City profile · Kansas · Census ACS 2023

Fort Scott, KS

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Fort Scott - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

7,551
Residents
$60,799
Median income
$89,400
Median home
$936
Median rent (state)

Fort Scott - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Fort Scott places in the 36th percentile for household income and the 32nd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

36th
percentile, household income
6th
percentile, home value
9th
percentile, median rent
32nd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Fort Scott, KS

7,551 people live in Fort Scott, Kansas - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Fort Scott brings in $60,799 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.9%. Typical homes in Fort Scott are valued around $89,400, and the median resident age is 39.2 years. About 21.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 58.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 9 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Low Activity). Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1980.7 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Living costs in Kansas run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Kansas scores 90.1 (Well Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $936 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Kansas's average monthly utility costs around $217 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 35.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).

Population

7,551 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Kansas

Median Household Income

$60,799 /yr

Poverty 6.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.1 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Kansas average

How does Fort Scott compare to other US cities?

Here's how Fort Scott stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 36% higher than other cities
Home value 6% pricier than other cities
Median rent 9% pricier than other cities
Safety 32% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Kansas and the picture shifts: Fort Scott ranks #75 of 109 Kansas cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Fort Scott's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Kansas, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

36thIncome percentile
32ndSafety percentile

36th percentile nationally for median household income · 32nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Fort Scott's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Fort Scott's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 54 Avg. percentile National median
Fort Scott's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Fort Scott's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$89,400 Among the most affordable more affordable than 94% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Fort Scott $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Fort Scott, KS Fort Scott, KS's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Fort Scott, KS-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Fort Scott, KS median $60,799/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Fort Scott, KS's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Fort Scott, KS. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 21.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 58.8%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
7,551
Median Income
$60,799
Median Home Value
$89,400
Median Age
39.2
Poverty Rate
6.9%
Labor force participation
58.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
21.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1980.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
290.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1690.2
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
7,450 residents7,500 residents7,550 residents7,600 residents 202020212022202320242025 7,525 residents 7,500 residents ▼ -0.3%
Fort Scott's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
9
housing units authorized
Single-Family
3
detached homes
Multifamily
6
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 0
2021 8
2022 0
2023 4
2024 9

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
67.0%
Carpool
18.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.2%
Work from Home
13.3%

Based on 3,554 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Kansas - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$110
avg/month
Natural Gas
$65
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$42
avg/month
Total Utilities
$217
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Kansas state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Kansas state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Fort Scott sits in

Cost of Living Index
90.1
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$936/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
35.7 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Kansas

Wellington
7,643 people
Park City
7,726 people
Bonner Springs
7,735 people
Basehor
7,229 people
Roeland Park
6,800 people
Independence
8,469 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Fort Scott's 7,551 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Laurel Hill, VA
7,551 people
Mount Sterling, KY
7,549 people
Northridge, OH
7,546 people
Blandon, PA
7,546 people
Macclenny, FL
7,558 people
Gresham Park, GA
7,544 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Fort Scott's $60,799 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Youngwood, PA
$60,795 median income
Lincoln, AL
$60,793 median income
Yonah, GA
$60,791 median income
Fairmont, WV
$60,791 median income
Madison, AR
$60,809 median income
Mission, TX
$60,813 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Fort Scott, KS Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Fort Scott, KS - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 90.5% 6.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.0% White 90.5% Black or African American 2.9% Asian 0.1% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.2% Two or more races 6.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Fort Scott compares to nearby Kansas cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Fort Scott (this city) 7,551 $60,799
Wellington 7,643 $49,526
Park City 7,726 $70,317
Bonner Springs 7,735 $81,865
Census ACS 5-year FIPS KS FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Fort Scott, KS?

What is the population of Fort Scott, KS? +

Fort Scott, KS has a population of 7,551 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Fort Scott, KS? +

Fort Scott households earn a median of $60,799 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Fort Scott? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Fort Scott; the closest available measure is the Kansas state average, a cost of living index of 90.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Kansas vary by metro area.

Is Fort Scott, KS safe? +

Fort Scott has a total crime rate of 1980.7 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Fort Scott, KS? +

Homes in Fort Scott carry a median value of $89,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.