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
$947
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Scott City, KS

Scott City is a city in Kansas with a population of 3,955 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $54,026 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 13.1%. Typical homes in Scott City are valued around $166,400, and the median resident age is 36.8 years. About 33.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 67.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 17 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 26% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 722.6 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. 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.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Kansas registers 90.1 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $947 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $217 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 29.9 out of 100 (Very Low).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

3,955 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Kansas

Median Household Income

$54,026 /yr

Poverty 13.1%

Cost of Living Index

90.1 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Scott City compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 26% higher than other cities
Home value 32% pricier than other cities
Median rent 6% pricier than other cities
Safety 76% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Scott City against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Scott City, KS Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Scott City, KS. The Lorenz curve traces 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 — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Scott City, KS — Census ACS 5-year estimates. 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 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
283.9
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
438.7
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
53.1°F
Annual Precipitation
20.2"
Annual Snowfall
19.6"

Schools

Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city

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

Kansas state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
90.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$947/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
29.9 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score

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% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Scott City compares to nearby Kansas cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Scott City) plus the nearest peer cities in Kansas, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

KS

Scott City

54.03% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$54,026
Brackets
4
Selected

KS

Goodland

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$390
Brackets
4
Selected

KS

Baxter Springs

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$390
Brackets
4
Selected

KS

Hugoton

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$410
Brackets
4
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? +

Scott City has a cost of living index of 90.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Scott City, KS safe? +

Scott City has a total crime rate of 722.6 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

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

The median home value in Scott City is $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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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