Cost of living in Fort Scott research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Fort Scott is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Kansas, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Fort Scott is 78, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Fort Scott is 0.8x lower than the national average.
Fort Scott ranks as the #2 cheapest in Kansas out of 64.
Fort Scott ranks as the #46 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Fort Scott is $123,888.
The median income in Fort Scott is $60,799.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Fort Scott has an overall cost of living index of 78, which is 0.8x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Kansas, Fort Scott has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than Kansas's index of 87.
The standard of living in Fort Scott ranks as #2 most affordable out of the 64 places we measured in Kansas. By definition, that implies Fort Scott ranks as the #62 most expensive place in the Sunflower State.
For more reading on life in Fort Scott, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Fort Scott. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Fort Scott is 88.
The Groceries index in Fort Scott is 94.
The Health index in Fort Scott is 84.
The Housing index in Fort Scott is 48.
The Transportation index in Fort Scott is 86.
The Utilities index in Fort Scott is 105.
| Living Expense | Fort Scott | Kansas | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 78 | 87 | 100 | |
| Services | 88 | 93 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 94 | 98 | 100 | |
| Health | 84 | 98 | 100 | |
| Housing | 48 | 78 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 86 | 88 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 105 | 109 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Kansas, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Fort Scott is $123,888.
The Median Rent in Fort Scott is $796.
The Median Income in Fort Scott is $60,799.
The Home Value To Income in Fort Scott is 2.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Fort Scott is 0.16x.
| Statistic | Fort Scott | Kansas | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $123,888 | $239,913 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $796 | $1,029 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $60,799 | $72,639 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 2.0x | 3.3x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.16x | 0.17x | 0.21x |
| Item | Fort Scott | Kansas |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.08 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $6.46 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $10.0 | $18 |
| Haircut | $15.67 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $37.0 | $45.56 |
| Item | Fort Scott | Kansas |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.33 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $1.36 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.53 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.87 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $12.4 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $9.69 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.8 | $3.7 |
| Item | Fort Scott | Kansas |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $83.0 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $105.0 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $90.33 | $113.29 |
| Item | Fort Scott | Kansas |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $3.12 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $50.34 | $59.92 |
| Item | Fort Scott | Kansas |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $202.28 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $201.39 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Fort Scott. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Appleton, WI has a cost of living index of 94, 1.2x Fort Scott.
Pittsburg, KS has a cost of living index of 81, 1.0x Fort Scott.
Chanute, KS has a cost of living index of 79, 1.0x Fort Scott.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Fort Scott |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton, WI | 74,873 | 94 | 1.2x |
| Pittsburg, KS | 20,606 | 81 | 1.0x |
| Chanute, KS | 8,629 | 79 | 1.0x |
| Carl Junction, MO | 8,257 | 95 | 1.2x |
| Nevada, MO | 7,998 | 79 | 1.0x |
| Iola, KS | 5,368 | 80 | 1.0x |