What it's like to live in Dodge City
Dodge City is a small city in Kansas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Dodge City deals with college degree attainment below the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, cold winters, and hot summers.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Clean air
The not so good
- Low college degree attainment
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Dodge City compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Dodge City
Based on Dodge City's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,090
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $41,800 a year
- 26% of Dodge City renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$30,340
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $15,170
- Homes cost 2.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 26% below US
$1,045/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,045 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $151,700. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $151,700 · 26% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 28% below US
3.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.1%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 44% below US
185 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 988/100k · Dodge City Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 55% below US
12 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 11.6 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. Nearly all workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 44% below US
20% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 20%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Santa Fe National Historic Trail (6 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Dodge City's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are college degree attainment below the national average and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,045/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Dodge City
All Kansas guides →Moving to Garden City →
48 mi away · pop. 27,819
Rent $1,052/mo · Income $72,865
Compare with Dodge City →Moving to Great Bend →
78 mi away · pop. 14,479
Rent $759/mo · Income $54,139
Compare with Dodge City →Not sure Dodge City is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.