Are you looking for love in Kansas?
Or are you just hoping to hook up with a hot Kansan?
Either way, we’ve got you covered here.
If you live in Kansas, there’s a pretty good chance there are a lot of singles in your area. The Sunflower State has plenty of people over 18 who aren’t married or in a serious relationship.
That’s great news for people who are single and looking to mingle.
So, where are the best cities for singles in Kansas? We used Saturday Night Science to find out.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
So, what was the best city for singles in Kansas? Lawrence ranks as the best place for singles in Kansas if you care about things singles care about, like nightlife, affordable housing, and other singles.
Read below to see how we crunched the numbers and how each city ranked. If you live in or are close to one of these cities and are single, you should probably get out more often.
Just saying.
For more Kansas reading, check out:
The 10 Best Cities For Singles In Kansas For 2026
/10
Population: 96,051
Median Age: 29.3
Married households: 16.0%
Households with kids: 20.6%
More on Lawrence: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Lawrence Kansas is one of my favorite places. Lawrence is located a quick drive west of Kansas City, MO and KS. Lawrence is the home to the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University. Lawrence is known for having a great night life with a great music and art scene. Some of my favorite memories as a young adult is from my college years at Lawrence, sitting on the hill to watch football games, enjoying beverages and delicious food on Mass Street and meeting lots of varied people.
Like most college towns, Lawrence always has something going on at a reasonable price. Between the two universities in town, there is always a play, a music event, a sports event and other activities. Also being minutes from Kansas City via I 70, you will never be bored in Lawrence.
/10
Population: 54,239
Median Age: 25.7
Married households: 13.0%
Households with kids: 21.6%
More on Manhattan: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 397,945
Median Age: 35.7
Married households: 23.0%
Households with kids: 28.9%
More on Wichita: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
I like Wichita because it’s got the small town feel with most of the city amenities and culture.
The cost of living is very affordable. A family can easily afford a house from the income they make from the aircraft industry.
The bad side is that it could be a bit boring.
On the bright side, Vietnamese food is really good here.
/10
Population: 21,143
Median Age: 30.2
Married households: 30.0%
Households with kids: 27.0%
More on Hays: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 11,085
Median Age: 39.3
Married households: 18.0%
Households with kids: 19.4%
More on Merriam: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 24,131
Median Age: 30.2
Married households: 20.0%
Households with kids: 25.7%
More on Emporia: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
lived in Emporia all of 2002-2003. Extremely safe. Huge and friendly police presence. I often walked all night in the summers and never felt even uneasy. Read a paper there sometime and you’ll see how little and minor crime is there. It’s a nice university town. What about all those poor falling apart towns in western Kansas.
/10
Population: 200,306
Median Age: 38.6
Married households: 13.0%
Households with kids: 28.7%
More on Overland Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 20,637
Median Age: 25.7
Married households: 16.0%
Households with kids: 32.3%
More on Pittsburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 58,384
Median Age: 37.2
Married households: 19.0%
Households with kids: 28.3%
More on Lenexa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 26,062
Median Age: 35.9
Married households: 30.0%
Households with kids: 30.7%
More on Derby: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How do you determine which city is best for singles in Kansas anyways?
To give you the places in Kansas which are best for singles to find one another, we used Saturday Night Science to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city and make some assumptions about what single people like.
So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.
We threw a lot of criteria at this one to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the 2020-2024 American Community Survey Census data produced for the state of Kansas, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Population density
- % of population that’s male vs. female (closer to a 50-50 ratio is better)
- % of households with kids
- Median age
- Number of unmarried people in each city
We then gave each city a “Singles Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for singles to find one another. We also limited our results to cities with over 10,000 people. For Kansas, that meant a total of 29 cities.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the best cities for singles in Kansas.
Read on to see why Lawrence is the talk of the town while Lansing is probably a bit on the bland side.
Summary: The Best Cities for Singles in Kansas for 2026
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Kansas ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for finding a single person (and potentially love), this is an accurate list.
The best cities for singles in Kansas are Lawrence, Manhattan, Wichita, Hays, Merriam, Emporia, Overland Park, Pittsburg, Lenexa, and Derby.
Here’s a look at the most boring cities in Kansas according to the data:
- Lansing
- Winfield
- Great Bend
For more Kansas reading, check out:
Best Cities For Singles In Kansas
| Rank | City | Population | Median Age | % Married Households | % Households /w Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lawrence, KS | 96,051 | 29.3 | 16.0% | 20.6% |
| 2 | Manhattan, KS | 54,239 | 25.7 | 13.0% | 21.6% |
| 3 | Wichita, KS | 397,945 | 35.7 | 23.0% | 28.9% |
| 4 | Hays, KS | 21,143 | 30.2 | 30.0% | 27.0% |
| 5 | Merriam, KS | 11,085 | 39.3 | 18.0% | 19.4% |
| 6 | Emporia, KS | 24,131 | 30.2 | 20.0% | 25.7% |
| 7 | Overland Park, KS | 200,306 | 38.6 | 13.0% | 28.7% |
| 8 | Pittsburg, KS | 20,637 | 25.7 | 16.0% | 32.3% |
| 9 | Lenexa, KS | 58,384 | 37.2 | 19.0% | 28.3% |
| 10 | Derby, KS | 26,062 | 35.9 | 30.0% | 30.7% |
| 11 | Gardner, KS | 24,526 | 30.7 | 22.0% | 46.2% |
| 12 | Olathe, KS | 145,057 | 37.2 | 19.0% | 38.2% |
| 13 | Salina, KS | 46,307 | 39.3 | 30.0% | 26.6% |
| 14 | Topeka, KS | 125,786 | 38.0 | 23.0% | 26.0% |
| 15 | Liberal, KS | 19,316 | 30.6 | 10.0% | 39.9% |
| 16 | Haysville, KS | 11,117 | 33.7 | 33.0% | 33.3% |
| 17 | Mcpherson, KS | 13,995 | 35.4 | 31.0% | 29.6% |
| 18 | Hutchinson, KS | 39,709 | 39.4 | 27.0% | 27.7% |
| 19 | Leawood, KS | 33,809 | 48.4 | 13.0% | 31.8% |
| 20 | Leavenworth, KS | 37,195 | 35.9 | 14.0% | 29.8% |
| 21 | Shawnee, KS | 68,542 | 39.0 | 22.0% | 32.4% |
| 22 | Ottawa, KS | 12,678 | 36.9 | 28.0% | 33.3% |
| 23 | Andover, KS | 15,965 | 35.9 | 28.0% | 49.4% |
| 24 | Atchison, KS | 10,785 | 29.1 | 23.0% | 34.0% |
| 25 | Newton, KS | 18,397 | 39.9 | 31.0% | 27.4% |
| 26 | El Dorado, KS | 12,769 | 36.2 | 32.0% | 31.5% |
| 27 | Great Bend, KS | 14,479 | 36.5 | 34.0% | 29.2% |
| 28 | Winfield, KS | 11,711 | 38.9 | 25.0% | 31.9% |
| 29 | Lansing, KS | 11,246 | 37.8 | 17.0% | 40.8% |