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Hesston’s story
140 years in pictures
Census counts: 526 in 1930, 3,505 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 5 maps from 1889 on.
- 1886Hesston is settled
Photo: JonHarder · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
3,458
2025 Census estimate · −1% since 2020
Typical home
$245K
+3.8% in a year
Household income
$75K
median
Median age
49.1
years
Jobs based here
2,956
A job hub
TownGrade
A
#4 of 150 in KS
Is Hesston a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Hesston earns an A, ranked 4th of 150 in Kansas. Its public schools beat 91% of Kansas towns on state tests and graduation, CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 78% of the country, and 3% of its land is conserved. Its lowest mark, a B, is in incomes. Hesston’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, above both the Kansas town median (0.3) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Of the 80 Kansas towns we compare, none has a lower violent crime rate than Hesston. Hesston is home to Hesston College.
What makes Hesston stand out
Where Hesston beats most towns.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here2,956
Residents who work1,570
Work
1.9 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 92% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Library visits per resident
Hesston12.4
Typical U.S. town3.4
Typical KS town5
Civic lifeA
2.5 times the library visits per person
than the typical Kansas town
IMLS Public Libraries Survey.
A job hub
Every workday, about 2,629 people come to Hesston for work
Where Hesston’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,956jobs based in Hesston
21%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Hesston grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Hesston is from typical.
SchoolsAOpen →HealthMercy Hospital 6.6 miles awayA−Open →SafetyB+Open →Cost of livingB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.2 of 20; 1.9% of households have no car; 5.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Jobs & income$75K median household incomeBOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors5 miles of trailsA−Open →History3 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life12.4 library visits per resident; 4.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 49.1; 46% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Hesston: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hesston, and how to reach them.
PowerEvergy14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Hesston water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWednesdayTown’s haulerTown site
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 hereHarvey County ClerkHarvey County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP code6706267062 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 Hesston.
Hesston fares better on crime within Kansas than nationally and draws workers from Newton and beyond.
OutdoorsA−
Conserved land covers 2.6% of Hesston
4.7 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Interstate Park, at 28 acres.
#10for trails in KS
2.6%
conserved · 58 of 2,275 acres
4.7 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Interstate Park | — | 28 |
| 2. King Park | — | 14 |
| 3. Heritage Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
About one in five working residents works right in Hesston
2,956 jobs are based in Hesston, 1.9 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 5 of Hesston’s working residents works in town. At 18 minutes, Hesston’s average trip to work is below both Kansas’ towns (20 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Jobs based in Hesston fell to 2,956 in 2023, 720 fewer than in 2013.
21%work in town
| Hesston | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 15% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.7% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Hesston21%
Wichita18%
Newton17%
North Newton5%
Moundridge5%
10 mi
median commute distance
2,956
jobs based in Hesston
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 63% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthA−
Hesston’s grade for health is an A−
14% of adults report frequent mental distress in Hesston. Hesston beats the Kansas average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 29% of adults feel lonely in Hesston.
78%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Hesston | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Kansas
12 better19 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Hesston | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.5% | 13% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.5% | 11.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11% | 8.1% |
Mercy Hospital
6.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
76th
percentile among KS towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SafetyB+
Less crime per resident in Hesston than in 67% of U.S. towns
At 12.3 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 89% of Kansas’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 87 to 12 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Hesston is 3.5 per 1,000 residents.
67%of U.S. towns report more crimeB+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Hesston0
Kansas4.8
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Hesston3.5
Kansas19.2
U.S.15.5
67th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
89th
percentile among KS towns
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
12
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
In Hesston, expect four seasons and hot summers
Hesston has chilly winters and hot summers. Hesston’s July high is 92°F.
12″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–45°
Spring43–67°
Summer66–90°
Fall46–69°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 14
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Hesston
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hesston.
54risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
3
paid flood claims since 1993
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade B+
Hesston’s typical home value is about $245K
The typical Hesston home is worth about $245,000, up 3.8% in a year, close to the Kansas typical home. 56% of Hesston households own their home.
$245KZillow home value
| Hesston | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $729 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Hesston$245K
Kansas$246K
+3.8%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hesston
20pages on Hesston
The big questions
SchoolsABeat 91% of KS districtsSafetyB+0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthA−Better than KS on 12 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$245K typical home · up 3.8% in a yearWork & commuteB$75K median household income · 2,956 jobs hereNatural hazardsC+FEMA risk higher than 54% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Hesston
Hesston CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · HesstonIn town$32,936 tuitionBethel College-North NewtonUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · North Newton6.4 mi$35,014 tuition
About 6 of every 100 Hesston residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Kansas.
Get outside
5 miles of trails in Hesston
2.6% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Famous people from Hesston
3 notable people were born in Hesston.
About Hesston
City in Harvey County, Kansas
Hesston is a city in Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,505. Large manufacturing facilities for AGCO (farm equipment) and Stanley Black & Decker (lawn mowers) are located in Hesston. It is home of Hesston College.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1886
- Area
- 3.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,480 ft
- ZIP code
- 67062
- Area code
- 620
Questions about Hesston
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Hesston, KS a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Hesston grades A overall, better than 95% of U.S. towns and #4 of 150 in Kansas. It grades A− for health, B+ for safety and A for schools.
Is Hesston, KS expensive?
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 B+.
What is Hesston, KS known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Katie Sowers and Lyle Yost.