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KSKansas rankings

Towns that borrow the most from their library in Kansas

Ranked by books, movies, e-books and other items the town’s public library lent in a year, per resident. 70 towns with 2,500+ residents.

IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024

Hesston 1 Hesston 20.9 per resident Hesston Public Library Map of Derby 2 Derby 14.3 per resident Derby Public Library Map of Hays 3 Hays 14.1 per resident Hays Public Library
#TownLoans per residentLibraryLoans a year
1 Hesston Hesston3,582 people 20.9 per resident Hesston Public Library 72,430
2 Map of Derby Derby26,062 people 14.3 per resident Derby Public Library 374,525
3 Map of Hays Hays21,143 people 14.1 per resident Hays Public Library 297,343
4 Garnett Garnett3,202 people 13.4 per resident Garnett Public Library 42,942
5 Hillsboro Hillsboro2,700 people 13.3 per resident Hillsboro Public Library 35,762
6 Map of Bonner Springs Bonner Springs7,839 people 13.2 per resident Bonner Springs City Library 100,499
7 Norton Norton2,689 people 12.9 per resident Norton Public Library 34,631
8 Map of Manhattan Manhattan54,239 people 12.6 per resident Manhattan Public Library 676,417
9 Neodesha Neodesha2,503 people 12.4 per resident Neodesha/W.A. Rankin Memorial 27,147
10 Iola Iola5,348 people 11.9 per resident Iola Public Library 63,144
11 Olathe145,057 people 11.1 per resident Olathe Public Library 1,638,286
12 Abilene Abilene6,449 people 10.7 per resident Abilene Public Library 68,914
13 Map of Hiawatha Hiawatha3,197 people 10.7 per resident Hiawatha/Morrill Public Library 34,120
14 Baldwin City Baldwin City4,911 people 10.6 per resident Baldwin City Library 52,002
15 Parsons Parsons9,425 people 10.4 per resident Parsons Public Library 96,922
16 Marysville Marysville3,422 people 10.0 per resident Marysville Public Library 33,916
17 Newton Newton18,397 people 9.9 per resident Newton Public Library 180,174
18 Colby Colby5,387 people 9.7 per resident Colby/Pioneer Memorial Library 53,985
19 Map of Salina Salina46,307 people 9.6 per resident Salina Public Library 439,251
20 Map of McPherson McPherson13,995 people 9.6 per resident Mcpherson Public Library 133,515
21 Osage City Osage City2,828 people 9.6 per resident Osage City Public Library 26,916
22 Lawrence Lawrence96,051 people 9.5 per resident Lawrence Public Library 909,943
23 Paola Paola5,770 people 8.9 per resident Paola Free Library 51,187
24 Map of Goddard Goddard6,030 people 8.7 per resident Goddard Public Library 49,825
25 Hutchinson Hutchinson39,709 people 8.6 per resident Hutchinson Public Library 340,714
26 Map of Wamego Wamego4,386 people 8.6 per resident Wamego Public Library 41,462
27 Holton Holton3,387 people 8.6 per resident Beck-Bookman Library 29,166
28 Tonganoxie Tonganoxie5,891 people 8.5 per resident Tonganoxie Public Library 51,784
29 Map of Atchison Atchison10,785 people 8.3 per resident Atchison Library 88,236
30 Ottawa Ottawa12,678 people 8.2 per resident Ottawa Library 103,896
31 Chanute Chanute8,598 people 8.1 per resident Chanute Public Library 68,638
32 Map of El Dorado El Dorado12,769 people 8.0 per resident Bradford Memorial Library 103,003
33 Pittsburg Pittsburg20,637 people 7.7 per resident Pittsburg Public Library 156,928
34 Union UnionSedgwick County · 2,651 people 7.6 per resident Colwich Community Library 18,899
35 Map of Winfield Winfield11,711 people 7.4 per resident Winfield Public Library 86,613
36 Map of Mulvane Mulvane6,171 people 7.3 per resident Mulvane Public Library 50,544
37 Map of Clearwater Clearwater2,716 people 7.0 per resident Clearwater Public Library 18,552
38 Girard Girard2,777 people 6.9 per resident Girard Public Library 17,114
39 Map of Lindsborg Lindsborg3,792 people 6.5 per resident Lindsborg Community Library 24,727
40 Map of Halstead Halstead2,516 people 6.5 per resident Halstead Public Library 13,895
41 Map of Valley Center Valley Center8,590 people 6.4 per resident Valley Center Public Library 47,192
42 Map of Beloit Beloit3,029 people 6.4 per resident Port Library 21,540
43 Clay Center Clay Center4,132 people 6.2 per resident Clay Center Carnegie Library 25,316
44 Morton MortonSedgwick County · 2,792 people 6.2 per resident Cheney Public Library 17,228
45 Concordia Concordia5,015 people 6.0 per resident Frank Carlson Library 30,212
46 Map of Goodland Goodland4,121 people 6.0 per resident Goodland Public Library 26,417
47 Fort Scott Fort Scott7,555 people 5.8 per resident Fort Scott Public Library 44,047
48 Leavenworth Leavenworth37,195 people 5.6 per resident Leavenworth Public Library 207,121
49 Kingman Kingman2,957 people 5.6 per resident Kingman Carnegie Library 16,167
50 Great Bend Great Bend14,479 people 5.5 per resident Great Bend Public Library 78,596
51 Map of Augusta Augusta9,216 people 5.0 per resident Augusta Public Library 46,592
52 Map of Ellsworth Ellsworth3,108 people 4.8 per resident J.H. Robbins Memorial Library 15,148
53 Osawatomie Osawatomie4,182 people 4.6 per resident Osawatomie Public Library 19,451
54 Map of Kansas City Kansas City155,135 people 4.4 per resident Kansas City, Kansas Public Library 692,716
55 Wichita Wichita397,945 people 4.3 per resident Wichita Public Library 1,711,516
56 Arkansas City Arkansas City11,884 people 4.1 per resident Arkansas City Public Library 48,418
57 Lansing Lansing11,246 people 4.1 per resident Lansing Community Library 45,856
58 Coffeyville Coffeyville8,662 people 4.1 per resident Coffeyville Public Library 35,400
59 Map of Hoisington Hoisington2,643 people 3.9 per resident Hoisington Public Library 10,255
60 Map of Park City Park City7,673 people 3.8 per resident Park City Public Library 33,214
61 Russell Russell4,217 people 3.7 per resident Russell Public Library 16,497
62 Map of Wellington Wellington7,615 people 3.4 per resident Wellington Public 26,100
63 Rose Hill4,246 people 3.2 per resident Rose Hill Public Library 13,688
64 Dodge City Dodge City27,613 people 3.0 per resident Dodge City Public Library 82,163
65 Map of Baxter Springs Baxter Springs3,855 people 3.0 per resident Johnston Public Library 11,416
66 Columbus Columbus2,881 people 2.5 per resident Columbus Public Library 7,300
67 Liberal Liberal19,316 people 2.4 per resident Liberal Memorial Library 44,833
68 Map of Lyons Lyons3,553 people 2.2 per resident Lyons Public Library 7,525
69 Galena Galena2,754 people 2.2 per resident Galena Public Library 5,917
70 Haysville Haysville11,117 people 1.3 per resident Haysville Community Library 14,217

How this ranking works

We rank every town by books, movies, e-books and other items the town’s public library lent in a year, per resident. The highest figure ranks #1. Each library reports its own yearly numbers to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (fiscal year 2024), and each town’s Library page shows how it compares with libraries of a similar size nationwide.

A town is ranked only when its library system serves that town alone, and the library’s own count of the people it serves is within 20% of the town’s population. Towns served by a county or regional system, or sharing a library with a neighbor, can’t be credited with the numbers, so they aren’t ranked. Libraries that didn’t respond to the survey aren’t ranked either. Vacation towns can rank high because summer residents and visitors use the library too.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Libraries: IMLS Public Libraries Survey. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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