 | Marshall County | 10,014 | $64,306 | $126,459 |
| 21 | Ellis County | 28,921 | $59,665 | $220,798 |
| 22 | Doniphan County | 7,501 | $66,358 | $130,315 |
| 23 | Logan County | 2,752 | $70,382 | $117,973 |
| 24 | Rawlins County | 2,544 | $61,827 | $104,634 |
| 25 | Gray County | 5,719 | $74,500 | $204,015 |
| 26 | Greeley County | 1,279 | $69,948 | $111,731 |
| 27 | Osage County | 15,787 | $66,155 | $176,378 |
| 28 | Dickinson County | 18,492 | $62,971 | $148,603 |
| 29 | Douglas County | 119,094 | $66,153 | $295,406 |
| 30 | Meade County | 4,019 | $74,063 | $104,179 |
| 31 | Clark County | 1,977 | $58,287 | $79,237 |
| 32 | Harvey County | 33,959 | $70,685 | $167,297 |
| 33 | Scott County | 5,128 | $53,365 | $143,156 |
| 34 | Ellsworth County | 6,374 | $59,844 | $109,073 |
| 35 | Mitchell County | 5,829 | $63,008 | $114,124 |
| 36 | Chase County | 2,570 | $52,481 | $136,461 |
| 37 | Hodgeman County | 1,770 | $63,125 | $111,071 |
| 38 | Ness County | 2,677 | $64,907 | $79,616 |
| 39 | Osborne County | 3,493 | $58,750 | $72,176 |
| 40 | Morris County | 5,385 | $52,866 | $145,955 |
| 41 | Saline County | 54,160 | $59,887 | $168,065 |
| 42 | Marion County | 11,867 | $60,011 | $125,051 |
| 43 | Lincoln County | 2,929 | $52,540 | $106,479 |
| 44 | Smith County | 3,561 | $50,943 | $82,844 |
| 45 | Sherman County | 5,940 | $61,404 | $139,033 |
| 46 | Shawnee County | 178,625 | $63,463 | $185,467 |
| 47 | Kiowa County | 2,445 | $70,347 | $128,274 |
| 48 | Coffey County | 8,334 | $67,645 | $155,445 |
| 49 | Pratt County | 9,175 | $61,685 | $108,260 |
| 50 | Gove County | 2,758 | $59,417 | $115,253 |
| 51 | Grant County | 7,336 | $84,808 | $139,030 |
| 52 | Wichita County | 2,131 | $69,551 | $128,704 |
| 53 | Wallace County | 1,489 | $57,708 | $102,800 |
| 54 | Rice County | 9,441 | $58,523 | $97,122 |
| 55 | Lane County | 1,528 | $52,222 | $86,091 |
| 56 | Riley County | 72,105 | $56,327 | $233,748 |
| 57 | Stafford County | 4,054 | $60,000 | $82,600 |
| 58 | Geary County | 36,247 | $57,992 | $178,150 |
| 59 | Kingman County | 7,369 | $59,640 | $143,712 |
| 60 | Hamilton County | 2,520 | $58,750 | $105,198 |
| 61 | Ford County | 34,212 | $67,997 | $189,851 |
| 62 | Linn County | 9,696 | $56,697 | $143,807 |
| 63 | Atchison County | 16,309 | $55,281 | $149,412 |
| 64 | Sumner County | 22,517 | $59,397 | $125,914 |
| 65 | Haskell County | 3,735 | $66,458 | $150,752 |
| 66 | Anderson County | 7,799 | $67,651 | $162,723 |
| 67 | Kearny County | 3,964 | $68,750 | $177,458 |
| 68 | Comanche County | 1,825 | $49,754 | $67,442 |
| 69 | Reno County | 61,881 | $57,390 | $133,702 |
| 70 | Jewell County | 2,929 | $47,109 | $84,992 |
| 71 | Sedgwick County | 522,700 | $65,372 | $202,236 |
| 72 | Stevens County | 5,275 | $67,950 | $139,547 |
| 73 | Norton County | 5,431 | $52,710 | $85,533 |
| 74 | Graham County | 2,430 | $47,071 | $85,091 |
| 75 | Finney County | 38,187 | $68,481 | $228,937 |
| 76 | Decatur County | 2,771 | $49,412 | $82,429 |
| 77 | Bourbon County | 14,405 | $55,826 | $111,157 |
| 78 | Brown County | 9,486 | $55,876 | $123,065 |
| 79 | Lyon County | 32,182 | $56,415 | $153,908 |
| 80 | Pawnee County | 6,288 | $54,141 | $85,727 |
| 81 | Stanton County | 2,060 | $66,000 | $120,527 |
| 82 | Rush County | 2,939 | $53,523 | $71,873 |
| 83 | Cloud County | 9,008 | $51,197 | $91,597 |
| 84 | Wilson County | 8,667 | $55,439 | $82,428 |
| 85 | Morton County | 2,688 | $57,943 | $91,926 |
| 86 | Cherokee County | 19,380 | $53,382 | $103,028 |
| 87 | Labette County | 20,096 | $56,143 | $81,351 |
| 88 | Phillips County | 4,960 | $57,611 | $97,820 |
| 89 | Seward County | 21,942 | $57,131 | $135,209 |
| 90 | Cheyenne County | 2,619 | $52,730 | $115,628 |
| 91 | Cowley County | 34,661 | $55,726 | $107,954 |
| 92 | Crawford County | 39,012 | $49,779 | $117,801 |
| 93 | Barber County | 4,081 | $53,774 | $67,697 |
| 94 | Allen County | 12,554 | $55,059 | $93,851 |
| 95 | Greenwood County | 6,001 | $51,812 | $75,251 |
| 96 | Barton County | 25,477 | $54,634 | $103,658 |
| 97 | Russell County | 6,702 | $49,929 | $92,425 |
| 98 | Wyandotte County | 167,989 | $57,771 | $183,355 |
| 99 | Woodson County | 3,134 | $50,670 | $78,973 |
| 100 | Neosho County | 15,826 | $54,894 | $97,648 |