McPherson Opera House · National Register of Historic Places
McPherson’s story
154 years in pictures
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1872McPherson is settled
McPhersonKS
A town of 13,995, settled in 1872. Nearly 3.5% of it is conserved land.
Population
13,995
+7% since 2010
Median home value
$212K
Census ACS
Household income
$78K
median
Median age
35.4
years
Jobs based here
6,723
Balanced
What makes McPherson stand out
The 3 things McPherson does most differently from other towns.
Outdoors
#29 most trails in KS
6.4 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves
3.5% of the town is conserved land.
100 U.S. towns● McPherson
Health
Healthier than 66%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than KS on 0 measures, worse on 0.
2colleges
College town
2 colleges
McPherson College
Students are part of everyday life here.
College town
11% of McPherson is in college
2 colleges in town.
McPherson College788 students on campus
- Admission
- 77%
- Net price
- $26,441
- Graduate
- 34%
- Admission
- 53%
- Net price
- $11,404
- Graduate
- 27%
College Scorecard · IPEDS
McPherson’s report card
Now in McPherson
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
McPherson is #10 of 158 in KS for “Shortest commute”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in McPherson’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →73°
Cloudy
H 72° · L 50°
Local news
All →- Elyria Christian Football (McPherson, KS) ScheduleSports Illustrated · Sep 5
- Elyria Christian Football (McPherson, KS)Sports Illustrated · Sep 5
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in McPherson. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in McPherson
40% of McPherson’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are McPherson (15%), Wichita (7%) and King City (5%). Half commute less than 2 miles.
40%work in town
Where working residents work
In McPherson40%
McPherson15%
Wichita7%
King City5%
Hutchinson4%
2 mi
median commute distance
6,723
jobs based in McPherson
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Outdoors
3.5% of McPherson is conserved land
6.4 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves.
#29for trails in KS
3.5%
conserved · 183 of 5,253 acres
6.4 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
#43
most conserved land in KS
#47
most walkable in KS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wall Bicentennial Park | 0.6 mi | 50 |
| 2. Lakeside Park | — | 40 |
| 3. Athletic Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Health
Healthier than 66% of U.S. towns
McPherson tracks Kansas closely on all 32 CDC measures.
B+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Kansas
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Mcpherson Hospital
0.7 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
70th
percentile among KS towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Housing
Homes in McPherson sell for about $171K
The median sale price was $171,000 in May 2026.
$171Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with tornadoes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 28% of U.S. communities.
28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesInland floodingCold waves
9
paid flood claims since 1979
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Four seasons, hot summers
McPherson has chilly winters and hot summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
14″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–44°
Spring43–67°
Summer66–90°
Fall45–69°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 18
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Schools
McPherson’s public schools outperform 35% of Kansas districts
The public schools McPherson’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 65% of Kansas’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
C+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roosevelt Elem | PK–5 | 269 | B |
| Washington Elem | PK–5 | 256 | B+ |
| Eisenhower Elementary | PK–5 | 239 | A− |
| Lincoln Elem | PK–5 | 221 | C+ |
| McPherson Middle School | 6–8 | 474 | C |
| McPherson High | 9–12 | 658 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduationAll 6 schools →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 42% of U.S. towns
McPherson reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 58% report less.
C+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
McPherson3.6
Kansas4.8
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
McPherson14.1
Kansas19.2
U.S.15.5
42nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
53rd
percentile among KS towns
51
violent crimes reported in 2025
199
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Landmarks
7 places in McPherson on the National Register of Historic Places.
About McPherson
City in McPherson County, Kansas
McPherson ( mək-FUR-sən) is a city in and the county seat of McPherson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 14,082. The city is named after Union General James Birdseye McPherson, a Civil War general. It is home to McPherson College and Central Christian College.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1872
- Population
- 14,082
- Area
- 7.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,496 ft
- ZIP code
- 67460
- Area code
- 620
McPherson’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with McPherson.
McPhersonKing CityJacksonMcPherson