Plains, Kansas (early 1900s), c. 1900
Plains’s story
132 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1900.
- 1894Plains is settled
PlainsKS
A town of 991, settled in 1894.
Population
991
2025 Census estimate · −4.5% since 2020
Typical home
$129K
−1.4% in a year
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
26.6
years
Jobs based here
221
A commuter town
Is Plains a good place to live?
34% of residents are under 18 in Plains, against 24% in Kansas’ towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Among 152 Kansas towns, just 5 have a lower share of residents 65 or older than Plains. Plains has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
991 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 Plains: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Plains, and how to reach them.
PowerSouthern Pioneer Electric Company16.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Plains water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Plains’ 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 hereMeade County ClerkMeade County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP code6786967869 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 Plains.
Housing
The typical home in Plains is valued at about $129K
The typical Plains home is worth about $129,000, down 1.4% in a year, 47% below the Kansas typical home. At $778 a month, Plains’ median rent is where Kansas’ towns sit at $975 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month.
$129KZillow home value
| Plains | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $778 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 72% | 73% |
Typical home value
Plains$129K
Kansas$246K
−1.4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Most of Plains’ workers commute out: the town has 0.7 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Plains for work: only 9% work in town. 19% of Plains residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Plains grew to 221 in 2023, 69 more than in 2013.
9%work in town
| Plains | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.1% | 15% | 8% |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Plains9%
Meade11%
Liberal8%
Fowler7%
Mertilla Township5%
24 mi
median commute distance
221
jobs based in Plains
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Plains faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by drought
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities.
73risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtWildfireHail
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Plains
Plains has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The July high in Plains is 93°F.
17″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–48°
Spring41–70°
Summer64–91°
Fall43–71°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 20
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Plains is
Plains beats the Kansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 17% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Plains.
| Plains | 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
1 better25 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Plains | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.9% | 8.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 17% | 9.9% |
Meade District Hospital
14.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Plains
16pages on Plains
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Plains; the nearest are
Seward County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Liberal22.9 mi$4,032 in-state tuitionOklahoma Panhandle State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Goodwell, OK74.1 mi$8,092 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Plains residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Kansas.
A commuter town
91% of working residents leave Plains for work
Where Plains’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
221jobs based in Plains
9%of working residents work in town
24 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Plains
City in Meade County, Kansas
Plains is a city in Meade County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,037. It is located along U.S. Route 54 highway. Plains is notable for the width of its main street, which is the widest in the United States at 155 feet 5 inches (47.37 m) across.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,759 ft
- ZIP code
- 67869
- Area code
- 620
Questions about Plains
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Plains, KS a good place to live?
Plains has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.