Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hutchinson grades D overall, ranked 145th of 150 in Kansas, mostly because of safety. Its police reported 238 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 84% of U.S. towns. It also has a long history, with 18 places on the National Register. 53% of working residents work locally in Hutchinson, where Kansas’ towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 8%. Its National Register listings include Terminal Station and Fox Theater. On hazard risk, just 33 of Kansas’ 373 towns do worse.
Where Hutchinson beats most towns.
Terminal Station| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Hutchinson Community College | 3,749 |
Richard Thorpe
Census counts: 1,540 in 1880, 40,006 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1906 and 4 maps from 1891 on.
18 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Hutchinson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hutchinson, 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 Hutchinson.
The violent crime rate in Hutchinson is 6 per 1,000 residents. Hutchinson reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 84% report less. The property crime rate in Hutchinson is 20.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Hutchinson | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6 per 1,000 residents | 2.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 20.5 per 1,000 residents | 10.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Hutchinson Public Schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Hills MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 532 | C+ |
| Hutchinson High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,214 | D |
| Union Valley ElemTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 435 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
11 miles of trail in 25 parks and preserves. Carey Park, at 243 acres with 1.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Hutchinson | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.6% | 2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rivers Banks Orchard Park | 1.4 mi | 57 |
| 2. Dillon Nature Center | 1.2 mi | 26 |
| 3. Carey Park | 1.1 mi | 243 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical Hutchinson home is worth about $151,000, up 6.1% in a year, 39% below the Kansas typical home. 63% of Hutchinson households own their home.
| Hutchinson | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $881 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 8,562 U.S. towns with household incomes like Hutchinson’s, it is less healthy than 54%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
45% of adults have obesity in Hutchinson. Hutchinson beats the Kansas average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 13% of adults have diabetes in Hutchinson.
| Hutchinson | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 37% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 33% |
| What stands out | Hutchinson | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing food insecurity | 16.6% | 13% |
| More smokers | 17.7% | 14% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 10.3% | 8.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hutchinson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Hutchinson has chilly winters and hot summers. Hutchinson’s July high is 93°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based in Hutchinson fell to 19,137 in 2023, 1,150 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Wichita (9%), South Hutchinson (6%) and McPherson (2%). Half commute less than 3 miles.
| Hutchinson | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 4.8% | 8.8% | 11% |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1 within 15 miles of the center of Hutchinson
About 6 of every 100 Hutchinson residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Kansas.
18 places in Hutchinson on the National Register of Historic Places.
34 notable people were born in Hutchinson.
City in Reno County, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, and located along the Arkansas River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 40,006. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City". Each year, Hutchinson hosts the Kansas State Fair, and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Men's Basketball Tournament. It is the home of the Hutchinson Community College, the Cosmosphere aerospace museum, and Strataca underground salt museum.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Hutchinson.
| Town | KS rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hutchinson | #145 | D | B | C− | C | C |
| Clay Township | — | — | B− | — | B+ | C |
| Reno Township | #104 | C | B | — | C+ | C− |
| Lincoln Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Yoder Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Clay Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Clay Township and Reno Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Lincoln Township and Yoder Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Hutchinson with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hutchinson grades D overall, better than 9% of U.S. towns and #145 of 150 in Kansas. It grades C for health, C− for safety and C for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
34 notable people were born here, including Richard Thorpe and Dallas Bixler.
