City profile · Kansas · Census ACS 2023

Scott City, KS

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

3,955
Residents
$54,026
Median income
$166,400
Median home
$877
Median rent (state)

Scott City - the verdict

Nationally, Scott City sits in the 26th percentile for household income and the 76th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

26th
percentile, household income
32nd
percentile, home value
2nd
percentile, median rent
76th
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: Scott City, KS

Scott City is a small town in Kansas, home to 3,955 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Scott City households earn a median of $54,026 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 13.1%. Typical homes in Scott City are valued around $166,400, and the median resident age is 36.8 years. Educational attainment runs 33.1% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 67.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 17 residential building permits were authorized in Scott City (Construction Slowdown), down 26% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Scott City reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 722.6 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 climate normals record an annual average temperature of 53.1°F with 20.2 inches of precipitation per year and 19.6 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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $877 monthly. 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 46.4 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).

Population

3,955 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Kansas

Median Household Income

$54,026 /yr

Poverty 13.1%

Cost of Living Index (state)

90.1 (US=100)

Well Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Kansas average

How does Scott City compare to other US cities?

Scott City measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 26% higher than other cities
Home value 32% pricier than other cities
Median rent 2% pricier than other cities
Safety 76% 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: Scott City ranks #18 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 Scott City'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.

26thIncome percentile
76thSafety percentile

26th percentile nationally for median household income · 76th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Scott City's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Scott City'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 62 Avg. percentile National median
Scott City'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 Scott City's home value compares nationally

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

$166,400 Among the most affordable more affordable than 68% 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%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Scott City $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 - Scott City, KS Scott City, KS's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Scott City, 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 Scott City, KS median $54,026/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%
Scott City, 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 Scott City, KS. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 33.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 13.1%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 67.4%

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

Population
3,955
Median Income
$54,026
Median Home Value
$166,400
Median Age
36.8
Poverty Rate
13.1%
Labor force participation
67.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
33.1%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
722.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
283.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
438.7
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
53.1°F
Annual Precipitation
20.2"
Annual Snowfall
19.6"

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 →
3,800 residents3,900 residents4,000 residents4,100 residents4,200 residents 202020212022202320242025 4,109 residents 3,855 residents ▼ -6.2%
Scott City's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
17
housing units authorized
Single-Family
1
detached homes
Multifamily
16
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 23
2020 2
2021 0
2022 0
2023 1
2024 17

Permit volume decreased 26% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
89.7%
Carpool
5.4%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.3%
Work from Home
4.6%

Based on 1,857 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 Scott City 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
46.4 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Kansas

Goodland
3,878 people
Baxter Springs
3,863 people
Hugoton
4,065 people
Lindsborg
3,773 people
Clay Center
4,148 people
Hesston
3,747 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Scott City's 3,955 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Meiners Oaks, CA
3,955 people
Pleasant Hills, MD
3,955 people
Boardman, OR
3,955 people
Shenandoah Farms, VA
3,956 people
Golden Beach, MD
3,953 people
Battle Mountain, NV
3,957 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Scott City's $54,026 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Chadron, NE
$54,026 median income
Valley Grove, WV
$54,028 median income
Clovis, NM
$54,029 median income
Walnuttown, PA
$54,023 median income
Montello, WI
$54,023 median income
Green Level, NC
$54,020 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Scott City, 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 Scott City, KS - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 84.4% 8.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 22.4% White 84.4% Black or African American 0.0% Asian 1.7% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 8.4% Two or more races 5.4% 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 Scott City 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
Scott City (this city) 3,955 $54,026
Goodland 3,878 $53,929
Baxter Springs 3,863 $60,139
Hugoton 4,065 $60,437
Census ACS 5-year FIPS KS FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Scott City, KS?

What is the population of Scott City, KS? +

Scott City, KS has a population of 3,955 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Scott City is $54,026 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Scott City? +

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

Scott City has a total crime rate of 722.6 per 100,000 residents, which is below 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 Scott City, KS? +

Homes in Scott City carry a median value of $166,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Scott City? +

Scott City has an average annual temperature of 53.1°F, 20.2 inches of precipitation, and 19.6 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.