Places › Kansas › Dodge City

Living in Dodge City, KS

Small city in Kansas

Dodge City is a small city in Kansas, home to about 28,000 people, with 36,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is Dodge City a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $230k and rents for $1,260 a month
  • Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places
  • Low natural disaster risk: 9 federally declared disasters since 2000

👎 Cons

  • Smaller job market: about 36,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer graduates: 20% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Dodge City ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
28,000
36,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
47°F / 91°F
Average daily highs · 19″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$230k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,260/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
90
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$1,592
State income tax per resident · 1.69% property tax
Safety
1.2× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
9 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, tornadoes
Top-rated hospitals
0
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Poor
Tests well below US average · 16 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
20%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
OKC
212 mi away

Living in Dodge City: common questions

What is the cost of living in Dodge City?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $230k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,260 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 90, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Dodge City?

Kansas collects about $1,592 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.69% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Dodge City safe?

Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.2× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Dodge City?

Public schools in Dodge City test well below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 16 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Dodge City?

Dodge City has cool winters: winter days average around 47°F and summer days around 91°F, with roughly 19″ of snow a year.

Does Dodge City get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding, tornadoes and hail: 9 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.81 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Dodge City?

The nearest major airport is OKC, about 212 mi away.

How Dodge City scores

Each bar compares Dodge City with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietSuburban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundCar essential Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureCulture & nature Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCool winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceSlow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunitySome community feel AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingApartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesBelow average
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareBelow average
🏫SchoolsPoor
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyBelow average
🐕Dog-friendlyAverage
⛰️OutdoorsPoor
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetySafe
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyExcellent
🌤️Mild summersAverage
✈️AirportBelow average

Places like Dodge City

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Garden City, KSSmall city39 $226k$1,440/moSafe Hutchinson, KSSmall city35 $174k$1,170/moSafe Salina, KSSmall city35 $191k$1,220/moModerate crime Texarkana, TXSmall city39 $218k$1,370/moModerate crime Meridian, MSSmall city31 $101k$1,200/moModerate crime Grand Island, NESmall city45 $268k$1,530/moSafe

Nearby

Garden City, KSSmall city · 48 mi away39 $226k$1,440/moSafe

See all the best places to live in Kansas.

Is Dodge City right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.