Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Abilene gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $182K, 2.7 years of the county’s $68K median household income. It grades B overall, 61st among Kansas's 150 graded towns. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 83% of U.S. towns. 37% of working residents work locally in Abilene, against 15% in Kansas’ towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Parker Carousel and Berger House. Abilene's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Where Abilene beats most towns.
Parker Carousel
Parker Carousel is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 2,360 in 1880, 6,460 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 1867 and 6 maps from 1889 on.
29 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Abilene is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Abilene, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Abilene.
Abilene fares better on crime within Kansas than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years.
1.2 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Eisenhower Park, at 60 acres.
| Abilene | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3% | 2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum | 0.8 mi | 22 |
| 2. Eisenhower Park | — | 60 |
| 3. North Diamond Complex | — | 28 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Abilene school district. Three of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Abilene High School, with 443 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 319 | B− |
| Abilene High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 443 | C |
| McKinley ElemTop results in townGrades 2–3 | Grades 2–3 | 196 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
58.2% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 43.5% across Kansas.
The typical Abilene home is worth about $182,000, up 3.3% in a year, 26% below the Kansas typical home.
| Abilene | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,022 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 72% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Abilene has chilly winters and hot summers. Abilene’s July high is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 3,514 in 2013 to 2,674.
About one in 3 of Abilene’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Abilene fell to 2,674 in 2023, 840 fewer than in 2013. The median household income in Abilene is $58,000.
| Abilene | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.8% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 22.8 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 53% of Kansas’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 125 to 66 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 8,315 U.S. towns with household incomes like Abilene’s, it is healthier than 84%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Abilene beats the Kansas average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 32% of Abilene adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Abilene | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 23% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Abilene | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.3% | 13% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.5% | 8.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.3% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Abilene.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Abilene; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Abilene residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
29 places in Abilene on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Abilene.
City in Dickinson County, Kansas
Abilene (pronounced ) is a city and county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,460. It is home of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and the Greyhound Hall of Fame.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Abilene.
| Town | KS rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene | #61 | B | B+ | C+ | B | B |
| Grant Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lincoln Township | — | — | A | — | B− | B− |
Lincoln Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Lincoln Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Grant Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Abilene with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Abilene grades B overall, better than 63% of U.S. towns and #61 of 150 in Kansas. It grades B for health, C+ for safety and B for schools.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
12 notable people were born here, including Harry Beaumont and Earl D. Eisenhower.
