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Aerial view of Abilene Kansas 09-04-2013
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AbileneKS

A town of 6,449, settled in 1857. Home to 29 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Ichabod · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
6,449
−5.6% since 2010
Typical home
$185K
+3.8% in a year
Household income
$58K
median
Median age
44.0
years
Jobs based here
2,674
Balanced

What makes Abilene stand out

The 3 things Abilene does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
1867 · Prairie dog town, Abilene, Kansas, 447 …
History
Settled in 1857
29 places on the National Register
Archive photos and papers going back 169 years.
Conserved land & trails
Outdoors
#34 most walkable in KS
1.2 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves
3% of the town is conserved land.
$185Ktypical home
Housing
$185K typical home
26% below the KS typical home
Up 3.8% in a year.
Prairie dog town, Abilene, Kansas, 447 miles west of St. Louis, Mo
1867 · Prairie dog town, Abilene, Kansas, 447 miles west of St. Louis, Mo · Wikimedia Commons
Abilene’s story

169 years in pictures

12 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 29 places on the National Register.

Prairie dog town, Abilene, Kansas, 447 miles west of St. Louis, MoShipping Point for Texan Cattle, Abilene, Kansas, 162 miles west of Missouri River1888 AbileneWeeklyReflector October18 Kansas LC
Explore the history →
1888 AbileneWeeklyReflector October18 Kansas LC1888
From the archive · today’s picture

138 years ago in Abilene

1888 AbileneWeeklyReflector October18 Kansas LC

Photo · Wikimedia Commons. A different picture from Abilene’s archive appears here every day.

See all 12 archive items →

Abilene’s report card

See the data ↓
Outdoors1 miof trails · 3% conservedHousing$185K26% below the KS typical homeHealthBHealthier than 55% of U.S. townsSchoolsB−Beats 47% of KS districtsClimate92°/20°Summer high · winter low · 12″ snowCommute11 miHalf of commuters travel lessSafetyC+Less crime than 41% of U.S. townsHazards49/100Moderate risk of storm & flood damage

Now in Abilene

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Residents weigh in
Abilene is #13 of 157 in KS for “Most residents 65+”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Abilene’s Town Square.
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Weather

Forecast →
72°
Clear
H 0° · L 64°

Local news

All →

Upcoming events

Nothing on the calendar.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Abilene. Another town gets a different order.

Outdoors

3% of Abilene is conserved land

1.2 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves.

3%conserved
Map of Abilene: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below
3%
conserved · 92 of 3,086 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
#52
most conserved land in KS
#34
most walkable in KS
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum0.8 mi22
2. Eisenhower Park—60
3. North Diamond Complex—28
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Housing

A typical Abilene home is worth about $185K

The typical Abilene home is worth about $185,000, up 3.8% in a year, 26% below the Kansas typical home.

$185KZillow home value

Typical home value

Abilene$185K
Kansas$250K
+3.8%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Health

Healthier than 55% of U.S. towns

Abilene beats the Kansas average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3.

BHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Kansas
4 better25 too close to call3 worse
What stands outAbileneKS
Fewer adults facing food insecurity10.3%13%
Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off6.5%8.2%
More adults who have had cancer10.3%8.1%
Memorial Hospital
1.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
56th
percentile among KS towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools

Abilene’s public schools outperform 47% of Kansas districts

The public schools Abilene’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 53% of Kansas’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

B−School Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Kennedy ElemPK–1276Not graded
Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary4–5218B
McKinley Elem2–3196A
St. Andrews Elementary School PrivatePK–5138
Abilene Middle School6–8319B−
Abilene High School9–12443C
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduationAll 8 schools →
Climate

Four seasons, hot summers

Abilene has chilly winters and hot summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

12″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter22–43°
Spring43–67°
Summer66–90°
Fall45–69°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 14
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute

About one in three working residents works right in Abilene

About one in 3 of Abilene’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Salina (14%), Lincoln (5%) and Manhattan (4%). Half commute less than 11 miles.

37%work in town

Where working residents work

In Abilene37%
Salina14%
Lincoln5%
Manhattan4%
Junction City4%
11 mi
median commute distance
2,674
jobs based in Abilene
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 41% of U.S. towns

Abilene reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 59% report less.

C+Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Abilene2.3
Kansas4.8
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Abilene7.8
Kansas19.2
U.S.15.5
41st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
52nd
percentile among KS towns
15
violent crimes reported in 2025
51
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards

Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 49% of U.S. communities.

49risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
49Moderate riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
8
paid flood claims since 1993
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →

Landmarks

29 places in Abilene on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →
Parker CarouselBuilt 1901 · National Historic Landmark
Eisenhower HomeBuilt 1898
C. H. Lebold HouseBuilt 1881
A. B. Seelye House

Famous people from Abilene

15 notable people were born in Abilene.

See all 15 →
Harry BeaumontAmerican film director, actor, and screenwriter · 1888–1966
Earl D. EisenhowerAmerican politician · 1898–1968
Milton Stover EisenhowerAmerican university president · 1899–1985
R
Ralph FaulknerAmerican fencer and actor · 1891–1987
Leo PiersonAmerican actor · 1888–1943
C
Curtis D. SummersEngineer and roller coaster designer · 1929–1992

About Abilene

City in Dickinson County, Kansas

Official town website ↗

Abilene (pronounced ) is a city and county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,460. It is home of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and the Greyhound Hall of Fame.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established
1857
Population
6,460
Area
4.7 sq mi
Elevation
1,155 ft
ZIP code
67410
Area code
785

Abilene’s neighbors

2 towns share a border with Abilene.

Explore the map →
GrantLincolnGrantLincolnAbilene
Grant
SE · 2% of Abilene workers commute here
Visit
Lincoln
W · 5% of Abilene workers commute here
Visit

More about Abilene

The handbookEverything you need to know about Abilene
Abilene Public Library209 NW 4th
PlacesBusinesses & favorite spots
Town HallMeetings, officials & offices
Still missing for Abilene:upcoming events

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Photo of Abilene

Abilene, KS · Photo: Ichabod · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗