The Town FilesColby, Kansas
City in Thomas County · population 5,570 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $163,000
- Household income
- $63,494
- Jan low / Jul high
- 15° / 91°
- Snow a year
- 27 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 22
- Median age
- 32.3
Colby is a city of 5,570 people in Thomas County, Kansas. The median home is worth $163,000, above the typical Kansas town ($128,200). It ranks more of a college town than 87% of Kansas towns, better for young professionals than 79% of Kansas towns, better for cycling than 78% of Kansas towns.
How Colby ranks
Percentile among Kansas towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Kansas towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Colby is worth $163,000, above the typical Kansas town ($128,200). Homes cost about 2.6 times the median household income of $63,494, which is more affordable than 26% of Kansas towns. Median rent is $750 a month. 67.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Colby | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $163,000 | $128,200 |
| Median rent | $750 | $815 |
| Median household income | $63,494 | $63,857 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.6× | 2.1× |
| Homeownership | 67.1% | 73.7% |
| Median year built | 1969 | 1964 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.7% | — |
Who lives in Colby
| People | Colby | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.3 | 38.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 15.1% | 19.0% |
| Under 18 | 26.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.0% | 24.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.0% | 10.6% |
| Veterans | 2.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 5.3% | — |
| Work from home | 10.2% | 6.4% |
| Average commute | 9.7 min | 19.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 89.3% | 89.2% |
Weather in Colby
July highs average 91.0°F and January lows 15.1°F. About 20.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 27.2 inches of snow (typical Kansas town: 12.4 in). Expect about 58 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 164 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Colby since 1950, compared with 26 for the typical Kansas town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 12, 1995 about 2.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 11, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 154 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on June 14, 2014.
Severe weather in Thomas County since 1996
Thomas County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4943: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| September 24, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4824: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| October 26, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4747: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| March 29, 2020 | Biological | DR-4504: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3481: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Thomas County
Thomas County had 4,104 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,946 a year. Unemployment was 1.9% in 2023; in Colby itself the ACS puts it at 0.6%.
Public schools in Colby
3 public schools with 944 students, about 17.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colby Elem | PK-4 | 399 | 19.0 |
| Colby Middle School | 5-8 | 273 | 16.1 |
| Colby Senior High | 9-12 | 272 | 16.0 |
Colby questions
Is Colby, Kansas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Colby scores better for retirees than 32% of Kansas towns and quieter than 13%. 15.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.3).
How much does a house cost in Colby?
The median owner-occupied home in Colby is valued at $163,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $63,494, so homes cost about 2.6 times income. Median rent is $750 a month.
What is the weather like in Colby?
July highs average 91.0°F and January lows 15.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 20.4 inches of precipitation a year and 27.2 inches of snow.
Does Colby get tornadoes?
22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Colby since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 12, 1995. The typical Kansas town has had 26.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)