Best Counties in Kansas — 2026 Rankings
105 of 105 counties scored across 12 dimensions
105
105 scored
49/100
composite score
71.1/100
26.4—71.1
lowest to highest
State Overview
Understanding County Scores in Kansas
Kansas Mirrors the National Livability Average
Kansas earns an average composite score of 49.5, placing it nearly perfectly in line with the national median of 50.0. The state maintains a competitive position by providing a consistent quality of life across all 105 of its counties.
High Environmental Safety and Market Affordability
The state excels in safety and value, posting a strong risk score of 70.1 and a cost score of 60.5. These figures show that Kansans benefit from lower-than-average environmental hazards and a cost of living that allows budgets to stretch further than in most states.
Tax Burdens Create a Financial Headwind
A low tax score of 13.2 stands out as the primary factor dragging down the state's overall livability average. While income and health scores hover near the middle of the pack at 49.6 and 53.6 respectively, the tax environment remains a significant challenge for residents.
Nemaha and Trego Counties Lead the State
Nemaha County ranks first with a 72.1 composite score, powered by a robust 80.6 income score. Trego and Stanton counties follow closely, utilizing exceptional affordability scores of 82.6 and 87.3 to overcome the state’s high tax pressures.
A Strong Choice for Stability and Value
Kansas is ideal for families and professionals seeking a low-risk environment where housing remains affordable. The state offers a balanced lifestyle for those who value community safety and economic predictability over low tax rates.
All County Rankings in Kansas
Search, sort, and filter all 105 ranked counties
Showing 1–25 of 105 counties
| Rank | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nemaha County | 71.1 | 39 | 66.2 | 77.5 | 89.2 | 76.8 | 83.4 | 82.6 | 46.9 | 50.7 | 78.2 | 75.1 | |
| 2 | Trego County | 68.5 | 12.9 | 80.9 | 83.4 | 74.4 | 74.5 | 83.5 | 97.3 | 86 | 40.6 | 40.5 | 52.7 | |
| 3 | Stanton County | 65.7 | 0.4 | 87.1 | 66 | 97.5 | 46.2 | 73.3 | 90.4 | 86 | 44.3 | 33.4 | 42.7 | |
| 4 | Wallace County | 65.2 | 17.3 | 81.8 | 43.6 | 97.5 | 68.8 | 44 | 98.9 | 86 | 37.2 | 39.5 | 52.9 | |
| 5 | Sheridan County | 64.2 | 11.5 | 76.6 | 70.4 | 82.8 | 61.7 | 67.9 | 93.9 | 86 | 43.6 | 44.2 | 49.6 | |
| 6 | Smith County | 63.7 | 4.2 | 84.3 | 31.3 | 78.8 | 76.5 | 85.7 | 78.8 | 7.6 | 39.4 | 52.7 | 52 | |
| 7 | Jewell County | 62.6 | 3.4 | 93.8 | 16.6 | 93.4 | 64.8 | 65.5 | 74.7 | 0.6 | 41.8 | 61.4 | 57.6 | |
| 8 | Norton County | 62.3 | 6.1 | 76.8 | 19.5 | 90.4 | 65.7 | 84 | 80.2 | 6 | 37.6 | 63.2 | 50.9 | |
| 9 | Coffey County | 61.6 | 29.4 | 56.5 | 62.6 | 74.8 | 55.3 | 84.7 | 64.7 | 86 | 55.1 | 61.8 | 72.2 | |
| 10 | Washington County | 61.6 | 15.8 | 82.8 | 49.3 | 71.2 | 69.7 | 68.9 | 84.4 | 21.5 | 40 | 67.2 | 53.5 | |
| 11 | Doniphan County | 60.8 | 30.8 | 60.9 | 71.1 | 69.9 | 62.7 | 78.2 | 86 | 9.7 | 53.3 | 69.5 | 76 | |
| 12 | Lincoln County | 60.8 | 12.3 | 79.5 | 26.9 | 97.5 | 65.7 | 51.4 | 86.5 | 1.1 | 39 | 65 | 55.8 | |
| 13 | Ness County | 60.3 | 3.1 | 83.5 | 59 | 92.5 | 32.9 | 63 | 89.5 | 86 | 38.6 | 51.9 | 55.3 | |
| 14 | Chase County | 59.7 | 16.1 | 70.2 | 24.5 | 82.2 | 66.9 | 68.2 | 90.7 | 5.7 | 49.8 | 72.8 | 71.3 | |
| 15 | Rawlins County | 59 | 9.3 | 68.6 | 56.7 | 72 | 61.8 | 66.2 | 95.2 | 86 | 36.8 | 54.3 | 43.2 | |
| 16 | Kiowa County | 58.9 | 28.3 | 72.7 | 74.2 | 74.2 | 58.5 | 36.3 | 85 | 86 | 45.3 | 45 | 58.3 | |
| 17 | Lane County | 58.9 | 17.8 | 91.3 | 20.4 | 57.3 | 53.6 | 65 | 97.7 | 86 | 39.3 | 43.8 | 53.6 | |
| 18 | Woodson County | 58.8 | 3.4 | 85.3 | 12.3 | 74.4 | 46.8 | 88.3 | 92.3 | 2.1 | 56.3 | 62.8 | 74 | |
| 19 | Comanche County | 58.3 | 1.7 | 78.8 | 20.4 | 81.6 | 63 | 69 | 79.8 | 14.3 | 49.4 | 41.2 | 46.6 | |
| 20 | Mitchell County | 57.2 | 7 | 71.2 | 46.4 | 66.5 | 60 | 88.1 | 70.2 | 1.7 | 41.7 | 57.6 | 56 | |
| 21 | Phillips County | 57 | 4.8 | 76.7 | 40 | 85.8 | 52 | 64.8 | 59.5 | 27.1 | 36.8 | 55.1 | 51.2 | |
| 22 | Marshall County | 56.9 | 22.1 | 74.4 | 58.4 | 56.6 | 61.1 | 67.2 | 78.6 | 23.3 | 45.5 | 75.2 | 62.8 | |
| 23 | Gove County | 56.7 | 12.4 | 74.4 | 51.1 | 67.4 | 66.2 | 59 | 95.3 | 5 | 38.7 | 41.9 | 58.3 | |
| 24 | Jackson County | 56.7 | 26.5 | 46.6 | 73.6 | 57.4 | 59.9 | 81.3 | 78.5 | 86 | 46.4 | 75.5 | 76.6 | |
| 25 | Osborne County | 56.6 | 6.2 | 91.6 | 42.8 | 76.1 | 59.7 | 44.3 | 78.6 | 1.6 | 38.7 | 49.4 | 56.6 |
Nemaha County
Trego County
Stanton County
Wallace County
Sheridan County
Smith County
Jewell County
Norton County
Coffey County
Washington County
Doniphan County
Lincoln County
Ness County
Chase County
Rawlins County
Kiowa County
Lane County
Woodson County
Comanche County
Mitchell County
Phillips County
Marshall County
Gove County
Jackson County
Osborne County
Frequently Asked Questions about Counties in Kansas
Common questions about county rankings and scores in Kansas.
What is the best county in Kansas?
Nemaha County is the top-ranked county in Kansas with a CountyScore of 71.1/100. It leads the state across the available scoring dimensions, which include Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate.
How many counties are ranked in Kansas?
Kansas has 105 counties in total. Of those, 105 have been ranked with a composite score based on available data dimensions. The remaining 0 counties do not yet have enough data for a full score.
What factors determine a county's score?
Each county is scored 0–100 across up to nine baseline data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, and Weather & Climate. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever baseline dimensions have data. Currently available baseline dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate. Higher scores are always better — a score of 100 represents the best possible performance for that dimension.
What is the average county score in Kansas?
The average composite CountyScore across all ranked counties in Kansas is 49/100. The national average is 50/100, so Kansas counties score 1 points below the national average.
How does Kansas compare to other states?
Kansas's average county score of 49/100 is 1 points below the national average of 50/100. You can compare Kansas counties to counties in any other state using the county detail pages or the CountyScore compare tool.
Explore County Data by Category
Dive deeper into specific dimensions for counties in Kansas.
Best counties in other states
Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019–2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.