Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,287, settled in 1877. 2.1 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Kansas town.
Harper’s best subject grades are an A for walkability, an A− for cost of living, and an A+ for civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. On walkability, just 7 of Kansas’ 372 towns do better. On civic life, just 34 of Kansas’ 362 towns do better. Harper has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Old Runnymede Church and I.P. Campbell Building. Harper has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Harper 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 Harper is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,579 in 1890, a peak of 1,899 in 1960, 1,313 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1899 and 4 maps from 1889 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Harper, 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 Harper.
The typical Harper home is worth about $103,000, up 6.6% in a year, 58% below the Kansas typical home. Harper’s median rent is $805 a month, where Kansas’ towns sit at $975 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month. 63% of households own their home in Harper.
| Harper | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $805 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Chaparral Schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harper ElemLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 255 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
Harper beats the Kansas average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 31% of Harper adults get no exercise outside work, above both the Kansas town median (26%) and the median of U.S. towns (25%). 13% of Harper adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
| Harper | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Harper | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 13% | 9.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.5% | 11.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.5% | 6.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Harper has chilly winters and hot summers. The July high in Harper is 93°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Harper for work: only 18% work in town. Harper’s average trip to work is 14 minutes. Jobs based in Harper fell to 421 in 2023, 138 fewer than in 2013.
| Harper | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Harper City Park | 0.4 mi | 6 |
| 2. Fallis Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Harper; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Harper residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Kansas.
1,473 counted in 2010 and 1,313 in 2020; an estimated 1,287 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
3 notable people were born in Harper.
City in Harper County, Kansas
Harper is a city in Harper County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,313.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.1 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Kansas town.
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 A−.
3 notable people were born here, including Scott Wedman and Jerrod Niemann.
