Garden City vs Salina
Garden City, Kansas versus Salina, Kansas: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Garden City and Salina score about the same overall (45 vs 44 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Garden City | Salina |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $68k | $57k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $44k |
| Home Value | $179k | $156k |
| Monthly Rent | $968 | $863 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.46% | 1.41% |
| Income Tax | 5.70% | 5.70% |
| Sales Tax | 8.75% | 8.75% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 12.47% | 12.45% |
| Unemployment | 4.7% | 4.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 31°F | 31°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 79°F | 81°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 19.6 in | 32.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 15.6 in | 15.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 287 days | 278 days |
| Summer Humidity | 61°F | 65°F |
| Comfortable Days | 43 days | 56 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 33.9 | 65.9 |
| Air Quality | 21 AQI | — |
| School Quality | 49.5 | 77.7 |
| Violent Crime | 1759/100k | 2515/100k |
| Property Crime | 2270/100k | 3275/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 27,933 | 46,734 |
| Median Age | 32.3 | 39.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.61 | 0.24 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.09 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | R+26 | R+31 |
| White (%) | 34.5% | 78.2% |
| Black (%) | 5.6% | 3.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 54.2% | 12.5% |
| Asian (%) | 4.7% | 2.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 1.0% | 3.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 14 min | 14 min |
| Walkability | 9.7/20 | 13.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 244 mi | 160 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 85.2% | 86.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 15.04 | 15.83 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Limited |
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 Garden City or Salina more affordable?
- Salina has the lower cost of living: its index is $44k, compared with Garden City's $49k and Salina's $44k. Median rent is $968 in Garden City versus $863 in Salina.
- Is Garden City or Salina safer?
- Garden City has the lower violent crime rate. Garden City reports 1759/100k and Salina reports 2515/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Garden City or Salina?
- The median home value is $179k in Garden City and $156k in Salina, so homes are more affordable in Salina.