What it's like to live in Manhattan
Manhattan is a smaller city in Kansas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Manhattan deals with household incomes below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and cold winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Manhattan compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Manhattan
Based on Manhattan's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,006
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $40,120 a year
- 50% of Manhattan renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$49,340
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,670
- Homes cost 4.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 29% below US
$1,003/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,003 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $246,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $246,700 · 50% 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
286 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Manhattan doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Riley County Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs close to the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 1169/100k · Policed by Riley County Police Department (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 33% below US
17 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 17.3 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 89°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 48% above US
53% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
12 public schools inside the boundary
There are 12 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park (51 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Manhattan's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and a poverty rate above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,003/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers, and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Manhattan
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