Emporia vs Madison
Emporia, Kansas versus Madison, Kansas: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Emporia and Madison score about the same overall (51 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Emporia | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $50k | $46k |
| Cost of Living | $41k | $44k |
| Home Value | $125k | $49k |
| Monthly Rent | $758 | $592 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $5k | $299 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.59% | 2.53% |
| Income Tax | 5.70% | 5.70% |
| Sales Tax | 8.75% | 8.75% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.59% | 11.24% |
| Unemployment | 3.2% | 2.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 31°F | 31°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 79°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 36.8 in | 38.5 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 10.9 in | 10.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 275 days | 275 days |
| Summer Humidity | 67°F | 67°F |
| Comfortable Days | 64 days | 63 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 62.7 | 81.8 |
| Air Quality | 32 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 92.9 | 62.2 |
| Violent Crime | 1158/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 2320/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 24,118 | 917 |
| Median Age | 29.7 | 38.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.41 | 0.11 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.91 | 0.89 |
| Political Leaning | R+11 | R+62 |
| White (%) | 62.4% | 93.1% |
| Black (%) | 2.3% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 28.6% | 4.0% |
| Asian (%) | 2.1% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.6% | 2.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 12 min | — |
| Walkability | 7.7/20 | 6.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 102 mi | 111 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.4% | 76.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 21.56 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Emporia or Madison more affordable?
- Emporia has the lower cost of living: its index is $41k, compared with Emporia's $41k and Madison's $44k. Median rent is $758 in Emporia versus $592 in Madison.
- Is Emporia or Madison safer?
- Madison has the lower violent crime rate. Emporia reports 1158/100k and Madison reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Emporia or Madison?
- The median home value is $125k in Emporia and $49k in Madison, so homes are more affordable in Madison.