Scores by category

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

Safety46#504/924
Economy94#58/925
Housing88#109/925
Health70#280/925
Healthcare64#333/923
Environment22#717/917
Education84#148/925
Infrastructure84#151/925
Community88#114/925
Leisure & amenities56#403/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Child care cost burden · low14.1%
100/100Kansas 18.9%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Social associations · high21.3 /10k
100/100Kansas 13.1 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Average commute time · low14.8 min
98/100Kansas 19.7 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.403
98/100Kansas 0.457United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Lack of reliable transportation · low6.4%
97/100Kansas 7.5%United States 8.3%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Child poverty rate · low7.2%
97/100Kansas 12.8%United States 15.5%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001

Weaknesses

Public transit commuters · low0.0%
3/100Kansas 0.4%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Job growth · low-4.0%
4/100Kansas 0.0%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
New business applications · low8.1 /1k
10/100Kansas 12.6 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.33%
16/100Kansas 1.21%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Mental health providers · low125 /100k
16/100Kansas 266 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low23.8%
24/100Kansas 25.1%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureWorsening
8% (2021) → 47% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+39 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Voter turnoutWorsening
73.1% (2020) → 61.3% (2024)
−12 pts4 yearsUS 68.5% → 65.2%
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
55.0% (2019) → 44.0% (2023)
−11 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
57.5% (2010 & 2021) → 67.6% (2022 & 2024)
+10 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Property crime rateImproving
1,791 /100k (2020) → 907 /100k (2025)
−49%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Violent crime rateWorsening
208 /100k (2020) → 299 /100k (2025)
+43%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, McPherson, KS micropolitan area improved on 10 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 8. 9 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.

Improved10

Bachelor's++6.3 points28.0% → 34.3%
Traffic deaths−34%23.1 /100k → 15.3 /100k
Household income+33%$59,089 → $78,851
Property crime−49%1,791 /100k → 907 /100k
Gyms+21%1.7 /10k → 2.0 /10k

Declined8

Violent crime+43%208 /100k → 299 /100k
Overdose deaths+47%11.0 /100k → 16.2 /100k
Firearm deaths+45%11.8 /100k → 17.1 /100k
Rent / income+3.6 points23.1% → 26.7%
Grocery stores−20%1.7 /10k → 1.3 /10k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of McPherson, KS micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.6 /10k2020	3.7 /10k2025	+0.4%	Little change	29%
Average commute time	13.8 min2015-2019	14.8 min2020-2024	+1.0 min	Within the margin of error	31%
Average weekly wage	$9522020	$1,1942025	+25%	Improved	70%
Bachelor's degree or higher	28.0%2015-2019	34.3%2020-2024	+6.3 points	Improved	97%
Broadband subscriptions	81.0%2015-2019	89.3%2020-2024	+8.3 points	Improved	43%
Child poverty rate	9.0%2015-2019	7.2%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Distance to an airport	52 mi2020	52 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	11.0 /100k2020	16.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+47%	Declined	9%
Effective property tax rate	1.39%2015-2019	1.33%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Firearm deaths	11.8 /100k2020	17.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+45%	Declined	11%
Grocery stores	1.7 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	−20%	Declined	11%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.7 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	+21%	Improved	70%
High school diploma or higher	91.3%2015-2019	92.7%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Home price to income ratio	2.6×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	+0.1×	Within the margin of error	89%
Homicide rate	3.4 /100k2020	3.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+5.9%	Declined	17%
Income adjusted for local prices	$59,0202019	$76,3872024	+29%	Improved	32%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4092015-2019	0.4032020-2024	−0.006	Within the margin of error	72%
Median household income	$59,0892015-2019	$78,8512020-2024	+33%	Improved	80%
New business applications	5.9 /1k2020	8.1 /1k2025	+37%	Improved	36%
Pharmacies	1.3 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	+0.4%	Little change	74%
Poverty rate	8.8%2015-2019	9.5%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Property crime rate	1,791 /100k2020	907 /100k2025	−49%	Improved	84%
Public libraries	2.1 /10k2019	2.0 /10k2024	−5%	Declined	24%
Rent as share of income	23.1%2015-2019	26.7%2020-2024	+3.6 points	Declined	7%
Rent-burdened households	34.6%2015-2019	40.8%2020-2024	+6.2 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Restaurants and bars	7.3 /10k2020	7.7 /10k2025	+5%	Improved	67%
Suicide rate	17.0 /100k2020	19.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+16%	Declined	30%
Traffic deaths	23.1 /100k2015-2019	15.3 /100k2020-2024	−34%	Improved	96%
Unemployment rate	3.6%2020	3.1%2025	−0.5 points	Little change	1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.8%2015-2019	7.5%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Violent crime rate	208 /100k2020	299 /100k2025	+43%	Declined	6%

“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 McPherson, KS micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of McPherson, 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, McPherson, KS micropolitan area itself moved −5 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

30,205 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

12,162 households (±245)

McPherson, KS micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k13%1,612
$25k–50k17%2,123
$50k–75k17%2,071

Homes

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

Owners and renters

12,162 households (±245)

McPherson, KS micropolitan area
United States share

Own75%9,179
Rent25%2,983

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+6.0 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

15,611 workers (±543)

McPherson, KS micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone79%12,373
Carpool6.9%1,070
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 McPherson, 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.

McPherson, KS has 876 employer establishments, 291 for every 10,000 residents (1.17× the US rate of 248), with 14,751 paid employees at an average annual pay of $54,782. The Census Bureau also counts 2,484 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 876; 2,484 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 291; US 248
Paid employees: 14,751
Average annual pay: $54,782; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	58	19.2	1.24×About typical	422	$61,559	164
Ambulatory health care services	52	17.2	0.83×About typical	329	$44,696	72
Religious organizations	51	16.9	3.05×More than typical	274	$19,646	—
Restaurants and other eating places	49	16.3	0.88×About typical	815	$15,180	7
Truck transportation	37	12.3	2.43×More than typical	111	$55,099	98
Construction of buildings	36	11.9	1.58×More than typical	171	$54,135	58
Lessors of real estate	31	10.3	0.83×About typical	59	$26,915	216
Building equipment contractors	27	9	1.49×More than typical	262	$63,878	33
Automotive repair and maintenance	25	8.3	1.65×More than typical	142	$48,810	39
Banks and credit unions	25	8.3	2.57×More than typical	292	$57,500	5
Offices of other health practitioners	24	8	1.31×More than typical	84	$34,845	47
Insurance agencies and brokerages	22	7.3	1.66×More than typical	72	$64,542	42

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 30,152 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 $340.3K on contracts performed in McPherson, KS micropolitan area: $11.32 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $340.3K; −75% vs FY2025
Per resident: $11.32; US $1,994
Sole-source: 86%; US 30%
Single offer: 2.8%; 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

Department of the Army$295.3K87%
Department of Veterans Affairs$45K13%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

1.1MFY2017
5.4MFY2018
1.9MFY2019
3.9MFY2020
5.4MFY2021
1.2MFY2022
2.3MFY2023
1.4M

Top industries (NAICS)

Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$248.3K73%
Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing · 3331$45K13%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$37.4K11%
Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$9,5542.8%

Largest awards

SCHILLING S-5 MONITORED NATURAL ATTENUATION$294.9K
ECC ENVIRONMENTAL LLC· McPherson County, KS· Facilities & utilities· Dec 21, 2023 – Nov 26, 2025· W912DQ24F3019
SCHILLING S-1, S-5, S-12 FIVE YEAR REVIEWS$248.3K
AEROSTAR ENVIRONMENTAL, LLC· McPherson County, KS· Facilities & utilities· May 11, 2026 – May 11, 2026· W912DQ26CA031
ZERO TURN MOWERS TO SUPPORT LAWN MAINTENANCE AT THE PERRY POINT VAMC.$45K
MORIDGE MANUFACTURING INC· McPherson County, KS· Other equipment & supplies· Apr 22, 2026 – Apr 22, 2026· 36C24526P0367
MOW AND TRIM SERVICES

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 $207M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for McPherson, KS micropolitan area: $6,885 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $207M; −8.2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,885; US $12,955
Loan face value: $7.8M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 5.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$144.6M70%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$13M6.3%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$10.6M5.1%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$10.5M5.1%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$7.8M3.8%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$5.5M2.7%
10.990 · Farmer Bridge Assistance Program$2.9M1.4%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$1.9M0.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

MCPHERSON COLLEGE$2.3M1.1%
MCPHERSON, KS
BETHANY COLLEGE$2.1M1.0%
LINDSBORG, KS
CENTRAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF KANSAS$1.7M0.8%
MCPHERSON, KS
MCPHERSON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT$1.5M0.7%
MCPHERSON, KS
MCPHERSON AIRPORT AUTHORITY$1.1M

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$167.5M81%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$15.6M7.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$10.6M5.1%
Department of Agriculture
Department of Education$6.3M3.0%
Administration for Children and Families$1.5M

Assistance by fiscal year

192.8MFY2021
181.3MFY2022
181.4MFY2023
210.6MFY2024
225.6MFY2025
207MFY2026

County aggregates

89%

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 McPherson, 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.

McPherson CountyCentral county8430,064

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

McPhersonPrincipal city13,995

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/M32700

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved10

Declined8

Metro and micro areas like McPherson, 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 McPherson, 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

Improved10

Declined8

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

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type