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Place dossier plate
SheetKS-GARDEN-PLAIN-KS · Garden Plain, KS 1,055 pop · income 71st pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Garden Plain
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Garden Plain on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Central City · lowest
46,563
Central City · lowest
46,563 median HH income
51.7% of the leader · rank #1
Garden Plain · this city
90,000
Garden Plain · this city
90,000 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #2
Marathon City · highest
90,000
Marathon City · highest
90,000 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #3
Sonoita · near
90,000
Sonoita · near
90,000 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #4
Fox Chase · near
90,000
Fox Chase · near
90,000 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #5
Weaverville · near
90,000
Weaverville · near
90,000 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #6
Marion · near
90,000
Marion · near
90,000 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Garden Plain on ACS population and median household income
. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 1,055.
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Garden Plain lands in the 71st percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
71st
percentile, household income
49th
percentile, home value
6th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Garden Plain, KS
Garden Plain is a small town in Kansas, home to 1,055 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Garden Plain brings in $90,000 a year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 13.7%. Home values in Garden Plain run a median of $221,800, and the median resident age is 27.4 years. About 37.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 71.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 11 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 450% from five years earlier.
Living costs in Kansas run below the national norm: the state registers 90.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $947 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $217 across Kansas, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 29.9 out of 100 (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Garden Plain's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to work and mobility to housing and income to comparison shortlist to schools and households; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Garden Plain, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, annual population history, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
Is Garden Plain growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +63 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +6.7% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 11 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
What does the journey to work look like in Garden Plain?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 89.2%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.
How far does income reach against housing in Garden Plain?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 13.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Garden Plain?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.
Within Kansas, the closest population matches are Spearville (1,054 residents, $71,230 income); Highland (1,047 residents, $77,500 income); Sedan (1,066 residents, $48,854 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Blades, DE (1,055 residents); Plummer, ID (1,055 residents); North Hornell, NY (1,055 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Garden Plain?
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 37.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
13.7%
Bachelor's degree+
37.2%
Matched public schools
2
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Above median income · poverty 13.7% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
90.1 (US=100)
Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Kansas average
C+
City profile score · Garden Plain, KS
62/100
4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living A
90.1 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share B
37.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income B-
$90,000
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
13.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime N/A
N/A
No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).
Garden Plain profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 85/100 (A) · 90.1 index
Bachelor's+ share: 70/100 (B) · 37.2%
Household income: 69/100 (B-) · $90,000
Poverty rate: 25/100 (F) · 13.7%
How does Garden Plain compare to other US cities?
Garden Plain measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income71% higher than other cities
Home value49% pricier than other cities
Median rent6% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Garden Plain against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Kansas only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Kansas-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Garden Plain near the bottom of Kansas's cities
Among the 552 Kansas cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Garden Plain ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Garden Plain only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#45 of 527
91st percentile in Kansas
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 552
0th percentile in Kansas
Median Home Value
#41 of 527
92nd percentile in Kansas
Poverty Rate
#117 of 552
79th percentile in Kansas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#58 of 552
89th percentile in Kansas
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Kansas only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
71st percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Garden Plain's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$221,800Among the most affordablemore affordable than 51% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Garden Plain's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#3,817 of 15,516
More affordable than 75% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#3,453 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.5×, Garden Plain sits in the affordable band:
national rank #3,817 of 15,516 and #3,453 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$90,000Garden Plain, KS median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Garden Plain, KS median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Garden Plain, KS.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)37.2%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)13.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)71.8%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
1,055
Median Income
$90,000
Median Home Value
$221,800
Median Age
27.4
Poverty Rate
13.7%
Labor force participation
71.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
37.2%
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Garden Plain's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
947 residents
2021
946 residents
2022
944 residents
2023
952 residents
2024
987 residents
2025
1,010 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
11
housing units authorized
Single-Family
11
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
10.4
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
2
2
0
$0.7M
2020
2
2
0
$0.4M
2021
2
2
0
$0.4M
2022
5
5
0
$1.8M
2023
14
14
0
$6.0M
2024
11
11
0
$4.7M
Permit volume increased 450% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
89.2%
Carpool
4.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.1%
Work from Home
5.7%
Based on 471 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Kansas statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $217
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Kansas at $217 (electricity about $110 , water and sewer about $42 ).
These are Kansas statewide averages, not a meter reading for Garden Plain. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Kansas's BEA cost-of-living index is 90.1 (Well Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Garden Plain is $947/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Kansas statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 29.9 / 100 (Very Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Kansas statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Garden Plain sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Garden Plain compares to similar-size Kansas cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, 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.