Downtown Lakin, KS IMG 5846, 2010
Lakin’s story
152 years in pictures
Census counts: 258 in 1890, 2,205 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1891 on.
- 1874Lakin is settled
LakinKS
A town of 2,154, settled in 1874.
Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,154
2025 Census estimate · −2.4% since 2020
Typical home
$194K
+3.7% in a year
Household income
$90K
median
Median age
33.8
years
Jobs based here
715
Balanced
Is Lakin a good place to live?
Lakin’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and civic life; its weakest is a C− for schools. On hazard risk, just 21 of Kansas’ 373 towns do better. Lakin has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Lakin stand out
Where Lakin beats most towns.
How Lakin grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Lakin is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →SchoolsBehind 76% of Kansas districts on tests and graduationC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 28% of U.S. communities; drought tops the listB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8 of 20; 2.8% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Jobs & income$90K median household income; 715 jobs based hereBOpen →HealthKearny County Hospital 0.5 miles awayC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →HistoryCOpen →Civic life4.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 94° summer afternoons, 19″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 33.8; 16% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lakin: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lakin, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of LakinEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Lakin water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Lakin’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 hereKearny County ClerkKearny County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP code6786067860 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 Lakin.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Lakin faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by drought
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities.
28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtHailInland flooding
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A
Lakin’s typical home value is about $194K
The typical Lakin home is worth about $194,000, up 3.7% in a year, 21% below the Kansas typical home. 78% of households own their home in Lakin, above both Kansas’ towns (72%) and U.S. towns (73%).
$194KZillow home value
| Lakin | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 78% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,134 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Lakin$194K
Kansas$246K
+3.7%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Lakin, a typical July afternoon runs hotter than in the typical Kansas or U.S. town
At 94°F, Lakin’s July high is above both the Kansas town median (91°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Lakin has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain.
19″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–48°
Spring39–69°
Summer62–91°
Fall40–71°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 18
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Health in Lakin trails 62% of U.S. towns
Lakin beats the Kansas average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 17% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Lakin.
38%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Lakin | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 77% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Kansas
0 better23 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Lakin | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 16.8% | 9.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 17.4% | 13% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 14.8% | 11.2% |
Kearny County Hospital
0.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
About one in four working residents works right in Lakin
About one in 4 of Lakin’s working residents works in town. 2.4% of Lakin residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Garden City (10%), Sherlock Township (6%) and Deerfield Township (6%).
27%work in town
| Lakin | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 27% | 15% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.4% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Lakin27%
Garden City10%
Sherlock Township6%
Deerfield Township6%
Lakin Township5%
13 mi
median commute distance
715
jobs based in Lakin
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 33% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lakin
16pages on Lakin
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lakin; the nearest are
Garden City Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Garden City22.4 mi$3,690 in-state tuitionOklahoma Panhandle State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Goodwell, OK95.3 mi$8,092 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Lakin residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
About Lakin
City in Kearny County, Kansas
Lakin is a city in and the county seat of Kearny County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,205. It is located along US 50/US 400.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,002 ft
- ZIP code
- 67860
- Area code
- 620
Questions about Lakin
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lakin, 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 A.