Scott City, 2006
Scott City’s story
141 years in pictures
Census counts: 229 in 1890, 4,113 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1940 on.
- 1885Scott City is settled
Scott CityKS
A town of 3,855, settled in 1885.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Population
3,855
2025 Census estimate · −6.4% since 2020
Typical home
$185K
+2.4% in a year
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
37.4
years
Jobs based here
1,321
Balanced
TownGrade
B+
#50 of 150 in KS
Is Scott City a good place to live?
Scott City gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $185K, 2.7 years of the county’s $69K median household income. It grades B+ overall, 50th of 150 graded towns in Kansas. On the plus side, 4% of its land is conserved. Scott City’s average trip to work is 10 minutes, against 20 minutes in Kansas’ towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Scott City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 90% of U.S. towns. Only 5 of the 149 Kansas towns we compare have a lower median rent than Scott City.
What makes Scott City stand out
Where Scott City beats most towns.
How Scott City grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Scott City is from typical.
Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 35% of U.S. communities; hail tops the listBOpen →SchoolsBOpen →HealthScott County Hospital 0.9 miles awayBOpen →SafetyBOpen →Jobs & income$55K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trailsA−Open →History4 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life4.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Scott City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Scott City, and how to reach them.
PowerMidwest Energy12.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Scott City 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 Scott City’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 hereScott County ClerkScott County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2021
ZIP code6787167871 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 Scott City.
Scott City fares better on crime within Kansas than nationally, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has commutes shorter than most of Kansas.
OutdoorsA−
Scott City has set aside 3.8% of its land for conservation
2.5 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The trail density in Scott City is 0.9 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Palmer Park, at 57 acres.
#23for trails in KS
| Scott City | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.8% | 2% | 4.3% |
3.8%
conserved · 65 of 1,723 acres
2.5 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Palmer Park | — | 57 |
| 2. Patton Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB
Public schools in Scott City beat 61% of Kansas districts
Its public schools are run by the Scott County school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Scott City High, with 302 students.
61%of KS districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott City MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 3–8 | Grades 3–8 | 409 | B− |
| Scott City HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 302 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A−
Scott City’s grade for cost of living is an A−
The typical Scott City home is worth about $185,000, up 2.4% in a year, 25% below the Kansas typical home.
$185KZillow home value
Typical home value
Scott City$185K
Kansas$246K
+2.4%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Scott City, expect four seasons and hot summers
Scott City has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Scott City’s July high is 93°F.
20″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–46°
Spring38–67°
Summer61–90°
Fall39–69°
Oct 15
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Scott City faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by hail
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 65% of U.S. communities.
35risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HailDroughtCold waves
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Scott City has 0.8 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
The average commute for its 1,668 working residents takes 9.5 minutes, against 19.7 across Kansas.
42% of Scott City’s working residents work right in town. 2.8% of Scott City residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Scott City has lost 309 jobs, to 1,321 in 2023.
42%work in town
| Scott City | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 42% | 15% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.8% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Scott City42%
Garden City7%
Leoti3%
Garden City Township3%
Dodge City2%
9 mi
median commute distance
1,321
jobs based in Scott City
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 34% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthB
Residents of Scott City are healthier than 61% of U.S. towns
Against the 7,378 U.S. towns with household incomes like Scott City’s, it is healthier than 91%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Scott City beats the Kansas average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 19% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Scott City.
61%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Scott City | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 31% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Kansas
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Scott City | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.3% | 11.3% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 56.8% | 64.9% |
Scott County Hospital
0.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
51st
percentile among KS towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SafetyB
Scott City reports less crime per resident than 58% of U.S. towns
At 15.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 78% of Kansas’s graded towns.
Only 5 of the 80 Kansas towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Scott City.
58%of U.S. towns report more crimeBSafety Grade
| Scott City | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 11.1 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.5 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Scott City2.8
Kansas4.8
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Scott City2.6
Kansas19.2
U.S.15.5
58th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
78th
percentile among KS towns
11
violent crimes reported in 2025
10
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Who lives here
An age mix much like Kansas’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Kansas average. Scott City has lost 6.4% of its people since 2020, down to 3,855 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Kansas.
37.4median age · KS 37.4
| Scott City | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 17% | 18% |
| Median age | 37.4 years | 38.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 23% | 24% | 22% |
Scott CityKansasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
14%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma11%
High school21%
Some college35%
Associate’s2%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.5 points. Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Scott City | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.3% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.6% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.3% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.8% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.7% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.7% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.2% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.2% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.6% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.2% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 35.3% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 2.2% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.1% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.6% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,900, single groups can be off by several points
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Scott City
20pages on Scott City
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 61% of KS districts · 3 schoolsSafetyB2.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthBBetter than KS on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$185K typical home · up 2.4% in a yearWork & commuteB−$55K median household income · 1,321 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 35% of U.S. communities · hail
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Scott City; the nearest are
Garden City Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Garden City35.2 mi$3,690 in-state tuitionFort Hays State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Hays88.5 mi$5,923 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Scott City residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Kansas.
Famous people from Scott City
4 notable people were born in Scott City.
About Scott City
City in Scott County, Kansas
Scott City is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,113.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1885
- Area
- 2.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,979 ft
- ZIP code
- 67871
- Area code
- 620
Questions about Scott City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Scott City, KS a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Scott City grades B+ overall, better than 68% of U.S. towns and #50 of 150 in Kansas. It grades B for health, B for safety and B for schools.
Is Scott City, 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−.
What is Scott City, KS known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Jeffrey Messenger and W. C. Riley.