State rankings

Best Counties to Live in Kansas

Compare counties in Kansas by affordability, schools, safety, taxes, economy, home values, and quality-of-life tradeoffs.

Use the county-size filter to compare large metro counties, mid-size counties, small counties, and rural areas separately. These modules are a starting point, then you can open the full rankings table or compare individual counties.

County size

County size helps compare places with similar scale. Large metro counties and small rural counties can rank well for very different reasons.

Showing all 105 Kansas counties

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Kansas county rankings at a glance

Compact winners for common county-search priorities.

View full Kansas rankings

Top counties by category

Use these short lists to jump into the state rankings that match your priorities.

National rankings

Popular Kansas county comparisons

Put two counties side by side before you narrow the search.

How to choose a county in Kansas

The best county in Kansas depends on what you need most. Families may care more about schools and safety, budget-focused movers may care more about affordability and taxes, and quiet-living households may care more about density and peace & quiet. Large counties and rural counties can rank well for very different reasons, so use the county-size filter to compare places with similar scale.

Best for different needs

What to watch before moving to Kansas

Compare county scale carefully in Kansas; large metro counties and rural counties can rank well for very different reasons.

Check town-level housing costs, commute patterns, school districts, and local services before making a final move decision.

Frequently asked questions about the best counties in Kansas

What is the best county to live in Kansas?

The best county depends on your priorities. In this ranking model, Nemaha County currently scores highest overall, but families, budget-focused movers, and quiet-living households may prefer different counties.

What is the best county in Kansas for families?

Based on the family ranking blend of schools, safety, affordability, taxes, economy, and peace & quiet, Nemaha County stands out in this model.

What is the most affordable county in Kansas?

Lane County scores highly on affordability in this model, but buyers should still compare home prices, taxes, insurance, commute costs, and local job access.

How should I compare large and small counties?

Use the county-size filter. Large metro counties and small rural counties can rank well for very different reasons, so comparing similar county sizes usually gives a more realistic shortlist.

Are these rankings based on reviews?

No. These rankings use public-data signals such as affordability, schools, safety, taxes, economy, home values, and peace & quiet. Local reviews and personal visits should still be part of a final decision.

Which Kansas counties score well for schools or taxes?

Nemaha County currently leads the school-score view, while Doniphan County stands out on the tax-score view. Use the rankings presets to compare those priorities separately.

All Kansas counties

Showing all 105 Kansas counties ranked by the default generated overall score.

RankCountyOverallEconomyAfford.SchoolsSafetyTaxesPeace & QuietTypical homeIncome
1Nemaha County
FIPS 20131
79.774.47099.291.652.396.5$241,966$77,348
2Hodgeman County
FIPS 20083
78.772.281.190.787.842.795.2$160,390$59,955
3Logan County
FIPS 20109
78.469.982.688.2953695.7$157,809$75,662
4Rice County
FIPS 20159
77.967.389.286.293.829.790.1$116,694$63,925
5Republic County
FIPS 20157
77.570.689.977.290.538.989.1$113,992$56,833
6Marshall County
FIPS 20117
77.357.386.387.895.647.695.2$156,076$68,419
7Wallace County
FIPS 20199
76.866.883.293.77250.494.1$146,653$63,207
8Phillips County
FIPS 20147
76.562.391.688.19121.990.3$116,450$62,123
9Gray County
FIPS 20069
76.18771.880.286.626.195.6$242,079$79,122
10Norton County
FIPS 20137
75.959.586.89293.522.793.5$120,830$54,050
11Wichita County
FIPS 20203
75.770.387.371.183.347.497.4$168,345$79,063
12Washington County
FIPS 20201
75.663.183.777.393.947.792.4$162,841$65,482
13Pottawatomie County
FIPS 20149
75.47564.492.782.950.490.4$324,482$92,325
14Butler County
FIPS 20015
74.368.473.293.588.724.688.9$244,142$81,610
15Anderson County
FIPS 20003
7468.278.383.887.531.586.9$192,521$70,614
16Kiowa County
FIPS 20097
73.955.38586.482.144.894.2$160,797$75,539
17Rawlins County
FIPS 20153
73.875.688.484.548.338.595.5$136,297$67,742
18Smith County
FIPS 20183
73.454.192.295.575.317.991.9$110,245$59,135
19Clay County
FIPS 20027
73.251.681.289.795.432.590$167,257$66,176
20Trego County
FIPS 20195
73.153.989.473.294.538.391.9$143,348$81,528
21Gove County
FIPS 20063
7364.287.570.181.640.795.7$155,146$66,029
22Clark County
FIPS 20025
72.964.688.57786.118.788.8$85,923$63,043
23Jackson County
FIPS 20085
72.96466.994.183.445.886.1$250,557$75,215
24Meade County
FIPS 20119
72.96990.267.588.418.191$121,290$71,852
25Mitchell County
FIPS 20123
72.446.686.697.189.914.395.3$135,931$64,246
26Osborne County
FIPS 20141
72.346.886.993.987.224.191.8$97,413$63,011
27Marion County
FIPS 20115
72.151.386.68888.822.288.8$138,582$64,695
28Comanche County
FIPS 20033
7253.491.184.682.818.393.5$93,288$54,545
29Labette County
FIPS 20099
71.546.991.381.694.818.292.2$94,156$56,325
30Stafford County
FIPS 20185
71.47589.559.578.92385.6$102,314$64,226
31Lane County
FIPS 20101
71.353.393.684.375.118.293.3$109,476$54,526
32Edwards County
FIPS 20047
71.252.289.569.394.534.387.2$85,454$52,692
33Miami County
FIPS 20121
70.974.15491.383.838.684.5$371,974$89,000
34Sheridan County
FIPS 20179
70.878.169.759.289.238.895.2$234,560$73,750
35Dickinson County
FIPS 20041
70.453.682.780.184.430.691.6$170,171$68,417
36Haskell County
FIPS 20081
70.473.2825294.323.295.6$175,817$66,162
37Decatur County
FIPS 20039
7065.789.46872.721.891.5$108,892$53,870
38McPherson County
FIPS 20113
7067.876.161.695.425.796.5$222,474$78,851
39Brown County
FIPS 20013
69.946.680.472.193.850.192.6$154,025$62,233
40Harvey County
FIPS 20079
69.754.879.475.996.519.590.9$188,877$74,368
41Jewell County
FIPS 20089
69.640.981.58784.144.789.6$117,434$52,634
42Neosho County
FIPS 20133
69.649.292.866.293.520.495$108,188$56,618
43Scott County
FIPS 20171
69.678.47959.676.818.799.6$184,068$68,839
44Ottawa County
FIPS 20143
69.458.383.886.372.112.790.5$175,170$74,018
45Pratt County
FIPS 20151
69.458.388.962.991.816.892$123,329$66,022
46Sherman County
FIPS 20181
69.155.477.171.110020.394.3$150,841$61,750
47Harper County
FIPS 20077
68.847.885.173.796.619.688.6$97,012$53,488
48Barber County
FIPS 20007
68.751.389.975.579.718.989.9$88,344$61,926
49Ellsworth County
FIPS 20053
68.64584.982.178.335.388.8$137,041$65,560
50Thomas County
FIPS 20193
68.577.78137.894.62396.3$175,114$71,325
51Ellis County
FIPS 20051
68.454.157.492.394.331.496.5$241,381$63,084
52Pawnee County
FIPS 20145
68.455.383.667.19417.188.4$107,044$63,517
53Cloud County
FIPS 20029
68.255.389.460.487.12293.9$115,389$58,770
54Doniphan County
FIPS 20043
67.859.982.937.29855.987.3$165,154$74,028
55Greeley County
FIPS 20071
67.687.790.232.763.623.993.9$149,133$80,565
56Greenwood County
FIPS 20073
67.149.786.388.951.834.582.7$104,223$60,042
57Reno County
FIPS 20155
6754.479.964.192.520.792.9$151,597$60,645
58Elk County
FIPS 20049
66.944.48593.762.428.472.8$96,811$64,609
59Cheyenne County
FIPS 20023
66.85171.576.575.148.494.4$179,571$55,429
60Morris County
FIPS 20127
66.85271.372.485.242.289.5$188,209$58,686
61Wabaunsee County
FIPS 20197
66.856.167.378.772.849.885.2$258,358$76,908
62Leavenworth County
FIPS 20103
66.769.155.872.48739.380.5$344,041$89,218
63Saline County
FIPS 20169
66.457.777.159.490.924.993.6$175,858$65,422
64Kingman County
FIPS 20095
6652.673.262.892.636.389.7$171,002$59,842
65Osage County
FIPS 20139
65.957.677.983.149.737.185.1$207,645$74,467
66Jefferson County
FIPS 20087
65.563.367.769.76843.385.1$281,949$81,278
67Morton County
FIPS 20129
65.466.993.132.585.316.989.1$105,640$66,447
68Woodson County
FIPS 20207
65.431.881.582.991.626.183.1$114,988$50,326
69Coffey County
FIPS 20031
65.347.176.775.163.452.591.3$193,850$70,346
70Chase County
FIPS 20017
65.243.674.477.371.550.490.1$165,881$56,484
71Barton County
FIPS 20009
6551.882.963.684.413.493$120,136$58,851
72Hamilton County
FIPS 20075
64.786.986.72354.839.190.5$148,172$70,250
73Stanton County
FIPS 20187
64.757.284.438.682.944.194.4$154,679$71,700
74Cherokee County
FIPS 20021
64.653.987.841.175.950.390.3$125,219$57,668
75Crawford County
FIPS 20037
64.640.578.365.286.344.190$135,489$52,844
76Sumner County
FIPS 20191
64.447.585.46184.519.487.8$144,021$63,951
77Allen County
FIPS 20001
64.250.189.951.884.117.190.1$112,160$60,689
78Russell County
FIPS 20167
64.143.687.661.885.913.794.7$115,682$62,392
79Johnson County
FIPS 20091
63.776.445.698.955.439.324.5$459,391$109,208
80Lincoln County
FIPS 20105
63.738.983.174.86442.188.5$128,553$57,500
81Grant County
FIPS 20067
63.674.182.88.896.242.379.9$152,693$66,476
82Kearny County
FIPS 20093
63.366.284.24157.24393$192,118$89,135
83Lyon County
FIPS 20111
63.354.267.3589326.594.9$186,020$59,912
84Cowley County
FIPS 20035
63.242.784.262.287.514.389.1$124,850$57,878
85Shawnee County
FIPS 20177
63.257.373.556.688.821.474.1$200,189$67,104
86Rush County
FIPS 20165
63.152.39164.85319.288.7$92,824$59,970
87Chautauqua County
FIPS 20019
634190.539.689.247.682.2$92,225$56,438
88Rooks County
FIPS 20163
62.551.786.74972.126.693.3$122,904$62,500
89Franklin County
FIPS 20059
62.158.66558.875.635.989.3$257,410$77,207
90Stevens County
FIPS 20189
61.963.878.828.194.717.693.6$166,426$64,178
91Wilson County
FIPS 20205
61.540.291.642.683.331.387.4$102,252$60,677
92Riley County
FIPS 20161
60.656.846.395.96416.288.6$268,302$61,098
93Ford County
FIPS 20057
60.463.771.917.895.337.896.8$209,376$70,781
94Douglas County
FIPS 20045
60.361.940.190.369.923.876.5$333,701$69,746
95Atchison County
FIPS 20005
60.151.170.533.397.540.187.9$181,317$61,112
96Finney County
FIPS 20055
59.270.967.722.583.627.196.7$234,022$73,009
97Bourbon County
FIPS 20011
58.732.886.439.492.126.791.3$131,363$59,238
98Geary County
FIPS 20061
57.543.257.456.490.929.789$216,269$59,317
99Linn County
FIPS 20107
57.338.775.461.361.433.179.2$169,750$59,069
100Seward County
FIPS 20175
57.162.480.49.789.113.794.2$145,403$63,827
101Graham County
FIPS 20065
56.942.886.339.764.123.394.8$116,545$50,650
102Ness County
FIPS 20135
56.557.989.212.870.719.593$105,898$68,616
103Sedgwick County
FIPS 20173
53.25566.536.560.435.857.1$222,530$69,365
104Montgomery County
FIPS 20125
52.354.188.950.53.11688.4$97,438$55,697
105Wyandotte County
FIPS 20209
40.649.366.76.54327.920.7$204,979$63,631