The Town FilesGarden City, Kansas
City in Finney County · population 28,151 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $192,000
- Household income
- $72,865
- Jan low / Jul high
- 17° / 93°
- Snow a year
- 16 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 36
- Median age
- 31.6
Garden City is a city of 28,151 people in Finney County, Kansas. The median home is worth $192,000, above the typical Kansas town ($128,200). It ranks more vibrant than 93% of Kansas towns, more walkable than 85% of Kansas towns, better transit than 78% of Kansas towns.
How Garden City 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 Garden City is worth $192,000, above the typical Kansas town ($128,200). Homes cost about 2.6 times the median household income of $72,865, which is more affordable than 26% of Kansas towns. Median rent is $1,052 a month. 60.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Garden City | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $192,000 | $128,200 |
| Median rent | $1,052 | $815 |
| Median household income | $72,865 | $63,857 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.6× | 2.1× |
| Homeownership | 60.2% | 73.7% |
| Median year built | 1977 | 1964 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.5% | — |
Who lives in Garden City
| People | Garden City | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.6 | 38.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.3% | 19.0% |
| Under 18 | 28.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.5% | 24.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 11.0% | 10.6% |
| Veterans | 3.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 27.9% | — |
| Work from home | 2.5% | 6.4% |
| Average commute | 14.0 min | 19.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.6% | 89.2% |
Weather in Garden City
July highs average 93.0°F and January lows 17.0°F. About 19.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 15.6 inches of snow (typical Kansas town: 12.4 in). Expect about 74 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 148 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
36 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Garden City since 1950, compared with 26 for the typical Kansas town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 23, 1967 about 8.9 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 38 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 24, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 187 times; the largest was 4.25 inches on May 5, 2008.
Severe weather in Finney County since 1996
Finney County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| June 16, 2017 | Snowstorm | DR-4319: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Finney County
Finney County had 20,496 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,345 a year. Unemployment was 2.1% in 2023; in Garden City itself the ACS puts it at 2.7%.
Public schools in Garden City
17 public schools with 7,072 students, about 15.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden City High School | 9-12 | 1,976 | 15.7 |
| Jennie Wilson Elem | PK-4 | 762 | 50.8 |
| Horace J. Good Middle School | 7-8 | 689 | 13.5 |
| Kenneth Henderson Middle | 5-8 | 390 | 13.4 |
| Victor Ornelas Elem | K-4 | 385 | 14.8 |
| Charles O Stones Intermediate Ctr | 5-8 | 362 | 11.0 |
| Florence Wilson Elem | K-4 | 361 | 15.7 |
| Bernadine Sitts Intermediate Ctr | 5-6 | 351 | 12.5 |
| Alta Brown Elem | K-4 | 323 | 14.0 |
| Abe Hubert Elementary School | K-6 | 307 | 14.0 |
| Buffalo Jones Elem | K-4 | 240 | 13.3 |
| Gertrude Walker Elem | K-4 | 216 | 16.6 |
Garden City questions
Is Garden City, Kansas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Garden City scores better for retirees than 3% of Kansas towns and quieter than 5%. 12.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 31.6).
How much does a house cost in Garden City?
The median owner-occupied home in Garden City is valued at $192,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $72,865, so homes cost about 2.6 times income. Median rent is $1,052 a month.
What is the weather like in Garden City?
July highs average 93.0°F and January lows 17.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 19.6 inches of precipitation a year and 15.6 inches of snow.
Does Garden City get tornadoes?
36 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Garden City since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 23, 1967. 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)