Little River, Kansas, 2014
Little River’s story
146 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2010.
- 1880Little River is settled
Little RiverKS
A town of 474, settled in 1880.
Population
474
2025 Census estimate · −1% since 2020
Typical home
$154K
+6.8% in a year
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
40.3
years
Jobs based here
191
Balanced
Is Little River a good place to live?
Little River’s typical July afternoon high is 93°F, against 91°F in Kansas’ towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. Only 10 of the 152 Kansas towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Little River. Little River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
474 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Little River: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Little River, and how to reach them.
PowerMidwest Energy12.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Little River water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Little River’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 hereRice County ClerkRice County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP code6745767457 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 Little River.
Housing
A home in Little River is worth about $154K, on Zillow’s estimate
The median rent in Little River is $708 a month. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 6.8%. Just over four in five households are owner-occupiers in the town.
$154KZillow home value
| Little River | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $708 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 82% | 72% | 73% |
Typical home value
Little River$154K
Kansas$246K
+6.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
The climate in Little River brings four seasons and hot summers
Expect chilly winters and hot summers in Little River. Summer afternoons peak near 93° in July, and January nights bottom out around 20°; snowfall runs to about 11 inches a winter.
11″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–44°
Spring42–67°
Summer66–90°
Fall45–69°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Most of Little River’s workers leave town for work
The top destinations are Lyons (13%), McPherson (9%) and Wichita (6%). Since 2013, Little River has lost 25 jobs, to 191 in 2023. In Little River, 4.4% of residents live below the poverty line, where Kansas’ towns sit at 9.1% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The average trip to work for Little River comes to 26 minutes.
9%work in town
| Little River | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.4% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.3% | 15% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Little River9%
Lyons13%
McPherson9%
Wichita6%
Pioneer Township6%
20 mi
median commute distance
191
jobs based in Little River
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Little River is
Of 32 CDC measures, Little River beats the Kansas average on 4 and trails it on 6. Little River: 31% of adults sleep under 7 hours. Among adults in the town, 38% have high blood pressure and 29% get no exercise outside work.
| Little River | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 35% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 25% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Kansas
4 better22 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Little River | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.6% | 11.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.2% | 13% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.7% | 8.1% |
Hospital District #1 of Rice County
11.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Little River: hail
27% of Little River’s expected losses from natural hazards come from hail, followed by inland flooding at 23%. Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 56% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Little River after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2009.
56risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HailInland floodingTornadoes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 249 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Community Memorial Park | — | 14 |
| 2. Little River City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Little River
18pages on Little River
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Little River; the nearest are
Sterling CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sterling16.2 mi$33,700 tuitionHutchinson Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hutchinson23.4 mi$3,540 in-state tuitionWichita State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Wichita61.2 mi$9,684 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Little River residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
Famous people from Little River
3 notable people were born in Little River.
About Little River
City in Rice County, Kansas
Little River is a city in Rice County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 472.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,608 ft
- ZIP code
- 67457
- Area code
- 620
Questions about Little River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Little River, KS a good place to live?
Little River has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Little River, KS known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Sandra Myers and C. Dean Andersson.