Most Americans have never been to small town Kansas. However, as the Kansan who live there know, small town Kansas is an awesome place to call home.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Kansas has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using Saturday Night Science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Sunflower State. Don’t freak out, we will use data to show which places have high crime, poverty, and unemployment.
After analyzing more than 139 of Kansas’s smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Kansas where you’d never want to live:
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the worst small towns in Kansas for 2024:
- Chetopa
- Oswego
- Eureka
- Cherryvale
- Peabody
- Oaklawn-Sunview
- Harper
- Anthony
- Osage City
- Caney
So what is the worst small town to call home in Kansas for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Chetopa is the worst small town to live in Kansas.
While many of these small towns have seen better days, they have wonderful communities and people. This report in no way means to knock the folks that call towns like Chetopa home. Everyone
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Kansas or the worst places to live in Kansas.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Kansas For 2024
1. Chetopa
/10
Population: 1,022
Median Home Value: $63,618
Median Income: $23,750
Unemployment Rate: 8.2%
2. Oswego
/10
Population: 1,791
Median Home Value: $65,571
Median Income: $49,833
Unemployment Rate: 10.2%
3. Eureka
/10
Population: 2,239
Median Home Value: $75,958
Median Income: $39,063
Unemployment Rate: 4.6%
4. Cherryvale
/10
Population: 2,104
Median Home Value: $83,461
Median Income: $45,208
Unemployment Rate: 5.2%
5. Peabody
/10
Population: 1,259
Median Home Value: $96,081
Median Income: $51,299
Unemployment Rate: 12.2%
6. Oaklawn-Sunview
/10
Population: 2,984
Median Home Value: $64,644
Median Income: $33,804
Unemployment Rate: 4.0%
7. Harper
/10
Population: 1,134
Median Home Value: $90,479
Median Income: $56,741
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%
8. Anthony
/10
Population: 2,290
Median Home Value: $68,124
Median Income: $51,117
Unemployment Rate: 9.3%
9. Osage City
/10
Population: 2,854
Median Home Value: $151,043
Median Income: $50,117
Unemployment Rate: 8.8%
10. Caney
/10
Population: 1,543
Median Home Value: $68,333
Median Income: $37,404
Unemployment Rate: 5.5%
Methodology: How do you decide if a small place in Kansas is lousy or not?
To rank the worst small towns to live in Kansas, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. Assuming that people like low crime, solid education, things to do, and a stable economy isn’t a stretch.
We then analyzed the criteria using Saturday Night Science, the thinking you’d use at a bar. It seems like even your crazy Uncle would agree that a town with high crime is worse than a town with low crime; all else the same.
Using FBI crime data and the Census’s 2018-2022 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower, the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there’s no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which there were many – 139 to be exact.
We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets them from the cities. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
We base all our research on facts, which is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the worst small places to live in Kansas.
There You Have It – The Worst Small Towns In Kansas
If you’re analyzing teeny places in the Sunflower State with the worst economic situations, where there’s high crime and there’s not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The worst small towns in Kansas are Chetopa, Oswego, Eureka, Cherryvale, Peabody, Oaklawn-Sunview, Harper, Anthony, Osage City, and Caney.
If you’re curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Kansas, according to science:
- Westwood (Pop. 1,829)
- Fairway (Pop. 4,162)
- Mission Hills (Pop. 3,567)
For more Kansas reading, check out:
Worst Small Towns In Kansas
| Rank | Town | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chetopa | 1,022 | 8.2% | $63,618 | $23,750 |
| 2 | Oswego | 1,791 | 10.2% | $65,571 | $49,833 |
| 3 | Eureka | 2,239 | 4.6% | $75,958 | $39,063 |
| 4 | Cherryvale | 2,104 | 5.2% | $83,461 | $45,208 |
| 5 | Peabody | 1,259 | 12.2% | $96,081 | $51,299 |
| 6 | Oaklawn-Sunview | 2,984 | 4.0% | $64,644 | $33,804 |
| 7 | Harper | 1,134 | 3.7% | $90,479 | $56,741 |
| 8 | Anthony | 2,290 | 9.3% | $68,124 | $51,117 |
| 9 | Osage City | 2,854 | 8.8% | $151,043 | $50,117 |
| 10 | Caney | 1,543 | 5.5% | $68,333 | $37,404 |
| 11 | Kinsley | 1,371 | 5.0% | $65,068 | $47,051 |
| 12 | Erie | 1,396 | 3.8% | $124,506 | $40,962 |
| 13 | Horton | 1,704 | 3.9% | $82,101 | $41,518 |
| 14 | Blue Rapids | 1,076 | 6.1% | $84,730 | $47,604 |
| 15 | Yates Center | 1,488 | 9.9% | $92,782 | $40,597 |
| 16 | Girard | 2,639 | 3.8% | $129,601 | $38,824 |
| 17 | Baxter Springs | 3,901 | 2.7% | $96,246 | $47,727 |
| 18 | Humboldt | 1,941 | 19.1% | $101,139 | $43,144 |
| 19 | Galena | 2,764 | 0.0% | $95,399 | $36,467 |
| 20 | Kingman | 3,051 | 8.9% | $121,984 | $55,532 |
| 21 | Burlington | 2,617 | 5.9% | $118,505 | $47,388 |
| 22 | La Cygne | 1,427 | 6.2% | $139,642 | $56,907 |
| 23 | Elwood | 1,109 | 0.6% | $81,611 | $57,063 |
| 24 | Pleasanton | 1,724 | 6.6% | $143,390 | $53,958 |
| 25 | South Hutchinson | 2,820 | 4.2% | $130,107 | $41,936 |
| 26 | Elkhart | 1,542 | 5.0% | $89,299 | $56,895 |
| 27 | St. John | 1,238 | 3.2% | $69,387 | $60,083 |
| 28 | Russell | 4,238 | 3.2% | $96,581 | $44,942 |
| 29 | Garnett | 3,219 | 5.8% | $123,634 | $39,000 |
| 30 | Hill City | 1,593 | 8.0% | $83,056 | $43,750 |
| 31 | Grandview Plaza | 1,791 | 6.5% | $0 | $45,179 |
| 32 | Syracuse | 1,511 | 0.0% | $106,883 | $52,143 |
| 33 | Johnson City | 1,318 | 3.4% | $76,866 | $65,308 |
| 34 | Goodland | 3,813 | 3.4% | $138,475 | $54,228 |
| 35 | Caldwell | 1,007 | 10.4% | $77,111 | $47,188 |
| 36 | Arma | 1,281 | 5.0% | $100,056 | $38,947 |
| 37 | Oberlin | 1,629 | 5.5% | $84,883 | $40,735 |
| 38 | Osborne | 1,512 | 2.1% | $73,111 | $46,422 |
| 39 | Lakin | 2,066 | 4.7% | $178,532 | $58,846 |
| 40 | Holton | 3,386 | 2.8% | $190,142 | $47,188 |
| 41 | Lyons | 3,596 | 6.6% | $93,039 | $60,938 |
| 42 | St. Francis | 1,230 | 1.5% | $119,641 | $37,143 |
| 43 | Beloit | 3,083 | 1.3% | $123,232 | $59,909 |
| 44 | Osawatomie | 4,256 | 4.5% | $171,133 | $62,598 |
| 45 | Americus | 1,028 | 2.3% | $155,994 | $78,417 |
| 46 | Phillipsburg | 2,204 | 3.2% | $85,940 | $58,112 |
| 47 | Hiawatha | 3,246 | 4.5% | $114,090 | $56,050 |
| 48 | Leoti | 1,536 | 2.1% | $118,011 | $66,845 |
| 49 | Neodesha | 2,236 | 4.2% | $79,568 | $48,542 |
| 50 | Ellinwood | 2,225 | 3.4% | $106,647 | $50,208 |
| 51 | Columbus | 2,922 | 1.4% | $112,291 | $39,777 |
| 52 | Medicine Lodge | 1,377 | 2.9% | $72,806 | $53,156 |
| 53 | Marysville | 3,414 | 3.1% | $128,741 | $53,424 |
| 54 | Larned | 3,167 | 2.3% | $84,894 | $45,198 |
| 55 | Stockton | 1,567 | 2.3% | $96,815 | $56,923 |
| 56 | Council Grove | 2,452 | 3.7% | $162,149 | $52,326 |
| 57 | Fredonia | 2,121 | 0.4% | $76,673 | $54,375 |
| 58 | Plains | 1,266 | 1.8% | $116,597 | $72,222 |
| 59 | Lincoln Center | 1,063 | 0.8% | $70,451 | $49,875 |
| 60 | Hugoton | 4,134 | 1.7% | $137,734 | $63,896 |
| 61 | Herington | 2,074 | 0.6% | $72,592 | $63,591 |
| 62 | Smith Center | 1,539 | 2.6% | $82,553 | $49,444 |
| 63 | Pomona | 1,164 | 5.0% | $242,057 | $60,476 |
| 64 | Belleville | 2,096 | 1.2% | $81,447 | $49,777 |
| 65 | Hoisington | 2,675 | 4.2% | $78,201 | $48,110 |
| 66 | Highland | 1,106 | 4.9% | $117,078 | $65,000 |
| 67 | Belle Plaine | 1,445 | 4.1% | $165,122 | $58,750 |
| 68 | Scott City | 4,121 | 3.0% | $144,376 | $47,217 |
| 69 | Halstead | 2,243 | 0.4% | $176,882 | $54,394 |
| 70 | Sublette | 1,385 | 0.0% | $173,639 | $66,354 |
| 71 | Wakeeney | 1,801 | 2.9% | $112,827 | $64,890 |
| 72 | Norton | 2,729 | 0.0% | $92,858 | $52,822 |
| 73 | La Crosse | 1,162 | 0.3% | $74,440 | $48,136 |
| 74 | Altamont | 1,105 | 0.5% | $121,824 | $58,542 |
| 75 | Frontenac | 3,384 | 1.6% | $145,923 | $54,905 |
| 76 | Edwardsville | 4,744 | 1.3% | $273,937 | $78,526 |
| 77 | Oakley | 2,063 | 0.3% | $129,864 | $65,568 |
| 78 | Sabetha | 2,349 | 0.0% | $156,779 | $63,000 |
| 79 | Minneapolis | 2,065 | 4.5% | $132,175 | $68,333 |
| 80 | Mcconnell Afb | 2,032 | 6.1% | $0 | $70,625 |
| 81 | Rossville | 1,083 | 6.3% | $208,623 | $52,500 |
| 82 | Oskaloosa | 1,138 | 8.2% | $278,082 | $76,250 |
| 83 | Ogden | 1,529 | 10.7% | $132,661 | $57,392 |
| 84 | Mclouth | 1,023 | 1.6% | $314,484 | $58,304 |
| 85 | Cheney | 2,380 | 2.5% | $244,838 | $70,598 |
| 86 | Ellis | 2,117 | 3.5% | $146,760 | $65,682 |
| 87 | Clay Center | 4,154 | 1.5% | $129,104 | $53,208 |
| 88 | Moundridge | 1,854 | 2.2% | $212,674 | $59,048 |
| 89 | Douglass | 1,587 | 4.2% | $223,733 | $66,667 |
| 90 | Valley Falls | 1,192 | 2.8% | $223,391 | $43,611 |
| 91 | Clearwater | 2,544 | 2.9% | $253,435 | $78,472 |
| 92 | Auburn | 1,210 | 3.9% | $264,262 | $62,391 |
| 93 | Carbondale | 1,396 | 1.7% | $177,936 | $65,764 |
| 94 | Ness City | 1,243 | 0.4% | $90,066 | $77,917 |
| 95 | Atwood | 1,238 | 0.3% | $111,201 | $65,714 |
| 96 | Ellsworth | 3,081 | 2.0% | $127,533 | $61,524 |
| 97 | Hillsboro | 2,744 | 2.4% | $138,074 | $55,000 |
| 98 | Marion | 1,837 | 0.0% | $129,257 | $55,542 |
| 99 | Washington | 1,017 | 1.7% | $107,619 | $53,250 |
| 100 | Solomon | 1,079 | 2.6% | $169,478 | $72,750 |
This person (Roadsnacks) like most people, think everything they see on the internet is true. Well Mr. Roadsnacks next time you should take a road trip in your car NOT on your computer and see what these small towns are about. Severy is located 60 miles east of Wichita on 400 not 30 miles. One of the most beautiful drives you will every take. You would know that if you drove it in your car as I did for the last 20 years going back and forth to work at Beech Aircraft Co. Severy has one of the largest Food Pantrys in the region serving both Elk & Greenwood County at the Nazarene Church. There is a free community dinner every Thursday night at the Methodist Church. It is a community of hard working farmers that puts food on your table. Here in Severy we are one big family that takes care of one another. We use what we have and make it work. Oh we may not have A QT on every corner but we have Tripco Station! It has the best cup of coffee, sub sandwiches & pizza a person could want. In Sept. we have about 2000 people show up here in Severy for our Severy Labor Day Celebration with a Family Movie Night, Fising Derby, Mud Volleyball, Singspiration, Ice Cream Social, Softball Games, Biscuits & Gravy Breakfast, Parade, Car Show, Talent Show, Lawn & Tractor Pull, Kids Activities, Entertainment, Arts and Crafts, and Food Vendors. In Oct we have one of the best Haunted Hay Rack Rides around with about 300 people attending. In Dec we have a soup and chile feed with the kids getting the night before Christmas Story read to them by Mrs Clause. Kids have there pictures taken with Santa while Mrs Clause Hands them a sack of candy followed by a drawing for gifts… For Easter the Easter Bunny hides Easter Eggs for the kids in the park. Ya thats what it is like to live in Severy!!!!!!!!!!
That’s great that you have the largest food pantries??? In otherwards not many people work or support themselves?? Not a great attribute to a towns survival
Like I said we have the Largest Food Pantry in the region that is worked, supported, and financed by the people of this small town and other small town around us. Jesus said feed my sheep. Jesus said the poor will always be with you. I don’t care if you live in a small town or the big city the poor will always be with you. Feed them!!
AMEN!!!!!
Sandy Rroberts, great response. The best things about small towns are not appreciated by computer trolls, because it includes human interaction, like you said (one big family), neighbors helping neighbors. I hope people that don’t appreciate small towns just move on down the road and don’t mess with our slow paced life style. By the way the small town I live in does have some unemployment, but by far more professional people that still work or have retired. So we are not all uneducated, lazy, slobs.
Amen. Im in the list and we are not what is wrong in the world.
I grew up in Severy, KS graduated High School there and love that small town. For the people in Severy it should be rated one of the best small towns. They have 2 quilt shops located there and are the best in the 4 state area.
Like I said we have one of the largest Food Pantries in the region. Which is supported worked and financed by people of this small town and other small towns in this area. Jesus said feed my sheep. Jesus said the poor will always be with you. I don’t care if you live in a small town or the big city the poor will always be with you feed them!
How do you decide if a place is lousy or not? Well, I’m guessing you make decisions like this by “googling” them. You might use a thesaurus as you write your opinion trying to use Google’s own “knowledge” when they obviously have no knowledge. In fact, Severy, Kansas, IS shown in Google Maps, with real streets with real street signs, but while taking pictures there Google may not have known where they were because their main goal was to get their pictures and get outta town to collect a paycheck. Did they stop for cup of coffee at Tripco? Did they speak to anyone IN Severy? Uh-huh. That’s the new way of “telling it like it is”. Oh well, you certainly do miss a lot, you are in such a hurry. Slow Down and Look Around. Why do people always want to pick on the State of Kansas, it is such a beautiful state, with skies that position themselves above Kansas like no other place. Pink and Blue skies.
Tell us now, How many cities can you count in the USA where you truly feel safe walking down a street, alone, at night? How many gangs are located in Severy?
If the authors of this article would have “googled” legendsofamerica.com they would have found several pictures of downtown Severy.
All places in Kansas that are outside the Big City are horrible. Stay away and leave us to suffer in peace. There are no loving communities, giant whitetails, fish-filled ponds and streams, stunning sunsets, wooded trails, hometown diners, safe and clean streets. None. Stay far away.
Yes
Right on
Being from Neosho Falls, I’d be hard pressed to find fault in your numbers. Wait. No. I meant it’s fairly EASY to twist stats around to formulate an idea or biased opinion on unsubstantiated claims.
Primary issues:
-Small town with many elderly.
-Property value being low is more of an issue in location. We are not a suburb. However, if you want to purchase a piece of ground in this vicinity, you better start out at $3,000/acre and continue up.
-This is a low income area as you mentioned prior in your not so subtle comment about the drive towards Iola. Out of this small community, I know 5 people who would be designated millionaires solely on their yearly income, over a dozen making $100k+ (the group I’m in), and many more making $25k+ (which is why it hovers around the $23k mark). If you knew how a dba business runs, you’d understand the point of lowering your net income. We are not 9-to-5ers here.
-Yet, we have our fair share of unemployed and, again, elderly/retired, which brings it down substantially. You’ll find that in most communities. You’ll also find that our “criminal record” substantiated primarily from a local with a severe mental health disorder (which we accept as a community and help to the best of our ability; new roof, repaired water pipes, food handouts, etc) who happens to break things. Do you know how to turn things into insurance? You report it.
We are not like other towns that want to glorify ourselves. We don’t want you to move here. We find most people come in and trash our town anyway. We have great hunting, fishing, friends, and church. Our work is here along with our happiness. We’d rather be a known as a “ghost town” not to visit.
Also, as someone with a science related degree, your use of the scientific method is horrible. Equating finances, property value, and paved roads (which runs 1/3rd the length of the town, thank you!) as town quality is horrendous. Unemployment, crime, and such is better, but again, use offsetting factors such as age of the community, crime detail (malicious or did someone just drink too much?), and community involvement. Just 2 cents, however.
what about small towns in Nebraska?
This is hillarious! Not much of Western Kansas on here. Maybe none past Great Bend? Well, I live in a shitty tiny town in the SW corner of KS. Let me tell you, this place is a stones throw from hell. Our property values are high but only because this town is filled with greedy dicks. We have more non-whites here. So we couldn’t be on the white trash list either. That’s what you get for not running away straight outta high school!
Life is funny people! It’s not a serious poll, they’re obviously not making fun to hurt your feelings. Getting all bent outta shape over a comical column is useless! I honestly wanted our town to be on one of the list!
Here’s a list for ya! Top 10 towns in Kansas with the most pompous dicks, without the slightest right to feel superior! Yep, that’ll do donkey, that’ll do!
Sandy,
Your town sucks.
Love,
Life
Guess the fool who done this don’t much know anything about Kansas. The pictures he put here don’t match the towns. That show what he knows. If he doesn’t like Kansas he can stay out of it, we don’t need fools like him here in our state anyway.
Left coasters stay away from fly over country. Leave the high quality of life to us. We don’t depend much on others to do our bidding for us. Our lives are full in ways which your techy, fast paced lives often miss and long for. ALL THE TIME GOD IS GREAT.