Kansas has a lot of history, a lot of different types of landscapes, and a friendly society. But not all of its towns are doing well or appealing to people who want to live there. Some of them are having a hard time because their populations are going down, their economies aren’t growing, the environment is getting worse, there is crime, and there aren’t enough jobs. People are leaving these seven Kansas towns as soon as possible.
1. Coffeyville
In 1892, the Dalton Gang and the people of Coffeyville, Kansas, got into a famous fight that made the town famous. Coffeyville is in southeastern Kansas. But in the past few years, Coffeyville has had a drop in industry, a high rate of poverty, a low median income, and a high crime rate. The U.S. Census Bureau says that The number of people living in Coffeyville dropped by 9.4%. This made it one of the Kansas towns with the smallest populations.
2. Independence
This is another town in southeast Kansas that has seen better times. It was where former U.S. President Harry S. Truman grew up and where Miss Able, the first monkey pilot, was born. But people in Independence have lost their jobs, the quality of life has gone down, and social issues have appeared. The number of people living in Independence dropped by 8.3%. The town has some of the highest rates of unemployment, poverty, and serious crime in the state.
3. Liberal
In southwestern Kansas, there is a town called Liberal. It is famous for its International Pancake Day race and its Dorothy’s House museum, which has a copy of the house from The Wizard of Oz. But Liberal also has some problems that make people want to leave, like not enough entertainment, schooling, or health care. Liberal lost 6.5% of its residents between 2010 and 2023. The town has one of the lowest life expectancies, lowest high school graduation rates, and lowest median family incomes in Kansas.
4. Ulysses
The town of Ulysses in western Kansas is named for the Greek hero from The Odyssey. But not many people want to stay or go back to Ulysses. Ulysses is a small town that is very far from any big cities or tourist spots. The town also depends a lot on farming, which makes it subject to things like droughts, floods, pests, and changes in the market. The number of people living in Ulysses dropped by 6.4%. The town has one of the highest rates of housing vacancies, food poverty, and suicide in Kansas.
5. Concordia
The town of Concordia is in the north-central part of Kansas. It is home to Cloud County Community College and the National Orphan Train Complex, which remembers the children who were abandoned and moved from cities in the east to rural areas in the late 1800s and early 1900s. But Concordia is also a town that is having a hard time keeping locals and getting new ones, especially young people. When it comes to jobs, cultural amenities, leisure, and social events, Concordia is not a very busy town. The number of people living in Concordia dropped by 6.3%. The town has one of the lowest median ages, lowest rates of college enrollment, and lowest rates of births in Kansas.
6. Wellington
Wellington is a town in the middle of Kansas in the south. It is the county seat of Sumner County and is known as the “Wheat Capital of the World.” Yet, Wellington is a town that is losing both its charm and its people. The decline of agriculture, the closing of local businesses, the damage to infrastructure, and the movement of people to bigger areas have all done a lot of damage to Wellington. The number of people living in Wellington dropped by 5.9%. The town has one of the highest water rates, property tax rates, and debt per person in Kansas.
7. Parsons
There is a town called Parsons in the southeast of Kansas. It is home to the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant and the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center. There are, however, some problems in Parsons that are causing people to leave. The economy in Parsons isn’t growing very fast, the schools aren’t very good, it’s hard to get medical care, and a lot of people abuse drugs. The number of people living in Parsons dropped by 5.8%. The town has one of the lowest median family incomes, the lowest rates of college completion, and the highest rates of opioid overdoses in Kansas.
Statistical Data:
| Town | Location | Population Change | Main Issues | Notable Features/Amenities |
| Coffeyville | Southeastern Kansas | -9.4% | Drop in industry, high poverty, low median income, high crime rate | Famous for the 1892 Dalton Gang incident |
| Independence | Southeastern Kansas | -8.3% | Job loss, decreased quality of life, high unemployment, poverty, and crime rates | Birthplace of Miss Able (first monkey pilot), Truman’s hometown |
| Liberal | Southwestern Kansas | -6.5% | Lack of entertainment, schooling, healthcare; low life expectancy, graduation rates, and median family income | Pancake Day race, Dorothy’s House museum |
| Ulysses | Western Kansas | -6.4% | Dependence on farming, high housing vacancies, food poverty, and suicide rates | Named after the Greek hero, Ulysses |
| Concordia | North-Central Kansas | -6.3% | Difficulty retaining and attracting locals, especially young people; low median age, college enrollment, and birth rates | Home to Cloud County Community College, National Orphan Train Complex |
| Wellington | Central Kansas | -5.9% | Decline in agriculture, closing businesses, damaged infrastructure, movement to larger areas; high water rates, property tax rates, and debt per person | “Wheat Capital of the World” |
| Parsons | Southeastern Kansas | -5.8% | Slow economic growth, poor schools, limited medical care, high drug abuse rates; low median family income, college completion rates, high opioid overdoses | Home to Kansas Army Ammunition Plant, Parsons State Hospital and Training Center |
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Conclusion
These are some Kansas places where people are running away as fast as they can. These are places that have been changed by things like falling property values, bad neighborhoods, environmental damage, and changes in the population. These are towns that need help and care right away to stop going downhill and bring life back to their communities. These towns should have better things.