A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Independence$820/mo

Typical home $121K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.83% · or rent about $789/mo · Housing →

Pratt$880/mo

Typical home $130K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.78% · or rent about $798/mo · Housing →

The difference: $60 a month, about $700 a year, between Pratt and Independence.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Pratt places higher on 11 of 20 KS lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Kansas ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools

B−IndependenceBetter than 49% of districts in the state C+PrattBetter than 38% of districts in the state

Health

C+IndependenceHealthier than 39% of U.S. towns B−PrattHealthier than 50% of U.S. towns

8Independence

11Pratt

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 160 towns #151#27 Most walkableOutdoors · 160 towns #29#82 Highest graduation rateSchools · 127 towns #80#118 Highest incomeIncome · 160 towns #146#104 Fewest smokersHealth · 159 towns #112#72 Lowest depressionHealth · 159 towns #72#34 Shortest commuteGetting around · 160 towns #43#7 Most educatedPeople · 160 towns #86#115

Left end = #1 in Kansas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Independence’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

IndependencePratt

Snow a year7″15″

January low23°F 19°F

July high91°F 92°F

Growing season (days)208d 183d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)80th 72nd

Outdoors & history

IndependencePratt

Trails0 mi 2 mi

Conserved land2.9%3.1%

Settled1869 1884

National Register places14 4

Archive photos18 —

Community

IndependencePratt

Library hours a week98 hrs 43 hrs

Colleges in town—1

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

170 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

IndependenceKS PrattKS

Independence ↔ Pratt170 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Kansas average

IndependencePratt

People

Population 8,422Highest 6,577Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -9.9%Lowest KS: +3% -3.4%Highest KS: +3%

Median age 38.3±3.3Highest about the KS average 36.7±3.3Lowest about the KS average

Independence and Pratt are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 24.3%±3.4Highest KS: 23.8% 23.3%±3.8Lowest KS: 23.8%

Independence and Pratt are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 18.9%±2.9Lowest KS: 17% 19.4%±2.8Highest KS: 17%

Pratt and Independence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28.7%Highest KS: 35.6% 22.8%Lowest KS: 35.6%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.1%±1.7Lowest KS: 6.6% 9.2%±1.6Highest KS: 6.6%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $51,069±$5kLowest 31% below KS $63,819±$9kHighest 14% below KS

Pratt and Independence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $88,800±$16kLowest 59% below KS $107,500±$10kHighest 51% below KS

Pratt and Independence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $789±$59Lowest 26% below KS $798±$53Highest 25% below KS

Pratt and Independence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,626Lowest 42% below KS $1,912Highest 32% below KS

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.6%±10.6 KS: 43.5% 46.6%±11.9 KS: 43.5%

Below poverty line 18.4%Highest KS: 11.3% 14.3%Lowest KS: 11.3%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 69.6%Lowest KS: 67.2% 69.7%Highest KS: 67.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1954 22 yrs older than KS 1954 22 yrs older than KS

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 17 minHighest 14% below KS 11 minLowest 46% below KS

Work from home 3.9%±1.9Lowest KS: 11.8% 5.3%±2.6Highest KS: 11.8%

Pratt and Independence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 38.5%Lowest 48.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miHighest 2.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.24Highest 1.11Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Independence Township (9%)Wichita (9%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PrattFew work in Independence

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.9%Lowest 3.1%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 2.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Lowest 7Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 87.8Highest 56.2Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #61 of 124 in KS #47 of 124 in KS

School district IndependencePratt

High school in town Independence Sr HighPratt Sr High

Students per teacherat that high school 13.3Highest 12.1Lowest

Kansas average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Independence neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Independence’s Town Square.

Pratt neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pratt’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Independence and Pratt

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Independence

+ Compare

Independence Township3,027 people · $141K homes

+ Compare

Sycamore Township1,028 people · $224K homes

+ Compare

Drum Creek Township489 people · $220K homes

Towns like Independence

+ Compare

Chanute8,598 people · $78K homes

+ Compare

Fort Scott7,555 people · $101K homes

+ Compare

Winfield11,711 people · $133K homes

+ Compare

Wellington7,615 people · $97K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Independence vs Pratt

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs about the same each month

Pratt places higher on 11 of 20 KS lists

What daily life feels like in each

170 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Independence and Pratt

Bordering Independence

Towns like Independence

Post to Independence

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