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Place dossier plate
SheetKS-ST-MARYS-KS · St. Marys, KS 2,795 pop · income 52nd 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 St. Marys
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest St. Marys on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Galena · lowest
39,968
Galena · lowest
39,968 median HH income
16.0% of the leader · rank #1
St. Marys · this city
71,723
St. Marys · this city
71,723 median HH income
28.7% of the leader · rank #2
Richton Park · near
71,724
Richton Park · near
71,724 median HH income
28.7% of the leader · rank #3
Caln · near
71,728
Caln · near
71,728 median HH income
28.7% of the leader · rank #4
Hutchinson · near
71,730
Hutchinson · near
71,730 median HH income
28.7% of the leader · rank #5
Traverse City · near
71,731
Traverse City · near
71,731 median HH income
28.7% of the leader · rank #6
Munsey Park · highest
250,001
Munsey Park · highest
250,001 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 St. Marys 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: 2,795.
St. Marys ranks in the 52nd percentile for household income nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS.
52nd
percentile, household income
42nd
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: St. Marys, KS
2,795 people live in St. Marys, Kansas - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $71,723 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 3.8%. St. Marys's housing stock carries a median value of $196,300, and the median resident age is 25.8 years. About 21.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 63.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 3 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Stable), up 0% from five years earlier.
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 $947 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $217 across Kansas, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. 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 St. Marys'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 housing and income to comparison shortlist to within-city variation to population change to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For St. Marys, city-specific coverage includes within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits, annual population history, commute-mode shares.
No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in St. Marys?
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.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.7 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 3.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for St. Marys?
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 South Hutchinson (2,826 residents, $42,221 income); Osage City (2,837 residents, $63,393 income); Galena (2,752 residents, $39,968 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Clinton, MI (2,795 residents); Crewe, VA (2,795 residents); Fairbanks Ranch, CA (2,794 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.
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.
Is St. Marys growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +32 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +1.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 3 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.
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.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in St. Marys?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 70.9%. 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. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
70.9%
Work from home
5.1%
Public transit
0.0%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 1,265 workers age 16+.
Above median income · poverty 3.8% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
90.1 (US=100)
Affordable · BEA RPP 2024, Kansas average
C+
City profile score · St. Marys, 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.
Poverty rate B
3.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income C-
$71,723
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share F
21.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime N/A
N/A
No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).
St. Marys profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 85/100 (A) · 90.1 index
Poverty rate: 73/100 (B) · 3.8%
Household income: 51/100 (C-) · $71,723
Bachelor's+ share: 37/100 (F) · 21.0%
How does St. Marys compare to other US cities?
Where St. Marys sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income52% higher than other cities
Home value42% 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 St. Marys 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 St. Marys near the bottom of Kansas's cities
Among the 552 Kansas cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, St. Marys ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares St. Marys only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#134 of 527
75th percentile in Kansas
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 552
0th percentile in Kansas
Median Home Value
#62 of 527
88th percentile in Kansas
Poverty Rate
#384 of 552
29th percentile in Kansas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#258 of 552
53rd 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
52nd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How St. Marys's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$196,300Among the most affordablemore affordable than 58% 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
St. Marys's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.7×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#5,238 of 15,516
More affordable than 66% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#4,572 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.7×, St. Marys sits in the affordable band:
national rank #5,238 of 15,516 and #4,572 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
$71,723St. Marys, KS median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context St. Marys, 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 St. Marys, KS.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)21.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)3.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)63.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
2,795
Median Income
$71,723
Median Home Value
$196,300
Median Age
25.8
Poverty Rate
3.8%
Labor force participation
63.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
21.0%
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
St. Marys's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
2,758 residents
2021
2,770 residents
2022
2,780 residents
2023
2,767 residents
2024
2,780 residents
2025
2,790 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
3
housing units authorized
Single-Family
3
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
3
3
0
$0.5M
2020
3
3
0
$0.5M
2021
5
3
2
$1.0M
2022
5
3
2
$1.0M
2023
1
1
0
$0.3M
2024
3
3
0
$0.9M
Permit volume increased 0% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
70.9%
Carpool
14.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
8.7%
Work from Home
5.1%
Other
1.0%
Based on 1,265 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 St. Marys. 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 St. Marys 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 St. Marys sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How St. Marys 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, 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.