Ottawa, KS vs Gardner, KS

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricOttawa, KSGardner, KS
Population12,67824,526
Median Household Income$71,699$96,818
Median Rent$1,032/mo$1,306/mo
Median Home Value$166,500$306,200
Cost of Living (US = 100)—93
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income39.5%39.3%
Poverty Rate9.1%6.3%
Unemployment Rate3.9% (county)3.6%
Violent Crime Rate /100k188185
Property Crime Rate /100k1,1371,269
Median AQI—44
Good AQI Days /yr—250
Summer Highs87°F87°F
Winter Lows21°F23°F
Snowfall9 in/yr14 in/yr
Avg Commute20.2 min22.9 min
Hospitals1—
Avg Hospital Rating3.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher12.913.8
College Degree Rate25.8%32%
Foreign-Born %2.1%6.1%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+0.7%+12.0%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.