Scores by category

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

Safety47#492/924
Economy30#647/925
Housing72#264/925
Health49#470/925
Healthcare75#229/923
Environment55#414/917
Education53#432/925
Infrastructure60#367/925
Community73#254/925
Leisure & amenities50#466/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Average commute time · low15.2 min
98/100Kansas 19.7 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Drought exposure · low0%
96/100Kansas 28%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · low19.8%
96/100Kansas 18.9%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Public libraries · high1.7 /10k
93/100Kansas 1.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · low1,613 /100k
92/100Kansas 2,534 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.415
92/100Kansas 0.457United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083

Weaknesses

Gyms and fitness centers · low0.3 /10k
5/100Kansas 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · high28.8 /100k
7/100Kansas 18.4 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100k2024Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Job growth · low-2.8%
8/100Kansas 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Public transit commuters · low0.0%
9/100Kansas 0.4%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301High uncertainty
Average weekly wage · low$947
11/100Kansas $1,216United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Effective property tax rate · high1.36%
14/100Kansas 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.

Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
57.0% (2010 & 2021) → 73.9% (2022 & 2024)
+17 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Suicide rateWorsening
17.1 /100k (2019) → 28.8 /100k (2024)
+69%5 yearsUS 14.5 /100k → 14.6 /100k
New homes permittedWorsening
2.1 /1k (2021) → 0.8 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−63%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
New business applicationsImproving
6.5 /1k (2020) → 10.1 /1k (2025)
+54%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
49.5% (2015-2019) → 40.3% (2020-2024)
−9.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Preventable hospital staysImproving
2,794 /100k (2019) → 1,613 /100k (2023)
−42%4 yearsUS 3,767 /100k → 2,769 /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, Emporia, KS micropolitan area improved on 11 of 28 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 7 moved within the margin of error and 5 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

Libraries+23%1.4 /10k → 1.7 /10k
Inequality−0.0510.466 → 0.415
Grocery stores+33%1.7 /10k → 2.3 /10k
Rent / income−4.2 points29.7% → 25.5%
Rent burden−9.2 points49.5% → 40.3%

Declined5

Overdose deaths+55%9.9 /100k → 15.4 /100k
Uninsured+2.9 points10.2% → 13.1%
Traffic deaths+29%18.3 /100k → 23.6 /100k
Firearm deaths+21%12.7 /100k → 15.3 /100k
Pharmacies−13%2.3 /10k → 2.0 /10k

All 28 measures

Change of every measure of Emporia, KS micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.3 /10k2020	2.9 /10k2025	+24%	Improved	80%
Average commute time	16.2 min2015-2019	15.2 min2020-2024	−1.0 min	Within the margin of error	87%
Bachelor's degree or higher	27.3%2015-2019	26.6%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Broadband subscriptions	80.9%2015-2019	88.8%2020-2024	+7.9 points	Improved	37%
Child poverty rate	15.2%2015-2019	15.8%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	17%
Distance to an airport	85 mi2020	85 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	19%
Drug overdose deaths	9.9 /100k2020	15.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+55%	Declined	8%
Effective property tax rate	1.51%2015-2019	1.36%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Firearm deaths	12.7 /100k2020	15.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+21%	Declined	24%
Grocery stores	1.7 /10k2020	2.3 /10k2025	+33%	Improved	94%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.3 /10k2020	0.3 /10k2025	−0.4%	Little change	40%
High school diploma or higher	88.6%2015-2019	89.6%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Home price to income ratio	2.3×2015-2019	2.5×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	83%
Income adjusted for local prices	$46,0512019	$59,9732024	+30%	Improved	38%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4662015-2019	0.4152020-2024	−0.051	Improved	99%
Median household income	$46,2172015-2019	$59,3542020-2024	+28%	Improved	57%
New business applications	6.5 /1k2020	10.1 /1k2025	+54%	Improved	63%
Pharmacies	2.3 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	38%
Poverty rate	16.6%2015-2019	14.2%2020-2024	−2.4 points	Within the margin of error	79%
Property crime rate	2,008 /100k2020	1,464 /100k2025	−27%	Improved	35%
Public libraries	1.4 /10k2019	1.7 /10k2024	+23%	Improved	96%
Rent as share of income	29.7%2015-2019	25.5%2020-2024	−4.2 points	Improved	96%
Rent-burdened households	49.5%2015-2019	40.3%2020-2024	−9.2 points	Improved	97%
Restaurants and bars	10.1 /10k2020	9.8 /10k2025	−3.3%	Little change	31%
Traffic deaths	18.3 /100k2015-2019	23.6 /100k2020-2024	+29%	Declined	18%
Unemployment rate	4.5%2020	4.8%2025	+0.3 points	Little change	0%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	10.2%2015-2019	13.1%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Declined	3%
Violent crime rate	229 /100k2020	227 /100k2025	−1%	Little change	27%

“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 Emporia, KS micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Emporia, 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, Emporia, KS micropolitan area itself moved −1.5 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

34,747 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

14,628 households (±320)

Emporia, KS micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k17%2,540
$25k–50k24%3,521
$50k–75k22%3,256

Homes

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

Owners and renters

14,628 households (±320)

Emporia, KS micropolitan area
United States share

Own59%8,642
Rent41%5,986

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

17,907 workers (±583)

Emporia, KS micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone78%13,968
Carpool10%1,842
Public transit0.0%†5

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 Emporia, 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.

Emporia, KS has 899 employer establishments, 258 for every 10,000 residents (1.04× the US rate of 248), with 13,635 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,466. The Census Bureau also counts 2,184 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 899; 2,184 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 258; US 248
Paid employees: 13,635
Average annual pay: $45,466; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	79	22.7	1.24×About typical	1,161	$17,077	15
Specialty trade contractors	55	15.8	1.02×About typical	245	$52,763	184
Ambulatory health care services	51	14.7	0.70×Fewer than typical	609	$62,021	61
Lessors of real estate	38	10.9	0.89×About typical	89	$33,787	275
Limited-service restaurants	35	10.1	1.25×More than typical	701	$16,344	10
Full-service restaurants	30	8.6	1.12×About typical	380	$17,395	5
Insurance agencies and brokerages	30	8.6	1.96×More than typical	63	$37,444	35
Religious organizations	28	8	1.45×More than typical	182	$16,258	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	25	7.2	1.07×About typical	75	$39,240	141
Automotive repair and maintenance	23	6.6	1.31×More than typical	129	$30,915	57
Building equipment contractors	22	6.3	1.05×About typical	112	$55,357	27
Truck transportation	20	5.7	1.14×About typical	195	$59,605	61

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 34,801 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 $1.1M on contracts performed in Emporia, KS micropolitan area: $30.25 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $1.1M; −24% vs FY2025
Per resident: $30.25; US $1,995
Sole-source: 21%; US 30%
Single offer: 52%; 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

Bureau of Land Management$528K50%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$354.3K34%
Offices, Boards and Divisions$124.9K12%
National Park Service$37.9K3.6%
Department of the Army$10.1K1.0%

Top recipients

BURTON RANCH LLC$528K50%
BRUCE DAVIS CONSTRUCTION LLC$191.6K18%
MIDWEST EVALUATION AND RESEARCH, LLC$124.9K12%
BRAVO, INC.$81.4K7.7%
JR SPRAYING LLC$77.7K7.4%

Spending by fiscal year

1.2MFY2017
1.3MFY2018
1MFY2019
5MFY2020
4.3MFY2021
1.9MFY2022
904.8KFY2023
1.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Support activities for animal production · 1152$528K50%
Legal services · 5411$124.9K12%
Other specialty trade contractors · 2389$124.1K12%
Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing · 3331$81.4K7.7%
Support activities for crop production · 1151$77.7K7.4%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373

Largest awards

BURTON TASK ORDER$590.6K
BURTON RANCH LLC· Chase County, KS· Facilities & utilities· Jan 5, 2026 – Jan 5, 2026· 140L0126F0034
BURTON RANCH - FUND OPTION YEAR 4$522.6K
BURTON RANCH LLC· Chase County, KS· Facilities & utilities· Sep 21, 2023 – Apr 20, 2026· 140L0123F0170
KS-MARAIS DES CYGNES SPRAYING CONTRACT$272.7K
JR SPRAYING LLC· Chase County, KS· Facilities & utilities· Jun 7, 2023 – Jun 18, 2026· 140FS223P0213
BURTON RANCH - FUNDING 6 MONTHS OF OPTION YEAR 5$262.8K

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 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 $206.8M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Emporia, KS micropolitan area: $5,936 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $206.8M; −9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,936; US $12,957
Loan face value: $3.8M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 4.6%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$131.2M63%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$13.8M6.7%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$12M5.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$11.2M5.4%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$7.1M3.4%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$6M2.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$5.3M2.6%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$5.1M2.5%

Top recipients (organizations)

EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY$7.7M3.7%
EMPORIA, KS
CAREARC INC$3.1M1.5%
EMPORIA, KS
FLINT HILLS TECHNICAL COLLEGE$1.9M0.9%
EMPORIA, KS
SOCIAL INNOVATION LABORATORY INC$450K0.2%
EMPORIA, KS
EMPORIA SENIOR RESIDENCES, L.P.$367.9K

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$161.5M78%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$14M6.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$9.2M4.5%
Farm Service Agency$9.1M4.4%
Department of Agriculture
Railroad Retirement Board$6M2.9%

Assistance by fiscal year

231.8MFY2021
183.9MFY2022
203.7MFY2023
209MFY2024
227.2MFY2025
206.8MFY2026

County aggregates

88%

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 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Emporia, 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.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

EmporiaPrincipal city24,131

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
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M21380

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved11

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Emporia, 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

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Emporia, 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

Declined5

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 programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

By type

What was bought