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Place dossier plate
SheetKS-GARNETT-KS · Garnett, KS 3,200 pop · income 15th pct · 2 tracts
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 Garnett
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Garnett on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Hayfork · lowest
45,918
Hayfork · lowest
45,918 median HH income
32.8% of the leader · rank #1
Garnett · this city
46,875
Garnett · this city
46,875 median HH income
33.5% of the leader · rank #2
Gordonville · near
46,875
Gordonville · near
46,875 median HH income
33.5% of the leader · rank #3
Kansas · near
46,875
Kansas · near
46,875 median HH income
33.5% of the leader · rank #4
Black Oak · near
46,875
Black Oak · near
46,875 median HH income
33.5% of the leader · rank #5
Success · near
46,875
Success · near
46,875 median HH income
33.5% of the leader · rank #6
Monmouth Beach · highest
140,074
Monmouth Beach · highest
140,074 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, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Garnett on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. 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: 3,200.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Garnett - the verdict
Garnett ranks in the 15th percentile for household income and the 44th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
15th
percentile, household income
23rd
percentile, home value
6th
percentile, median rent
44th
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: Garnett, KS
Garnett is a small town in Kansas, home to 3,200 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Garnett households earn a median of $46,875 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 4.8%. Garnett's housing stock carries a median value of $137,800, and the median resident age is 34.9 years. 16.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 54.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 4 residential building permits were authorized in Garnett (Building Boom), up 300% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Garnett reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1570.8 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Garnett's yearly average temperature at 55.2°F with 40.6 inches of precipitation per year and 12.8 inches of snowfall.
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. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $947 per month. 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 29.9 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Garnett'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 work and mobility to within-city variation to schools and households to reported crime to comparison shortlist to housing and income to population change to climate and hazard context; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Garnett, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, annual population history.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Garnett?
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.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 87.1%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 16.4% 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.
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.
Which cities make useful reference points for Garnett?
Within Kansas, the closest population matches are Hiawatha (3,223 residents, $65,058 income); Beloit (3,141 residents, $50,865 income); Ellsworth (3,098 residents, $65,357 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Pine Hills, CA (3,200 residents); Pottsville, AR (3,201 residents); Monmouth Beach, NJ (3,201 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.
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. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
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.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Garnett?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1570.8 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 31% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
1382.3
Violent rate
188.5
Total reported rate
1570.8
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
How far does income reach against housing in Garnett?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.9 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 4.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
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. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
Household income
$46,875
Home value
$137,800
Value / income
2.9×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -1 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -0.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 4 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-0.0%
2025 estimate
3,242
2020 estimate
3,243
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 55.2°F, with 40.6 inches of precipitation and 12.8 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Kansas is 29.9 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
55.2°F
Annual precipitation
40.6 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
29.9
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
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.
Poverty rate B-
4.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime D
189 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
16.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$46,875
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Garnett profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 85/100 (A) · 90.1 index
Poverty rate: 67/100 (B-) · 4.8%
Violent crime: 49/100 (D) · 189 /100k
Bachelor's+ share: 24/100 (F) · 16.4%
Household income: 16/100 (F) · $46,875
Where Garnett sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Garnett's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Garnett highlighted among 9 peers.Read the chart values
Garnett, KS (this city): home $137,800, crime 1,571/100k
Pottsville, AR : home $169,800, crime 240/100k
Monmouth Beach, NJ : home $918,100, crime 249/100k
Hiawatha, KS : home $112,500, crime 1,737/100k
Beloit, KS : home $99,100, crime 1,106/100k
Ellsworth, KS : home $143,600, crime 602/100k
Larned, KS : home $99,600, crime 1,427/100k
Frontenac, KS : home $165,400, crime 1,010/100k
Holton, KS : home $143,400, crime 1,688/100k
How does Garnett compare to other US cities?
Here's how Garnett stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income15% higher than other cities
Home value23% pricier than other cities
Median rent6% pricier than other cities
Safety44% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Kansas alone, Garnett ranks #60 of 109 Kansas cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Garnett 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 Garnett near the bottom of Kansas's cities
Among the 552 Kansas cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Garnett ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Garnett only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#440 of 527
16th percentile in Kansas
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 552
0th percentile in Kansas
Median Home Value
#134 of 527
75th percentile in Kansas
Poverty Rate
#353 of 552
35th percentile in Kansas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#372 of 552
32nd 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
15th percentile nationally for median household income · 44th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Garnett's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Garnett'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 Garnett's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$137,800Among the most affordablemore affordable than 77% 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
Garnett's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.9×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#6,364 of 15,516
More affordable than 59% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#5,425 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.9×, Garnett sits in the affordable band:
national rank #6,364 of 15,516 and #5,425 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
$46,875Garnett, KS median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Garnett, 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 Garnett, KS.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)16.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)4.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)54.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
3,200
Median Income
$46,875
Median Home Value
$137,800
Median Age
34.9
Poverty Rate
4.8%
Labor force participation
54.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
16.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1570.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
188.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1382.3
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
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.
Climate
Avg Temperature
55.2°F
Annual Precipitation
40.6"
Annual Snowfall
12.8"
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
Garnett's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
3,243 residents
2021
3,216 residents
2022
3,191 residents
2023
3,198 residents
2024
3,217 residents
2025
3,242 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
4
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
4
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1
1
0
$0.2M
2020
2
2
0
$0.5M
2021
1
1
0
$0.2M
2022
0
0
0
-
2023
2
0
2
$0.1M
2024
4
0
4
$0.3M
Permit volume increased 300% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
87.1%
Carpool
9.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.8%
Work from Home
0.0%
Other
1.0%
Based on 1,266 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 Garnett. 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 Garnett 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 Garnett sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Garnett 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, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.