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Salina, KS

A town of about 46,307 people in Saline County.

Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Salina

Salina Grain Elevators
Blue Heaven Studios outside
Blue Heaven Studios outside · Photo: David Clouston, Public domain
City Go at Walmart
City Go at Walmart · Photo: User:Smuckola, CC BY-SA 3.0
main building
main building · Photo: Daniel Bethe, CC BY-SA 3.0
Kenwood Cove, Salina, Kansas, June
Kenwood Cove, Salina, Kansas, June · Photo: Smuckola, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Where it is
Salina
Salina in Kansas
Kansas in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of Salina's center.

9
grocery stores
40
restaurants
4
coffee shops
21
parks
25
playgrounds
2
libraries
3
movie theaters
2
live theaters
2
museums
2
bookstores
2
bars
3
pharmacies
3
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of Salina.

Bike lanes and bike paths
19 miles
more than most U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
19 miles
about typical for a U.S. town

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 6,605 rented homes in Salina, 97% rent for under $2,000 a month and 100% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 64%
$1,000 to $1,499: 29%
$1,500 to $1,999: 4%
$2,000 to $2,499: 3%
$2,500 to $2,999: 0%
$3,000 or more: 0%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in Salina rents for under $1,000 a month. First month plus a one-month deposit comes to about under $2,000 before you get the keys.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Your first weeks in Kansas

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Kansas DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Kansas voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

3 public school districts in this county, with about 8,072 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Salina · Salina
6,952 students · 12.8 students per teacher · 13 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Southeast of Saline · Gypsum
691 students · 13.3 students per teacher · 2 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Ell-Saline · Brookville
429 students · 14.3 students per teacher · 2 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Kansas keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$96/week
about $5,000 a year
$98/week
about $5,100 a year
Toddler (2)$98/week
about $5,100 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$98/week
about $5,100 a year
$83/week
about $4,300 a year
School-age$82/week
about $4,300 a year

For an infant at a center: $96/week here, $157 across KS, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 6% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in Kansas →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

2 colleges in the county around Salina. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

Salina Area Technical College · Salina
Public, 2-year (community college) · 1,007 students · $7,020 a year
Kansas Wesleyan University · Salina
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 951 students · $33,470 a year

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Homeowners insurance
About $5,260 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in KS. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Low
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
3 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
Fewer than 10 a year
The CDC doesn't publish exact counts under 10. KS average: 16.1 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 5.4 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 883 people without housing in the Kansas Balance of State area (102 counties): 588 in shelters and 295 outside, down from 1,089 in 2024. KS: 8.9 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$63,316
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
1.33% of home value a year
About $1,330 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 5.58%
KS's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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