Why look at Emporia?
- Affordable housing. Median home is $172k — well below the national median.
- Stable market. Home values +1.8% year-over-year — neither overheated nor falling.
- Strong overall momentum. Composite score 66/100 (Rising).
Where Emporia stands
At or near all-time high.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.
Rent trajectory · last 5 years
Zillow ZORI · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 17.8 price-to-rent ratio, Emporia is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →Local safety & alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts for Lyon County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Lyon County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Run the numbers for Emporia
Kansas context
Schools
Emporia is served by 8 public schools enrolling about 4,249 students, with a student-teacher ratio of 13.9:1 — about the same as the US average of ~15:1. Public-school facts are from the NCES Common Core of Data; check ratings and attendance boundaries by exact address below.
Ratings, districts & boundaries:
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.
Current weather
Find rentals & listings
Open current Emporia listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local sports teams
Major professional teams the Emporia area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.
Local economy & environment
Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.
Find more cities like Emporia
Open the matchmaker pre-filled to match Emporia’s price band, region, and size — refine to taste.
Find more like Emporia →Cities similar to Emporia
Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.
Cost-of-ownership at the median
Snapshot assumes a $150k single earner buying at the median home. Your real numbers depend on bracket, deductions, school district, and HOA. Use the affordability calculator and net-pay calculator for your specific case.
Schools & crime context
School quality is district-by-district and varies dramatically within a city. Check GreatSchools or your state DOE rankings for specific schools before deciding. City-level school data coming soon.
Kansas: 403 violent crimes per 100K residents (state avg, FBI UCR). Neighborhood-level rates can vary 10× within one city — research specific areas via CrimeGrade or local police data.
Compare to where you live now
Set your current city once and we’ll show the cost delta on every city profile.
Jobs & hiring
In Emporia, unemployment is very low at 2.0%, and hiring momentum has been steady. The strongest local sectors are skilled trades & manufacturing, hospitality & tourism and tech.
Search current openings: