City profile · Kansas · Census ACS 2023

Great Bend, KS

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

14,596
Residents
$53,323
Median income
$118,700
Median home
$877
Median rent (state)

Great Bend - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Great Bend places in the 25th percentile for household income and the 35th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

25th
percentile, household income
17th
percentile, home value
2nd
percentile, median rent
35th
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: Great Bend, KS

Kansas's Great Bend is a small town, with 14,596 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $53,323 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.8%. Home values in Great Bend run a median of $118,700, and the median resident age is 37.0 years. 20.9% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 61.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 4 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 100% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1871.8 in FBI UCR data, near the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 54.3°F with 27.3 inches of precipitation per year and 11.5 inches of snowfall.

Living costs in Kansas run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Kansas at 90.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $877 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 60.3 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Moderate).

Population

14,596 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Kansas

Median Household Income

$53,323 /yr

Poverty 11.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.1 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Kansas average

How does Great Bend compare to other US cities?

Where Great Bend sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 25% higher than other cities
Home value 17% pricier than other cities
Median rent 2% pricier than other cities
Safety 35% 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, Great Bend ranks #72 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

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 Great Bend'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.

25thIncome percentile
35thSafety percentile

25th percentile nationally for median household income · 35th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Great Bend's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Great Bend'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 50 Avg. percentile National median
Great Bend'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 Great Bend's home value compares nationally

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

$118,700 Among the most affordable more affordable than 83% 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%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Great Bend $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 - Great Bend, KS Great Bend, KS's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Great Bend, 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 Great Bend, KS median $53,323/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%
Great Bend, 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 Great Bend, KS. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 20.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.4%

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

Population
14,596
Median Income
$53,323
Median Home Value
$118,700
Median Age
37.0
Poverty Rate
11.8%
Labor force participation
61.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
20.9%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1871.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
315.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1556.3
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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
54.3°F
Annual Precipitation
27.3"
Annual Snowfall
11.5"

Schools

Total Schools
7
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
14,200 residents14,400 residents14,600 residents14,800 residents 202020212022202320242025 14,690 residents 14,266 residents ▼ -2.9%
Great Bend's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
4
housing units authorized
Single-Family
4
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 2
2020 0
2021 0
2022 0
2023 0
2024 4

Permit volume increased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
81.5%
Carpool
8.0%
Public Transit
0.1%
Walk
3.6%
Work from Home
5.7%
Other
1.1%

Based on 6,849 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 Great Bend sits in

Cost of Living Index
90.1
Well Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$877/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
60.3 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Kansas

McPherson
13,956 people
Andover
15,508 people
El Dorado
12,882 people
Ottawa
12,632 people
Arkansas City
11,909 people
Winfield
11,731 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Great Bend's 14,596 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Falls Church, VA
14,593 people
Red Bluff, CA
14,592 people
Swansea, IL
14,603 people
Fraser, MI
14,604 people
Monticello, MN
14,607 people
Naranja, FL
14,610 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Great Bend's $53,323 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Sodus, NY
$53,324 median income
Coal Grove, OH
$53,324 median income
Hoosick Falls, NY
$53,325 median income
Sierra Blanca, TX
$53,319 median income
Rockford, IL
$53,328 median income
Raceland, LA
$53,328 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Great Bend, 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 Great Bend, KS - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 76.0% 16.2% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 25.0% White 76.0% Black or African American 0.7% Asian 0.5% American Indian 1.4% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 5.1% Two or more races 16.2% 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 Great Bend 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
Great Bend (this city) 14,596 $53,323
McPherson 13,956 $77,746
Andover 15,508 $106,676
El Dorado 12,882 $54,828
Census ACS 5-year FIPS KS FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Great Bend, KS?

What is the population of Great Bend, KS? +

Great Bend, KS has a population of 14,596 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Great Bend, KS? +

Median annual household income in Great Bend runs $53,323, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Great Bend? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Great Bend; 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 Great Bend, KS safe? +

Great Bend has a total crime rate of 1871.8 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 Great Bend, KS? +

Great Bend's median home value sits at $118,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Great Bend? +

The average annual temperature in Great Bend runs 54.3°F, 27.3 inches of precipitation, and 11.5 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

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.

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.