Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Goodland grades C− overall, 123rd among Kansas's 150 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, its schools rank behind 91% of the state's. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $52K, and 12% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $152K, 2.5 years of the county’s $62K median household income. 53% of working residents work locally in Goodland, above both Kansas’ towns (15%) and U.S. towns (8%). Goodland's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 99% of U.S. towns. Goodland is home to Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College.
Where Goodland beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Goodland City Library| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| North Elementary | 3–6 | 254 |
| West Elementary | PK–2 | 201 |
| Goodland Jr-Sr. High School | 7–12 | 388 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Goodland is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,027 in 1890, 4,465 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1907 and 2 maps from 1966 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Goodland, 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 Goodland.
Goodland fares better on crime within Kansas than nationally, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has commutes shorter than most of Kansas.
Its public schools are run by the Goodland school district. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Goodland Jr-Sr. High School, with 388 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–6 | Grades 3–6 | 254 | B |
| Goodland Jr-Sr. High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 388 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
55% of Goodland households own their home. The typical Goodland home is worth about $152,000, up 1.2% in a year, 38% below the Kansas typical home. Goodland’s median rent is $910 a month.
| Goodland | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $910 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Goodland has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in Goodland is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 1,837 working residents takes 12 minutes, against 19.7 across Kansas.
Jobs based in Goodland fell to 1,825 in 2023, 206 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Colby (4%), Garden City (2%) and Wichita (2%). Half commute less than 1 miles.
| Goodland | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 22.3 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 57% of Kansas’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 6,547 U.S. towns with household incomes like Goodland’s, it is healthier than 79%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Goodland beats the Kansas average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 30% of adults get no exercise outside work in Goodland.
| Goodland | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 77% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 23% |
| What stands out | Goodland | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.8% | 11.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.2 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Sherman County Fairgorunds, at 47 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sherman County Fairgorunds | — | 47 |
| 2. Steever Park | — | 10 |
| 3. Chambers Park | 0.2 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Goodland
About 10 of every 100 Goodland residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
5 places in Goodland on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Goodland.
City and County seat in Sherman County, Kansas, United States
Goodland is a city in and the county seat of Sherman County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,465. It was named after Goodland, Indiana. Goodland is home to Fort Hays Tech | Northwest (formerly Northwest Kansas Technical College).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Goodland.
| Town | KS rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodland | #123 | C− | B | C+ | D | C+ |
| Voltaire Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Itasca Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Logan Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Voltaire Township, Itasca Township and Logan Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Goodland with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Goodland grades C− overall, better than 21% of U.S. towns and #123 of 150 in Kansas. It grades C+ for health, C+ for safety and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
6 notable people were born here, including Andrew Carl Bennett and Deanell Reece Tacha.
