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Compare towns

Russell vs Lyons

51 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (8.2× in Russell) and property tax bill (+89% in Russell).

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Russell, KSAn outdoors townKansas · 4,217 people
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Lyons, KSHomes around $114KKansas · 3,553 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

RussellAn outdoors town
Outdoors#22 most trails in KS4.9 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves Housing$127K typical home49% below the KS typical home SchoolsBetter than 18%of KS districts All about Russell →
LyonsHomes around $114K
Housing$114K typical home54% below the KS typical home Health58% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Outdoors#39 most walkable in KS0.6 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves All about Lyons →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails8.2×
Russell has more miles of trail
Russell 4.9 miLyons 0.6 mi
Property tax bill+89%
Tax bills are bigger in Russell
Russell $3,029Lyons $1,605
Work from home+8.4 pts
More people work from home in Russell
Russell 9.5%Lyons 1.1%
Work in town+16.7 pts
More of Russell’s workers stay in town
Russell 50.6%Lyons 33.9%
Age 65++8.5 pts
Russell has more people 65 and up
Russell 24.4%Lyons 15.9%
Average commute7 min
Russell has the shorter commute
Lyons 18 minRussell 11 min
★ What stands out · Report cards

Lyons places higher on 13 of 23 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.

Safety
–RussellNot graded CLyonsSafer than 29% of U.S. towns
Schools
C−RussellBetter than 18% of districts in the state C−LyonsBetter than 20% of districts in the state
Health
C−RussellHealthier than 19% of U.S. towns C+LyonsHealthier than 42% of U.S. towns
9Russell
13Lyons

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most remote workersWork · 156 towns #62#155 Lowest property taxCost of living · 159 towns #97#16 Fewest smokersHealth · 159 towns #136#72 Lowest depressionHealth · 159 towns #72#18 Shortest commuteGetting around · 160 towns #9#57 Most new homesHousing · 102 towns #70#99 HealthiestHealth · 159 towns #148#106 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 159 towns #95#136

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $160 more a month in Russell

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.

Russell$900/mo
Typical home $127K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.23% · or rent about $824/mo · Housing →
Lyons$750/mo
Typical home $114K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.53% · or rent about $760/mo · Housing →

The difference: $160 a month, about $1,900 a year, between Russell and Lyons.

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.

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
RussellLyons
Snow a year10″12″
January low19°F—
July high92°F—
Growing season (days)179d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)43rd60th
Outdoors & history
RussellLyons
Trails5 mi1 mi
Conserved land1.7%1.7%
Settled1871—
National Register places82
Community
RussellLyons
Library hours a week44 hrs47 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

51 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

RussellKSLyonsKS
Russell ↔ Lyons51 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.

RussellLyons
People
Population 4,217Highest 3,553Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2.3%Highest KS: +3% -3.4%Lowest KS: +3%
Median age 40.7±2.7Highest 9% above KS 38.6±4.4Lowest 3% above KS
Russell and Lyons are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22.4%±3.7Lowest KS: 23.8% 22.6%±4.9Highest KS: 23.8%
Lyons and Russell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 24.4%±4.3Highest KS: 17% 15.9%±3.6Lowest KS: 17%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19%Lowest KS: 35.6% 21.3%Highest KS: 35.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.8%±2.5Lowest KS: 6.6% 3.9%±1.9Highest KS: 6.6%
Lyons and Russell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $56,832±$12kLowest 23% below KS $62,569±$11kHighest 16% below KS
Lyons and Russell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $135,600±$23kHighest 38% below KS $104,800±$10kLowest 52% below KS
Russell and Lyons are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $824±$107Highest 22% below KS $760±$171Lowest 28% below KS
Russell and Lyons are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,029Highest 8% above KS $1,605Lowest 43% below KS
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 25.7%±16.5Highest KS: 43.5% 18.3%±14.1Lowest KS: 43.5%
Russell and Lyons are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 17.8%Highest KS: 11.3% 9.1%Lowest KS: 11.3%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 72.4%Highest KS: 67.2% 72.3%Lowest KS: 67.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1957Highest 19 yrs older than KS 1952Lowest 24 yrs older than KS
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 11 minLowest 43% below KS 18 minHighest 9% below KS
Work from home 9.5%±4.9Highest KS: 11.8% 1.1%±2Lowest KS: 11.8%
Work in townworking residents 50.6%Highest 33.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 1.8 miLowest 9.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.91Highest 0.80Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Hays (13%)Sterling (12%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LyonsFew work in Russell
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.7% 1.7%
Trailsmapped miles 4.9 miHighest 0.6 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.0 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 68.5Lowest 79.3Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #97 of 124 in KS#115 of 124 in KS
School district Russell CountyLyons
High school in town Russell Junior-Senior HighLyons High School
Students per teacherat that high school 10.1Highest 10.0Lowest
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.

Russell neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Russell’s Town Square.

Lyons neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lyons’s Town Square.

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Bordering Russell

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Russell Township23 people
G
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Grant Township190 people · $515K homes

Towns like Russell

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Ellsworth3,108 people · $158K homes
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Hiawatha3,197 people · $122K homes
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Marysville3,422 people · $119K homes
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Clay Center4,132 people · $144K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Kansas towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

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