Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Few places in the country grade higher. Lindsborg earns an A, 5th among Kansas's 150 graded towns. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 91% of U.S. towns, it is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns, and it is more walkable than 81% of U.S. towns. Its lowest mark, a B−, is in incomes. Lindsborg has 13 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Smoky Valley Roller Mill and Swedish Pavilion. Of the 89 Kansas towns we compare, none has a lower violent crime rate than Lindsborg. Lindsborg is home to Bethany College.
Where Lindsborg beats most towns.
Census counts: 466 in 1880, 3,776 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1879 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
13 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Lindsborg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lindsborg, 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 Lindsborg.
Lindsborg pairs an A overall with homes cheaper than the Kansas norm and has less food insecurity than most of Kansas, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half.
Reported crimes rose from 8 to 16 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2023, 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
At 1.8 per 1,000 residents, Lindsborg’s property crime rate is below both the Kansas town median (14.2) and the median of U.S. towns (13.1).
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Smoky Valley school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Smoky Valley Virtual Charter School, with 402 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soderstrom ElemLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 318 | A |
| Smoky Valley HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 243 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Kansas is food insecurity: 8.3% of its 3,115 adults worry about having enough food, against 13% statewide.
31% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Lindsborg, against 35% in Kansas’ towns and 36% across U.S. towns. 10% of Lindsborg adults smoke cigarettes. Lindsborg beats the Kansas average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| Lindsborg | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 35% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Lindsborg | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.3% | 13% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.4% | 8.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
About one in 3 of Lindsborg’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Lindsborg is 16 minutes. The top destinations are Salina (22%), McPherson (11%) and Wichita (7%).
| Lindsborg | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 29% | 15% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.8% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Lindsborg has chilly winters and hot summers. Lindsborg’s July high is 93°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 2013, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lindsborg.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Lindsborg grades A overall with a typical home of about $233K, below the Kansas typical value; only 5 of the 25 Kansas towns graded A− or better can say that.
The typical Lindsborg home is worth about $233,000, up 2.2% in a year, 5% below the Kansas typical home.
| Lindsborg | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 77% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,022 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Riverside Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Lindsborg
College town 18 of every 100 Lindsborg residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
13 places in Lindsborg on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Lindsborg.
City in McPherson County, Kansas
Lindsborg is a city in McPherson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 3,776. Lindsborg is known for its large Swedish and other Nordic and Scandinavian heritages. It is home to the biennial Svensk Hyllningsfest.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Lindsborg grades A overall, better than 94% of U.S. towns and #5 of 150 in Kansas. It grades A− for health, A for safety and B for schools.
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+.
3 notable people were born here, including Del Lundgren and George Carlson.
