The Town FilesFort Scott, Kansas
City in Bourbon County · population 7,552 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $100,500
- Household income
- $52,159
- Jan low / Jul high
- 22° / 91°
- Snow a year
- 8 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 13
- Median age
- 41.0
Fort Scott is a city of 7,552 people in Bourbon County, Kansas. The median home is worth $100,500, below the typical Kansas town ($128,200). It ranks more walkable than 87% of Kansas towns, more vibrant than 84% of Kansas towns, more of a college town than 79% of Kansas towns.
How Fort Scott 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 Fort Scott is worth $100,500, below the typical Kansas town ($128,200). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $52,159, which is more affordable than 61% of Kansas towns. Median rent is $755 a month. 66.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Fort Scott | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $100,500 | $128,200 |
| Median rent | $755 | $815 |
| Median household income | $52,159 | $63,857 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.9× | 2.1× |
| Homeownership | 66.4% | 73.7% |
| Median year built | 1946 | 1964 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Fort Scott
| People | Fort Scott | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.0 | 38.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 23.3% | 19.0% |
| Under 18 | 20.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.0% | 24.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.5% | 10.6% |
| Veterans | 6.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.1% | — |
| Work from home | 11.2% | 6.4% |
| Average commute | 16.7 min | 19.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.2% | 89.2% |
Weather in Fort Scott
July highs average 90.7°F and January lows 21.9°F. About 44.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 8.4 inches of snow (typical Kansas town: 12.4 in). Expect about 53 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 101 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Scott since 1950, compared with 26 for the typical Kansas town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on April 3, 1963 about 0.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 27, 2014.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 52 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on June 19, 1981.
Severe weather in Bourbon County since 1996
Bourbon County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 22, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4883: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| July 15, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4800: 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 |
| June 20, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4449: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Bourbon County
Bourbon County had 5,529 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $42,850 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Fort Scott itself the ACS puts it at 6.3%.
Public schools in Fort Scott
4 public schools with 1,764 students, about 12.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Scott Sr High | 9-12 | 568 | 13.9 |
| Winfield Scott Elem | PK-2 | 442 | 13.4 |
| Fort Scott Middle School | 6-8 | 392 | 11.2 |
| Eugene Ware Elem | 3-5 | 362 | 11.7 |
Towns near Fort Scott
- Nevada, MO19.3 mi · 8,212 people · home $122,700
- Frontenac, KS25.5 mi · 3,382 people · home $165,600
- Pittsburg, KS28.6 mi · 20,646 people · home $123,200
Fort Scott questions
Is Fort Scott, Kansas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Fort Scott scores better for retirees than 19% of Kansas towns and quieter than 12%. 23.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.0).
How much does a house cost in Fort Scott?
The median owner-occupied home in Fort Scott is valued at $100,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $52,159, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is $755 a month.
What is the weather like in Fort Scott?
July highs average 90.7°F and January lows 21.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.5 inches of precipitation a year and 8.4 inches of snow.
Does Fort Scott get tornadoes?
13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Fort Scott since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on April 3, 1963. 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)