Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Emporia is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, ranked 131st of 150 in Kansas, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is cost of living: homes are within reach, about $175K for a typical one, or 3 years of the Emporia area’s $59K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in safety: its police reported 64 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 80% of U.S. towns. 60% of working residents work locally in Emporia, above both the Kansas town median (15%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). On walkability, just 17 of Kansas’ 372 towns do better. Its National Register listings include William Allen White House and Granada Theater.
Where Emporia beats most towns.
William Allen White House is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 843 in 1860, 24,139 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1867 and 2 maps from 1957 on.
16 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Emporia is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Emporia, 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 Emporia.
Emporia is healthier than towns with similar incomes, has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more and has commutes shorter than most of Kansas.
8.3 miles of trail in 20 parks and preserves. Emporia’s trail density is 0.7 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Champions Landing, at 87 acres.
| Emporia | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.2% | 2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Campus Woods | 0.8 mi | 13 |
| 2. Peter Pan Park | 0.3 mi | 47 |
| 3. Champions Landing | — | 87 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Emporia school district. Three of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emporia Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 843 | C− |
| Emporia HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,494 | C |
| Timmerman ElementaryTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 370 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 706 to 516 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Emporia is 18.5 per 1,000 residents. Emporia reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 80% report less.
| Emporia | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 18.5 per 1,000 residents | 10.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 2.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
50% of households own their home in Emporia. The typical Emporia home is worth about $175,000, up 2.1% in a year, 29% below the Kansas typical home.
| Emporia | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 50% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $815 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 6,694 U.S. towns with household incomes like Emporia’s, it is healthier than 66%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Emporia beats the Kansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 31% of Emporia adults get no exercise outside work.
| Emporia | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 12% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 77% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Emporia | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.7% | 8.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 19.7% | 13% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Emporia has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 90°, January nights drop to 20° and about 11 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 12,200 working residents takes 12.3 minutes, against 19.7 across Kansas.
Jobs based in Emporia grew to 13,966 in 2023, 1,952 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Wichita (5%), Topeka (4%) and Lawrence (2%). Half commute less than 3 miles.
| Emporia | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 6.1% | 8.8% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1990, 18 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Emporia.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Emporia. Close and well known come first.
17 mi National PreserveTallgrass Prairie National Preserve28K visitors a year
in town MuseumNational Teachers Hall of Famein town Zoo & aquariumDavid Traylor Zoo of EmporiaTallgrass Prairie National Preserve: Samstone13, CC BY-SA 4.0 · National Teachers Hall of Fame: Corkythehornetfan, CC BY-SA 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Emporia
About 13 of every 100 Emporia residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
2 colleges in town.
16 places in Emporia on the National Register of Historic Places.
28 notable people were born in Emporia.
City in Lyon County, Kansas, United States
Emporia is a city in, as well as the county seat of, Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 24,139. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of highways K-99, U.S. Route 50, Interstates 335 and 35 (Kansas Turnpike). It is home to Emporia State University and Flint Hills Technical College, and two annual sporting events: Unbound Gravel (gravel bicycle race) and Dynamic Discs Open (disc golf tournament).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Emporia.
| Town | KS rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emporia · Emporia Township | #131 | C− | B | C− | C | C |
| Pike Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fremont Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Pike Township and Fremont Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Emporia Township and Emporia are one community, graded once. Compare Emporia with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Emporia grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #131 of 150 in Kansas. It grades C for health, C− for safety and C for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
28 notable people were born here, including R. Lee Ermey and Arthur Samuel.
