Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety76#225/924
Economy47#492/925
Housing70#276/925
Health48#484/925
Healthcare48#476/923
Environment56#407/917
Education52#446/925
Infrastructure53#439/925
Community83#155/925
Leisure & amenities37#583/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Atchison, KS micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Child care cost burden · low16.9%
99/100Kansas 18.9%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Job growth · high3.1%
96/100Kansas 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Distance to an emergency room · low3.6 mi
96/100Kansas 5.2 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
93/100Kansas 4.5 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · low2.4×
91/100Kansas 2.9×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
High school diploma or higher · high94.4%
89/100Kansas 91.9%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Weaknesses

Gyms and fitness centers · low0.0 /10k
1/100Kansas 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · low0.0%
3/100Kansas 0.4%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
New business applications · low7.5 /1k
5/100Kansas 12.6 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Flu vaccinations · low32.0%
12/100Kansas 46.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Income adjusted for local prices · low$55,218
13/100Kansas $73,118United States $73,2042024U.S. Bureau of Economic AnalysisEstimated from related areas or data (see the source notes)Aggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.31%
17/100Kansas 1.21%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedImproving
0.2 /1k (2021) → 1.2 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+377%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Gyms and fitness centersWorsening
0.6 /10k (2020) → 0.0 /10k (2025)
−100%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
67.3% (2010 & 2021) → 82.3% (2022 & 2024)
+15 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
72.9% (2015-2019) → 87.6% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Mammography screeningImproving
41.0% (2019) → 53.0% (2023)
+12 pts4 yearsUS 43.0% → 46.0%
Violent crime rateImproving
338 /100k (2020) → 166 /100k (2025)
−51%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Atchison, KS micropolitan area improved on 11 of 28 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 11 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved11

Restaurants+28%6.7 /10k → 8.7 /10k
Arts & recreation+41%3.1 /10k → 4.3 /10k
Broadband+15 points72.9% → 87.6%
Violent crime−51%338 /100k → 166 /100k
Traffic deaths−24%19.6 /100k → 14.8 /100k

Declined2

Gyms−100%0.6 /10k → 0.0 /10k
Suicides+21%16.1 /100k → 19.5 /100k

All 28 measures

Change of every measure of Atchison, KS micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.1 /10k2020	4.3 /10k2025	+41%	Improved	94%
Average commute time	19.4 min2015-2019	21.2 min2020-2024	+1.8 min	Within the margin of error	15%
Average weekly wage	$8202020	$1,0092025	+23%	Improved	48%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.0%2015-2019	21.8%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Broadband subscriptions	72.9%2015-2019	87.6%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	90%
Child poverty rate	18.9%2015-2019	12.6%2020-2024	−6.3 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Distance to an airport	31 mi2020	31 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Effective property tax rate	1.47%2015-2019	1.31%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Grocery stores	1.2 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+0.9%	Little change	55%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.6 /10k2020	0.0 /10k2025	−100%	Declined	1%
High school diploma or higher	92.7%2015-2019	94.5%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Home price to income ratio	2.2×2015-2019	2.4×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	81%
Income adjusted for local prices	$43,4432019	$55,2182024	+27%	Improved	16%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4212015-2019	0.4412020-2024	+0.021	Within the margin of error	14%
Median household income	$50,4392015-2019	$61,1122020-2024	+21%	Improved	18%
New business applications	5.9 /1k2020	7.5 /1k2025	+28%	Improved	24%
Pharmacies	1.2 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+0.9%	Little change	75%
Poverty rate	15.2%2015-2019	13.0%2020-2024	−2.2 points	Within the margin of error	77%
Property crime rate	1,529 /100k2020	814 /100k2025	−47%	Improved	81%
Public libraries	1.2 /10k2019	1.2 /10k2024	−0.2%	Little change	62%
Rent as share of income	24.4%2015-2019	28.0%2020-2024	+3.6 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Rent-burdened households	36.7%2015-2019	44.7%2020-2024	+8 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Restaurants and bars	6.7 /10k2020	8.7 /10k2025	+28%	Improved	97%
Suicide rate	16.1 /100k2020	19.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+21%	Declined	25%
Traffic deaths	19.6 /100k2015-2019	14.8 /100k2020-2024	−24%	Improved	92%
Unemployment rate	5.9%2020	4.1%2025	−1.8 points	Improved	18%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.0%2015-2019	10.6%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Violent crime rate	338 /100k2020	166 /100k2025	−51%	Improved	94%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Atchison, KS micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Atchison, KS micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Atchison, KS micropolitan area itself moved −4.4 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

16,208 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

5,735 households (±259)

Atchison, KS micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k19%1,081
$25k–50k23%1,326
$50k–75k17%982

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

5,735 households (±259)

Atchison, KS micropolitan area
United States share

Own72%4,124
Rent28%1,611

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

7,464 workers (±358)

Atchison, KS micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone74%5,523
Carpool8.7%651
Public transit0.0%0

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Atchison, KS micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Atchison, KS has 364 employer establishments, 226 for every 10,000 residents (0.91× the US rate of 248), with 5,385 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,230. The Census Bureau also counts 925 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 364; 925 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 226; US 248
Paid employees: 5,385
Average annual pay: $46,230; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Atchison, KS by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	33	20.5	1.32×More than typical	183	$64,109	69
Restaurants and other eating places	22	13.7	0.74×Fewer than typical	386	$15,855	6
Ambulatory health care services	20	12.4	0.60×Fewer than typical	227	$65,383	32
Religious organizations	17	10.6	1.90×More than typical	145	$27,538	—
Building equipment contractors	15	9.3	1.55×More than typical	61	$48,656	15
Construction of buildings	13	8.1	1.07×About typical	75	$39,587	24
Full-service restaurants	13	8.1	1.05×About typical	213	$15,695	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	12	7.5	1.70×More than typical	33	$65,212	14
Offices of other health practitioners	9	5.6	0.92×Too few to compare	29	$42,000	15
Truck transportation	9	5.6	1.11×Too few to compare	46	$68,304	28
Banks and credit unions	8	5	1.54×Too few to compare	106	$53,019	—
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors	8	5	1.50×Too few to compare	33	$51,909	8

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 16,099 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $0 on contracts performed in Atchison, KS micropolitan area: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0; −100% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

AMALGAMATED SERVICES, INC.$00.0%

Spending by fiscal year

156.1KFY2017
673.4KFY2018
1.1MFY2019
401.7KFY2020
802.2KFY2021
20.6KFY2022
6.7MFY2023
394.3KFY2024
300.6K

What was bought

Largest awards

HVAC MAINTENANCE SERVICES, IN SUPPORT OF FEMA REGIONAL 5 OFFICE. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: 07/31/2025-10/30/2025$3,510
AMALGAMATED SERVICES, INC.· Atchison County, KS· Equipment maintenance· Jul 29, 2025 – Oct 1, 2025· 70FBR525P00000017

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $103.5M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Atchison, KS micropolitan area: $6,403 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $103.5M; −1.2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,403; US $12,955
Loan face value: $4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 5.5%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$57.5M55%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$8.5M8.2%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$7.8M7.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$5.4M5.2%
10.990 · Farmer Bridge Assistance Program$3.3M3.2%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$3.1M3.0%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$2.9M2.8%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$2.8M2.7%

Top recipients (organizations)

BENEDICTINE COLLEGE$3.4M3.3%
ATCHISON, KS
KICKAPOO TRIBE IN KANSAS$2M1.9%
HORTON, KS
ATCHISON HOUSING AUTHORITY$1.4M1.4%
ATCHISON, KS
CITY OF ATCHISON$1.3M1.2%
ATCHISON, KS
ATCHISON COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC, INC.$949.8K

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$74.1M72%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$8.8M8.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$4.7M4.5%
Department of Agriculture
Department of Education$3.5M3.3%
Railroad Retirement Board$3.1M3.0%

Assistance by fiscal year

112MFY2021
89MFY2022
97.4MFY2023
99.8MFY2024
104.8MFY2025
103.5MFY2026

County aggregates

83%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Atchison, KS

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Atchison CountyCentral county6716,172

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

AtchisonPrincipal city10,785

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Kansas

Areas based in Kansas, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M11860

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved11

Declined2

Metro and micro areas like Atchison, KS micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Atchison, KS

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Kansas

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved11

Declined2

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

What was bought

Largest awards

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type