Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Kansas a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Kansas.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Sunflower State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Kansas, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 105 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Kansas For 2025
- Jefferson County
- Pottawatomie County
- Johnson County
- Nemaha County
- Trego County
- Miami County
- Sheridan County
- Butler County
- McPherson County
- Jackson County
Jefferson County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Kansas. And you should avoid Chautauqua County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Kansas. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Kansas and the cheapest places to live in Kansas.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Kansas For 2025
1. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Valley Falls
Population: 18,391
Median Income: $77,393 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $200,800 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4% (4best)
More on Jefferson County:
2. Pottawatomie County
Biggest Place: Manhattan
Population: 25,808
Median Income: $87,694 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $223,000 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.9% (33rd best)
More on Pottawatomie County:
3. Johnson County
Biggest Place: Overland Park
Population: 614,764
Median Income: $107,261 (best)
Median Home Price: $366,000 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (57th best)
More on Johnson County:
4. Nemaha County
Biggest Place: Sabetha
Population: 10,213
Median Income: $77,375 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $196,100 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.9% (12th best)
More on Nemaha County:
5. Trego County
Biggest Place: WaKeeney
Population: 2,778
Median Income: $73,375 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $115,400 (57th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.1% (15th best)
More on Trego County:
6. Miami County
Biggest Place: Spring Hill
Population: 34,625
Median Income: $88,000 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $277,700 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (5best)
More on Miami County:
7. Sheridan County
Biggest Place: Hoxie
Population: 2,442
Median Income: $70,000 (30th best)
Median Home Price: $152,000 (30th best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.6% (7th best)
More on Sheridan County:
8. Butler County
Biggest Place: Andover
Population: 67,916
Median Income: $80,375 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $199,600 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (56th best)
More on Butler County:
9. Mcpherson County
Biggest Place: McPherson
Population: 30,130
Median Income: $77,701 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $198,400 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0% (35th best)
More on Mcpherson County:
10. Jackson County
Biggest Place: Holton
Population: 13,277
Median Income: $72,703 (19th best)
Median Home Price: $193,600 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.8% (29th best)
More on Jackson County:
Methodology: How do you determine which Kansas county is the best?
To give you the best county in Kansas, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Kansas across each of the criteria from one to 105, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Kansas.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Sunflower State.
We updated this article for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Kansas.
Read on to see why Jefferson County is the best county, while Chautauqua County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Kansas.
Summary: The Best Counties In Kansas To Call Home For 2025
Living in Kansas can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Kansas are Jefferson County, Pottawatomie County, Johnson County, Nemaha County, Trego County, Miami County, Sheridan County, Butler County, McPherson County, and Jackson County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Kansas according to the data:
- Chautauqua County
- Edwards County
- Montgomery County
For more Kansas reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Kansas
- Best Counties To Live In Kansas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Kansas
- Best Places To Buy A House In Kansas
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Kansas
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County | 18,391 | $77,393 | $200,800 |
| 2 | Pottawatomie County | 25,808 | $87,694 | $223,000 |
| 3 | Johnson County | 614,764 | $107,261 | $366,000 |
| 4 | Nemaha County | 10,213 | $77,375 | $196,100 |
| 5 | Trego County | 2,778 | $73,375 | $115,400 |
| 6 | Miami County | 34,625 | $88,000 | $277,700 |
| 7 | Sheridan County | 2,442 | $70,000 | $152,000 |
| 8 | Butler County | 67,916 | $80,375 | $199,600 |
| 9 | Mcpherson County | 30,130 | $77,701 | $198,400 |
| 10 | Jackson County | 13,277 | $72,703 | $193,600 |
| 11 | Leavenworth County | 82,493 | $86,906 | $260,600 |
| 12 | Thomas County | 7,913 | $73,575 | $165,900 |
| 13 | Ottawa County | 5,782 | $76,755 | $164,100 |
| 14 | Marshall County | 10,001 | $70,828 | $119,500 |
| 15 | Ellsworth County | 6,366 | $66,792 | $116,300 |
| 16 | Washington County | 5,519 | $62,452 | $106,100 |
| 17 | Scott County | 5,071 | $67,788 | $170,100 |
| 18 | Franklin County | 25,994 | $72,142 | $187,400 |
| 19 | Wabaunsee County | 6,961 | $70,536 | $178,200 |
| 20 | Doniphan County | 7,492 | $72,833 | $121,200 |
| 21 | Dickinson County | 18,423 | $67,982 | $148,500 |
| 22 | Hodgeman County | 1,676 | $63,125 | $92,700 |
| 23 | Clay County | 8,071 | $63,136 | $149,600 |
| 24 | Meade County | 3,949 | $74,868 | $122,000 |
| 25 | Gove County | 2,796 | $63,203 | $119,000 |
| 26 | Rooks County | 4,869 | $61,596 | $90,000 |
| 27 | Kiowa County | 2,422 | $73,214 | $152,400 |
| 28 | Kearny County | 3,910 | $74,135 | $152,500 |
| 29 | Sherman County | 5,919 | $64,444 | $126,300 |
| 30 | Rawlins County | 2,533 | $65,000 | $99,400 |
| 31 | Osage County | 15,780 | $70,216 | $142,800 |
| 32 | Douglas County | 119,547 | $68,756 | $281,600 |
| 33 | Gray County | 5,696 | $77,885 | $174,700 |
| 34 | Harvey County | 33,823 | $73,269 | $173,300 |
| 35 | Greeley County | 1,296 | $78,819 | $108,900 |
| 36 | Rice County | 9,389 | $63,947 | $105,500 |
| 37 | Osborne County | 3,473 | $59,408 | $84,700 |
| 38 | Smith County | 3,579 | $57,024 | $91,000 |
| 39 | Ellis County | 28,870 | $59,889 | $211,100 |
| 40 | Mitchell County | 5,767 | $58,233 | $109,600 |
| 41 | Marion County | 11,795 | $63,438 | $114,400 |
| 42 | Clark County | 1,987 | $65,515 | $78,400 |
| 43 | Wallace County | 1,459 | $60,263 | $94,200 |
| 44 | Shawnee County | 178,315 | $66,043 | $170,400 |
| 45 | Grant County | 7,284 | $72,484 | $146,200 |
| 46 | Riley County | 71,710 | $59,560 | $231,200 |
| 47 | Logan County | 2,720 | $71,389 | $116,600 |
| 48 | Morris County | 5,388 | $56,716 | $120,900 |
| 49 | Norton County | 5,392 | $50,305 | $106,300 |
| 50 | Chase County | 2,579 | $54,518 | $106,200 |
| 51 | Lane County | 1,497 | $53,042 | $119,000 |
| 52 | Linn County | 9,723 | $59,200 | $164,500 |
| 53 | Pratt County | 9,120 | $64,348 | $114,500 |
| 54 | Lincoln County | 2,924 | $53,546 | $92,600 |
| 55 | Hamilton County | 2,485 | $61,929 | $119,700 |
| 56 | Jewell County | 2,909 | $52,344 | $62,100 |
| 57 | Stafford County | 4,004 | $63,786 | $96,700 |
| 58 | Republic County | 4,662 | $53,611 | $76,000 |
| 59 | Atchison County | 16,211 | $62,164 | $147,900 |
| 60 | Saline County | 53,801 | $63,316 | $171,900 |
| 61 | Ness County | 2,659 | $66,107 | $85,400 |
| 62 | Wichita County | 2,115 | $71,282 | $98,700 |
| 63 | Bourbon County | 14,384 | $67,555 | $107,600 |
| 64 | Sumner County | 22,386 | $60,348 | $118,700 |
| 65 | Graham County | 2,406 | $52,909 | $88,800 |
| 66 | Phillips County | 4,874 | $61,235 | $94,700 |
| 67 | Anderson County | 7,819 | $64,925 | $147,900 |
| 68 | Pawnee County | 6,220 | $63,625 | $102,400 |
| 69 | Geary County | 35,895 | $57,344 | $165,000 |
| 70 | Kingman County | 7,284 | $59,819 | $107,400 |
| 71 | Cloud County | 8,973 | $57,333 | $96,300 |
| 72 | Reno County | 61,693 | $60,498 | $125,000 |
| 73 | Coffey County | 8,304 | $67,377 | $139,500 |
| 74 | Barber County | 4,153 | $57,615 | $92,700 |
| 75 | Comanche County | 1,685 | $49,417 | $59,900 |
| 76 | Russell County | 6,717 | $53,902 | $106,400 |
| 77 | Finney County | 38,001 | $72,437 | $191,100 |
| 78 | Sedgwick County | 524,810 | $67,675 | $190,700 |
| 79 | Decatur County | 2,746 | $52,030 | $78,500 |
| 80 | Rush County | 2,957 | $60,288 | $79,300 |
| 81 | Haskell County | 3,695 | $69,138 | $154,800 |
| 82 | Woodson County | 3,118 | $48,152 | $77,100 |
| 83 | Wilson County | 8,559 | $57,056 | $93,900 |
| 84 | Lyon County | 32,145 | $59,078 | $142,200 |
| 85 | Brown County | 9,415 | $58,886 | $111,100 |
| 86 | Cowley County | 34,487 | $58,263 | $111,600 |
| 87 | Greenwood County | 5,956 | $58,276 | $82,600 |
| 88 | Crawford County | 38,963 | $50,311 | $122,400 |
| 89 | Ford County | 34,133 | $70,495 | $132,700 |
| 90 | Stanton County | 2,018 | $70,361 | $64,200 |
| 91 | Allen County | 12,491 | $57,618 | $100,400 |
| 92 | Morton County | 2,647 | $65,625 | $95,600 |
| 93 | Cherokee County | 19,236 | $58,274 | $99,400 |
| 94 | Barton County | 25,275 | $56,733 | $117,200 |
| 95 | Cheyenne County | 2,628 | $55,765 | $119,300 |
| 96 | Seward County | 21,640 | $62,269 | $134,000 |
| 97 | Elk County | 2,464 | $56,087 | $60,900 |
| 98 | Labette County | 19,949 | $55,439 | $92,100 |
| 99 | Harper County | 5,446 | $55,417 | $77,300 |
| 100 | Stevens County | 5,212 | $61,909 | $124,500 |