Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
76% more nonprofits per person than the typical Kansas town.
The best of Erie’s subject grades is an A for civic life; the weakest is a D− for incomes. Only 2 of Kansas’ 373 towns score lower on incomes. Erie's public schools trail 73% of Kansas towns on state tests and graduation. No town among the 150 in Kansas we compare has a lower median rent than Erie. Erie has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them State Steet Bridge and First Christian Church. Erie has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Erie beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Erie is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 418 in 1870, a low of 270 in 1880, 1,047 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1887 and 2 maps from 1948 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Erie, 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 Erie.
The typical Erie home is worth about $137,000, up 5.7% in a year, 44% below the Kansas typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Erie for work: only 7% work in town. 20% of Erie residents live below the poverty line, against 9.1% in Kansas’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Since 2013, Erie has lost 81 jobs, to 236 in 2023.
| Erie | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.2% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 1985, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Erie.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Adults 35 to 64 are 28% of residents (36% statewide); people 65 and older are 24% of residents (17% statewide). 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Kansas.
| Erie | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 29% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 23% | 24% | 22% |
| Median age | 39 years | 38.1 years | 40.5 years |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.6 points. Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Erie | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.3% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.3% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 19.7% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.5% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.3% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.1% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.8% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.6% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.5% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.6% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.1% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.5% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.6% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
Erie has chilly winters and warm summers. At 90°F, Erie’s July high is close to Kansas’ towns (91°F) and above U.S. towns (85°F).
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Erie's reported crime rate is below Kansas's. Among 81 Kansas towns, just 8 have a lower violent crime rate than Erie. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Erie | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 2.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 11.6 per 1,000 residents | 11 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Erie beats the Kansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 29% of adults feel lonely in Erie.
| Erie | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Erie | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.5% | 77.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.3% | 11.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Erie
About 4 of every 100 Erie residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
Where Erie’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Neosho County, Kansas
Erie is a city in and the county seat of Neosho County, Kansas, United States, and situated in the valley of the Neosho River, approximately one mile northeast of the river. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,047.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
76% more nonprofits per person than the typical Kansas town.
Not for the area. That is 2.4 years of the area's median household income ($56,618 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.