Jobs, pay and daily life in Garden City, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Garden City is a city in Kansas with 27,819 residents. The median household earns $72,865 a year and the median rent is $1,052 a month, which is 17.3% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Garden City compares. Among the 60 largest places in Kansas, Garden City is #14 by population, #58 for college degrees (#1 = most), #57 for remote work (#1 = most), #17 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Finney County, is #22 of 105 counties for average pay ($51,345).
Garden City has 27,819 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.9% of the population of Kansas. It covers 11 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,483 people per square mile. The median age is 31.6, 16% younger than the state median (31.6 against 37.4).
The median gross rent is $1,052 a month (rent plus utilities), about the same as the state median ($1,052 against $1,060). Over a year that is 17.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $192,000, which is 2.6 times the median household income ($72,865); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 60.2% of households own their home, 10% below the state average (60.2% against 67.2%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Finney County was 3.0%. 69.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Finney County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 80.3% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 1.2% walk, 2.5% work from home. 4.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 44% below the state average (4.1% against 7.4%).
17.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 51% below the state share (17.5% against 35.6%). 27.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 279% above the state share (27.9% against 7.4%). The poverty rate is 11.0%, about the same as the state rate (11.0% against 11.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 82°F (27.7°C), and the coolest is Jan at 33°F (0.3°C). About 551 mm (22 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (85 mm) and Jan the driest (12 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Dodge City (48 miles, similar rent); Liberal (64 miles, rent 14% lower); Guymon (95 miles, rent 16% lower); Hays (104 miles, rent 12% lower). Rent differences are against Garden City; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Kansas (341) →State guide: KansasCountry guideFinney CountyKansas rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 341 federal postings open in Kansas (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 25.1% |
| Education and health care | 20.2% |
| Retail trade | 13.0% |
| Construction | 6.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 6.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 6.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.4% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 5.0% |
| Public administration | 4.9% |
| Other services | 2.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 1.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.9% |
| Information | 0.8% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Garden City lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finney County | 38,084 | $3,112 million | $81,706 | 20,496 | 1,131 | $51,345 | +2.5% | 3.0% | 21,288 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4,681 | 30.8% | $59,402 | 2.78 |
| Retail trade | 2,622 | 17.3% | $31,469 | 1.28 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,897 | 12.5% | $20,561 | 1.02 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,020 | 6.7% | $73,335 | 1.26 |
| Construction | 874 | 5.8% | $62,399 | 0.81 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 671 | 4.4% | $55,946 | 4.05 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 622 | 4.1% | $68,833 | 0.72 |
| Finance and insurance | 504 | 3.3% | $69,533 | 0.61 |
| Administrative and waste services | 502 | 3.3% | $41,479 | 0.42 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 409 | 2.7% | $51,667 | 0.66 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 292 | 1.9% | $79,240 | 3.77 |
| Utilities | 284 | 1.9% | $120,092 | 3.64 |
| Professional and technical services | 253 | 1.7% | $64,553 | 0.18 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 243 | 1.6% | $11,902 | 0.71 |
| Real estate and rental | 126 | 0.8% | $47,682 | 0.40 |
| Information | 121 | 0.8% | $42,826 | 0.31 |
| Management of companies | 75 | 0.5% | $122,421 | 0.22 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 80.3% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 1.2% |
| Work from home | 2.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 4.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,865 |
| Income per person | $32,458 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,052 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 17.3% |
| Median home value | $192,000 |
| Homeowners | 60.2% |
| Poverty rate | 11.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.58%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 31.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 68.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 17.5% |
| Born abroad | 27.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 69.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.3 | 33 | 12 |
| Feb | 1.8 | 35 | 14 |
| Mar | 7.8 | 46 | 28 |
| Apr | 12.9 | 55 | 54 |
| May | 18.8 | 66 | 74 |
| Jun | 25.1 | 77 | 83 |
| Jul | 27.7 | 82 | 85 |
| Aug | 25.9 | 79 | 80 |
| Sep | 21.5 | 71 | 42 |
| Oct | 13.3 | 56 | 46 |
| Nov | 6.5 | 44 | 12 |
| Dec | 0.7 | 33 | 21 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge City | KS | 48 mi | 27,613 | $68,721 | $1,045 |
| Liberal | KS | 64 mi | 19,316 | $63,706 | $900 |
| Guymon | OK | 95 mi | 12,539 | $60,075 | $887 |
| Hays | KS | 104 mi | 21,143 | $58,459 | $922 |
| Great Bend | KS | 115 mi | 14,479 | $54,139 | $759 |
| Pratt | KS | 115 mi | 6,577 | $63,819 | $798 |
| Woodward | OK | 133 mi | 11,882 | $54,463 | $839 |
| McCook | NE | 154 mi | 7,314 | $56,917 | $823 |
| Hutchinson | KS | 160 mi | 39,709 | $58,687 | $881 |
| McPherson | KS | 175 mi | 13,995 | $77,529 | $925 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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27,819 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,052 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 17.3% of the median household income.
$72,865 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.0% (BLS county, Finney County (latest month 2026M09)).
Kansas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.