Frosty Treat, 1993
Garden Plain’s story
151 years in pictures
Census counts: 296 in 1910, 948 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1993 and 6 maps from 1889 on.
- 1875Garden Plain is settled
Garden PlainKS
A town of 1,010, settled in 1875.
Population
1,010
2025 Census estimate · +6.7% since 2020
Typical home
$322K
+4% in a year
Household income
$85K
median
Median age
27.5
years
Jobs based here
104
A commuter town
Is Garden Plain a good place to live?
The best of Garden Plain’s subject grades are an A for schools and an A− for health; the weakest is a C for walkability. Only one of the 152 Kansas towns we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Garden Plain. On the outdoors, just 7 of Kansas’ 373 towns do worse. Garden Plain has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Garden Plain stand out
Where Garden Plain beats most towns.
Small town
1,010 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Garden Plain grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Garden Plain is from typical.
SchoolsBeat 92% of Kansas districts on tests and graduationAOpen →HealthVia Christi Hospital Wichita St. Teresa 10 miles awayA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.3 of 20; 1.1% of households have no car; 0.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 41% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →Jobs & income$85K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →HistoryCOpen →Civic life7.3 library visits per resident; 4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Garden Plain: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Garden Plain, and how to reach them.
PowerEvergy14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Garden Plain water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Garden Plain’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Kansas you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSedgwick County Election CommissionerSedgwick County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2026
ZIP code6705067050 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Garden Plain.
Who lives here
More children than Kansas overall
Children under 18 are 38% of residents (24% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 30% of residents (36% statewide). The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Garden Plain at 1,010 residents, up 6.7% since 2020. The age of the median resident for Garden Plain comes to 27.5 years, below both the Kansas town median (38.1 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). 11% of Garden Plain residents are 65 or older.
27.5median age · KS 37.4
| Garden Plain | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 27.5 years | 38.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 11% | 17% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 29% | 29% |
Garden PlainKansasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school29%
Some college29%
Associate’s7%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.3 points. Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Garden Plain | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 21.6% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 16.7% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.5% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.9% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.5% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.5% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.7% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.6% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.4% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.9% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 28.6% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.1% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.2% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.7% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
HealthA−
Garden Plain is healthier than three in four U.S. towns
Among adults in Garden Plain, 12% report frequent physical distress. Against the Kansas average, Garden Plain comes out ahead on 8 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 1. Garden Plain: three quarters of adults had a checkup this year, against 77% in Kansas’ towns and 79% across U.S. towns.
77%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Garden Plain | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 77% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 13% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 26% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Kansas
8 better23 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Garden Plain | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.9% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.4% | 13% |
| More adults with depression | 23.5% | 20.8% |
Via Christi Hospital Wichita St. Teresa
10 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
About half of Garden Plain’s working residents commute to Wichita
The top destinations are Wichita (50%), Goddard (6%) and Waco Township (4%). Garden Plain had 104 jobs in 2023, up 20 from 2013. For residents locally, the share who live below the poverty line is 16%. Half of commuters travel less than 19 miles.
0%work in town
| Garden Plain | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $85,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Garden Plain0%
Wichita50%
Goddard6%
Waco Township4%
Riverside Township4%
19 mi
median commute distance
104
jobs based in Garden Plain
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 29% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade B
A home in Garden Plain is worth about $322K, on Zillow’s estimate
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 4%. Garden Plain’s typical rent comes in at $958 a month.
$322KZillow home value
| Garden Plain | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $958 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 72% | 73% |
Typical home value
Garden Plain$322K
Kansas$246K
+4%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Garden Plain
For Garden Plain, the peak summer temperature is 93°F.
7″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–46°
Spring45–68°
Summer67–91°
Fall47–70°
Oct 29
typical first frost
Apr 11
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Moderate risk in Garden Plain, with inland flooding at the top
FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in Garden Plain than in nearly three fifths of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 36% come from inland flooding and 20% from tornadoes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Garden Plain once, in 2005.
41risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 2021
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 12 attractions →Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Garden Plain. Close and well known come first.
31 mi MuseumKansas Cosmosphere and Space Center150K visitors a year7 mi Zoo & aquariumTanganyika Wildlife Park
15 mi Zoo & aquariumSedgwick County Zoo
18 mi MuseumExploration Place
22 mi MuseumKansas Aviation Museum
18 mi MuseumWichita Art MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center: Patrick Pelletier (Ppelleti (talk)), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sedgwick County Zoo: Patrick Pelletier, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Exploration Place: 04stx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kansas Aviation Museum: David G. Keith, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wichita Art Museum: FUBAR007, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Garden Plain
17pages on Garden Plain
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Garden Plain; the nearest are
Newman UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Wichita16.4 mi$35,500 tuitionWichita State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Wichita21.4 mi$9,684 in-state tuitionWichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and TechnologyCommunity college · Public · Wichita25.6 mi$7,238 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Garden Plain residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Kansas.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Garden Plain for work
Where Garden Plain’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
104jobs based in Garden Plain
0%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Garden Plain
City in Sedgwick County, Kansas
Garden Plain is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 948.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1884
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,453 ft
- ZIP code
- 67050
- Area code
- 316
Questions about Garden Plain
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Garden Plain, KS expensive?
That is 4.6 years of the area's median household income ($70,655 across the Wichita, KS metro 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.