Stafford County

Stafford County is located in south-central Kansas, positioned on the central Great Plains west of Wichita and east of the Arkansas River valley. Established in 1867 and organized in 1879, the county developed during the late-19th-century settlement era, with rail connections and irrigation supporting agricultural growth. Stafford County is small in population, with roughly 4,000 residents, and its communities are predominantly rural. The local economy is anchored in agriculture, including wheat, grain sorghum, cattle production, and related agribusiness, alongside public services and small-scale manufacturing. The landscape is characterized by flat to gently rolling prairie, cultivated fields, and rangeland, with a semi-arid climate typical of the region. Cultural life reflects longstanding Plains traditions and small-town civic institutions. The county seat and largest city is Stafford.

Stafford County is located in south-central Kansas on the central Great Plains, with St. John as the county seat. The county lies west of Wichita and is part of the broader Arkansas River basin region of Kansas.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Stafford County, Kansas, Stafford County had a population of 4,071 (2020).

Age & Gender

The U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts profile reports the following:

• Age distribution (selected categories)

  • Under 18 years: data available in QuickFacts
  • 65 years and over: data available in QuickFacts
    (QuickFacts presents age in selected categories rather than a full age-by-year breakdown.)

• Gender ratio

  • Female persons (percent): data available in QuickFacts
    (QuickFacts provides sex as the share female; a male-to-female ratio can be derived from those percentages, but QuickFacts is the cited county-level source for the underlying measure.)

Racial & Ethnic Composition

County-level racial and ethnic composition is reported by the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts profile, including:

• Race (alone or in combination, depending on category as displayed by QuickFacts)

  • White
  • Black or African American
  • American Indian and Alaska Native
  • Asian
  • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
  • Two or more races

• Ethnicity

  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

Household & Housing Data

The U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts profile includes core household and housing indicators for Stafford County, such as:

• Households and living arrangements

  • Number of households
  • Persons per household
  • Owner-occupied housing unit rate

• Housing stock

  • Total housing units
  • Median value of owner-occupied housing units
  • Median selected monthly owner costs (with and without a mortgage)
  • Median gross rent

For local government and planning resources, visit the Stafford County official website.

Stafford County, in south-central Kansas, is a sparsely populated rural area where long distances between towns can raise the per-household cost of wired networks, shaping how residents access email and other online services.

Direct county-level email usage statistics are not routinely published; broadband subscription, device access, and demographics serve as proxies for likely email adoption. County digital access indicators, including household computer availability and broadband subscription rates, are available from the U.S. Census Bureau data portal (American Community Survey). Areas with lower broadband subscription and lower computer access generally face greater reliance on smartphones or public access points for email.

Age distribution influences email adoption because older populations tend to use email more for formal communications, while younger cohorts often rely more on messaging platforms; Stafford County age structure can be referenced via ACS demographic tables. Gender composition is typically near-balanced and is not a primary driver of email access compared with broadband and age.

Connectivity constraints in rural Kansas—limited last-mile competition and gaps in high-capacity service—are tracked in the FCC National Broadband Map, indicating where infrastructure may limit reliable email access.

Stafford County is located in south-central Kansas on the Great Plains. It is predominantly rural, with small population centers (including Stafford and St. John), low population density, and generally flat-to-gently rolling terrain typical of the region. These characteristics tend to shape mobile connectivity by increasing the average distance between cell sites and making coverage quality more dependent on tower spacing, backhaul availability, and in-building signal penetration rather than terrain blockage.

Scope, definitions, and data limitations (county-level vs broader geographies)

County-specific statistics for “mobile penetration” (the share of people with a mobile subscription) are not consistently published at the county level in the United States. As a result:

• Network availability in Stafford County can be described using carrier-coverage and broadband availability datasets (e.g., FCC coverage maps).
• Household adoption (the share of households relying on smartphones for internet access, having cellular data plans, or being “wireless-only”) is more commonly published at national, state, or large-area levels and is not always available as a reliable, directly comparable county metric.

This overview clearly separates availability (where networks exist) from adoption (whether households subscribe and use mobile service as their primary connection).

Network availability in Stafford County (coverage presence, not subscriptions)

The primary public source for U.S. mobile broadband availability is the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection (BDC).

• 4G LTE availability: In rural Kansas counties, 4G LTE is generally the baseline mobile broadband layer, with the best outdoor coverage near towns and along major roads and more variable coverage in sparsely populated areas. The definitive, location-based depiction of LTE availability in Stafford County is provided through the FCC’s coverage layers and location challenges process rather than a single countywide percentage.
• 5G availability: 5G deployments are often concentrated in more populated corridors and may appear as patchwork coverage outside towns. In rural areas, 5G presence frequently depends on specific carrier deployments and spectrum bands, with meaningful differences between “5G coverage exists” and “5G delivers materially higher performance than LTE” at a given location.
• Verification and map source: FCC BDC maps allow address- and area-level inspection of reported mobile broadband coverage by provider and technology. See the FCC’s official mapping portal via the FCC National Broadband Map.

Key distinction: FCC BDC layers describe where providers report service availability. They do not measure whether residents at those locations subscribe, the plan tier purchased, indoor signal quality, congestion at peak times, or device capability.

Household adoption and “mobile-only” access (adoption, not availability)

County-level mobile adoption indicators are limited. The most consistently used household proxy in widely available public data is whether a household has:

• a broadband subscription (overall), and/or
• a cellular data plan as part of internet access reporting (availability of that detail varies by table and geography).

For Stafford County-specific household internet subscription counts, the primary federal source is the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), which measures types of internet subscriptions at the household level (with margins of error that can be sizable in small, rural counties).

• ACS household internet subscription: The ACS provides county estimates for overall household internet subscription and, in many geographies, breakout categories such as cellular data plans and broadband types. The most direct entry point is data.census.gov (search “Stafford County, Kansas internet subscription ACS”).
• Interpretation limits in small counties: Rural-county ACS estimates can have wide margins of error; year-to-year changes may reflect sampling variability rather than a true shift in adoption.

Key distinction: ACS describes household adoption (subscription types used), which can include mobile/cellular plans, but it does not measure the quality of coverage at the home, the carrier used, or whether a household experiences usable indoor service.

Mobile internet usage patterns (LTE vs 5G use)

Publicly available, county-specific “usage pattern” metrics such as the share of mobile data traffic carried on LTE versus 5G are typically not published in a standardized way for all counties. What can be stated using public sources is:

• Technology presence (availability): 4G LTE and (in some places) 5G are shown on the FCC BDC map for specific locations in Stafford County (availability measure). See the FCC National Broadband Map.
• Performance and user experience: Consumer experience metrics are often published by private measurement firms but are not authoritative public statistics and may not be available at a Stafford County resolution. The FCC map is the primary public reference for availability, not speed experienced.

Common device types (smartphones vs other devices)

Direct county-level counts of device types (smartphones, basic phones, tablets, hotspots) are not generally published as official statistics. The most reliable public indicators at small-area level relate to household subscription types rather than device models.

What can be documented using public datasets:

• Cellular data plan subscription (proxy for smartphone/mobile device use): In ACS internet subscription tables, “cellular data plan” reflects households reporting internet access through a cellular plan, which is commonly associated with smartphone tethering/hotspots or dedicated mobile broadband devices. County-level estimates may be available through data.census.gov, depending on table and vintage.
• Device mix limitation: ACS does not enumerate the number of smartphones, basic phones, or specific device categories per household. County-level device-type composition is therefore not definitively quantifiable from core federal county tables.

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage and connectivity (documentable influences)

Several factors relevant to Stafford County are well-established in rural broadband research and can be tied to measurable county characteristics (population density, settlement pattern), while avoiding unsupported claims about exact county behavior:

• Rural settlement pattern and tower economics (availability influence): Low population density increases per-user infrastructure cost and can reduce the number of sites available for dense coverage, affecting both outdoor reach and indoor signal levels in dispersed areas. This typically produces stronger service near towns and more variable service in the county’s outlying areas, consistent with rural network engineering constraints.
• Distance to services and reliance on mobile (adoption/use influence, not directly quantified at county level): Rural households often rely more heavily on mobile connectivity for communication and some internet tasks when fixed options are limited or costly, but the degree of reliance cannot be stated definitively for Stafford County without county-specific adoption tables. The ACS can partially quantify fixed vs cellular subscription types through data.census.gov.
• Travel corridors and coverage emphasis (availability influence): Coverage is commonly more continuous along highways and in/around incorporated places. The FCC map provides the most direct public way to observe reported corridor coverage in Stafford County: FCC National Broadband Map.
• County governance and planning context (programmatic influence): State and local broadband initiatives can affect both fixed and mobile backhaul and siting environment. Kansas broadband planning and mapping resources are maintained through the Kansas Office of Broadband Development. Local context can be referenced via the Stafford County, Kansas official website.

Summary: availability vs adoption in Stafford County

• Network availability: Best documented through the FCC’s location-level mobile broadband availability reporting (LTE/5G by provider) on the FCC National Broadband Map. This indicates where service is reported as available, not whether residents subscribe or the quality indoors.
• Household adoption: Best approximated through county-level ACS household subscription tables accessed on data.census.gov. These tables can indicate overall internet subscription and, where available, cellular data plan subscription, but do not enumerate smartphone vs non-smartphone device counts.

Limitations remain significant for Stafford County-specific device-type composition and LTE-vs-5G traffic usage shares because those metrics are not consistently published as official county-level statistics.

Stafford County is a sparsely populated county in south‑central Kansas, with Stafford (the county seat) and St. John among its principal communities. The local economy is closely tied to agriculture and small‑town services, and the county’s rural settlement pattern and commuting/service travel to larger regional hubs influence how residents access and use social platforms (with comparatively higher reliance on mobile connections and community‑oriented online groups).

User statistics (penetration/active use)

• County-specific social media penetration figures are not published in major public datasets (national surveys typically report at the U.S. and sometimes state level rather than county level).
• Nationally, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults use social media according to Pew Research Center findings on U.S. social media use. This provides the most defensible benchmark for interpreting likely participation in places such as rural Kansas counties.
• Kansas is classified as a more rural state than the U.S. average, and social media use tends to be somewhat lower in rural areas than in urban/suburban areas in Pew’s geographic breakouts (a pattern relevant to Stafford County’s rural profile).

Age group trends

Using Pew’s U.S. adult pattern (Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2023):

• 18–29: highest adoption and broadest multi‑platform use.
• 30–49: high adoption; frequent use of Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram; increasing TikTok usage relative to older groups.
• 50–64: moderate-to-high adoption; heavier concentration on Facebook and YouTube.
• 65+: lowest adoption; usage skews toward Facebook and YouTube, with lower uptake of newer short‑form video platforms.

Gender breakdown

Pew’s national patterns indicate platform-level gender differences rather than a single “social media overall” split (Pew Research Center platform demographics):

• Women tend to report higher use of Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
• Men tend to report higher use of YouTube and Reddit. These tendencies are generally consistent across geographies and are commonly used as proxies where local gender-by-platform measurements are unavailable.

Most-used platforms (percentages where available)

National adult usage rates from Pew (latest consolidated measures in Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use in 2023) are the most reliable published percentages applicable as reference points for Stafford County:

• YouTube: 83% of U.S. adults
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 33%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• X (formerly Twitter): 22%
• Snapchat: 27%
• WhatsApp: 29%
• Reddit: 22%

In rural counties, usage typically concentrates more heavily in Facebook and YouTube (broad reach, utility for community information and video) compared with platforms that skew younger or more urban.

Behavioral trends (engagement and preferences)

• Community information and local networks: Rural areas commonly use Facebook for community announcements, school/sports updates, local events, buy/sell activity, and informal local news circulation, aligning with Facebook’s broad adult penetration in Pew’s data.
• Video consumption: High YouTube reach nationally supports a pattern of passive consumption and “how‑to” viewing alongside entertainment; this often complements agricultural, repair, and hobby information needs typical of rural regions.
• Age-driven platform concentration: Younger adults are more likely to split time across short‑form video and messaging-oriented platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat), while older adults’ engagement is more concentrated on Facebook and YouTube.
• Device and access patterns: Rural broadband availability constraints often correlate with heavier reliance on mobile-first social use and asynchronous engagement (scrolling, watching, commenting later) rather than live streaming or high-bandwidth behaviors; this aligns with documented rural connectivity gaps in federal broadband reporting such as the FCC National Broadband Map (used for availability context rather than social-media measurement).
• Content sharing vs. consumption: Across the U.S., observed behavior on major platforms trends toward more consumption than creation for most adults, with higher creation rates among younger cohorts; Pew’s platform-by-age distributions support this broader engagement gradient by age.

Source note: Public, methodologically consistent social-media usage percentages are generally available at national level (Pew) and not at the county level for a small population county such as Stafford County; the figures above use the most recent Pew national benchmarks and widely observed rural/age/gender patterns as the defensible reference context.

Stafford County, Kansas maintains family- and associate-related public records primarily through state and county offices. Birth and death records (vital records) are registered at the state level by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Office of Vital Statistics and are typically accessed via state ordering services rather than county open databases. Adoption records are generally sealed and handled through the courts and state processes, with access restricted by law.

Publicly searchable county databases commonly relate to associations and household/property ties rather than vital events. These include real estate ownership and valuation records through the Stafford County Appraiser, and parcel/tax information through the Stafford County Treasurer. Court records (including some family-related case dockets) are managed through the Kansas judicial system rather than a county-run portal.

Access occurs through a mix of online portals and in-person requests: county property and tax records are available online via county office pages, while certified birth and death certificates are requested through KDHE. In-person access and requests are available at the Stafford County Clerk and other county offices at the courthouse for recorded county documents and administrative records.

Privacy restrictions commonly apply to vital records (birth/death certification eligibility rules), adoption files, and certain court records involving minors or sensitive matters.

Official sources: Stafford County, Kansas (official county website); KDHE Vital Records; Kansas Judicial Branch.

Types of records available

• Marriage license and marriage certificate (return): In Kansas, marriage licensure is handled at the county level. The county issues a marriage license, and after the ceremony the officiant returns documentation to the county, which becomes the county’s marriage record.
• Divorce records (decrees/judgments and case files): Divorce actions are filed as civil cases in the district court. The court maintains the divorce decree/journal entry of judgment and the broader case file (pleadings, orders, and related filings).
• Annulment records (decrees/judgments and case files): Annulments are handled by the district court in a manner similar to divorce, with a court order/decree and associated case file.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

• Marriage records

  • Filing office: Stafford County Clerk (county marriage license records).
  • Access: Requests are typically made through the County Clerk’s office for copies or verification. Record availability and search methods depend on the county’s indexing practices and retention of older volumes.
  • State-level vital records: The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), Office of Vital Statistics maintains statewide marriage records for certified copies under Kansas vital records procedures.
    Link: KDHE Vital Records

• Divorce and annulment records

  • Filing office: District Court (Clerk of the District Court) for Stafford County; divorce and annulment are judicial proceedings recorded in the court docket and maintained in the court’s files.
  • Access: Public access is generally through the Clerk of the District Court for copies of filed documents and for docket/case lookup, subject to court rules and any sealing or redaction requirements.
  • State-level indexing (limited): Kansas courts also maintain electronic case records for many matters; availability and scope vary by case type and time period.
    Link: Kansas Judicial Branch resources (forms/rules gateway) (court system entry point; specific case access is administered through the Kansas courts’ electronic records services)

Typical information included in these records

• Marriage license / county marriage record

  • Full legal names of parties
  • Date of license issuance and county of issuance
  • Date and place of marriage ceremony (as returned)
  • Name and title/authority of officiant
  • Signatures/attestations as required by the form
  • Sometimes: ages/date of birth, residence, and prior marital status depending on the form/version used

• Divorce decree / judgment (district court)

  • Case caption (party names) and case number
  • Date of decree/journal entry and court location
  • Findings/orders dissolving the marriage
  • Orders on legal issues such as property division, debt allocation, spousal maintenance, child custody/parenting time, and child support (when applicable)
  • Any approved agreements incorporated into the decree

• Annulment decree / judgment (district court)

  • Case caption and case number
  • Date of order and court location
  • Determination that the marriage is annulled/void/voidable under Kansas law, and related orders (property, support, children) as applicable

Privacy or legal restrictions

• Marriage records

  • County marriage license records are generally treated as public records, but access to certain personal identifiers may be limited in practice by office policy and redaction standards.
  • Certified copies issued by KDHE are governed by Kansas vital records laws and administrative rules, which restrict issuance of certified copies to legally eligible requesters and require identity verification.

• Divorce and annulment court records

  • Court records are generally public, but Kansas courts restrict or redact certain information and may seal specific filings by court order.
  • Confidential information commonly protected includes Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and sensitive information involving minors; records involving children and support may have additional protections for personally identifying details.
  • Access to documents can be limited where statutes, court rules, or judicial orders require confidentiality or sealing.

Stafford County is a rural county in south-central Kansas, anchored by the cities of Stafford (county seat) and St. John, with a small-population, agriculture-oriented community context and long-distance access to larger job centers in nearby counties. The county has an older-than-metro age profile typical of rural Kansas and relatively low housing density outside its small towns.

Education Indicators

Public school systems and schools

Stafford County’s public K–12 education is primarily served by two unified school districts:

• USD 349 (Stafford)
• USD 350 (St. John–Hudson)

School counts and current school names can change due to consolidation and grade reconfiguration; the most authoritative, up-to-date directory is the Kansas State Department of Education’s district and school listings (see [Kansas State Department of Education directories](https://www.ksde.gov/Agency/Directories "Kansas State Department of Education directories" target="_blank")). Public schools are concentrated in Stafford and St. John, with service areas extending across surrounding rural townships.

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

• Student–teacher ratios (county-specific): A single countywide ratio is not consistently published because staffing and enrollment are reported by district and school building. For comparable rural Kansas districts, ratios commonly fall in the low-to-mid teens (students per teacher); this is a regional proxy, not a Stafford County-specific published value.
• Graduation rates: Kansas reports graduation outcomes through statewide and district reporting. Stafford County’s graduation performance is best represented through USD 349 and USD 350 annual accountability and graduation publications rather than a county aggregate. Kansas district outcomes and report cards are accessible through state reporting resources (see [KSDE accountability and report card resources](https://www.ksde.gov/Agency/Accountability "KSDE accountability and report card resources" target="_blank")).
  Note: A definitive countywide graduation rate is often not presented as a single statistic in state reporting; district-level values are the standard.

Adult educational attainment

Adult educational attainment is typically reported through the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). Stafford County generally reflects rural Kansas patterns:

• High school diploma or higher: the clear majority of adults.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher: below large-metro Kansas levels, but present in key local roles (education, healthcare, management, public administration).
  The most recent county estimates are available through [U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Stafford County, Kansas](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/staffordcountykansas "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Stafford County, Kansas" target="_blank") (Education section).

Notable programs (STEM, CTE/vocational, AP)

Kansas districts commonly offer:

• Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways aligned to Kansas’s [CTE framework](https://www.ksde.gov/Agency/Division-of-Learning-Services/Career-Technical-Education "Kansas CTE framework" target="_blank"), often including agriculture, business, health-related pathways, and trades exposure through regional partnerships.
• Concurrent enrollment / dual credit options via community colleges or technical colleges (typically arranged regionally).
• Advanced coursework (including AP or honors): availability varies by high school size and staffing; small rural high schools often provide advanced coursework through a mix of in-person classes and online/virtual options.
  County-specific program inventories are not consistently centralized; district program pages and KSDE CTE participation reporting are the most reliable references.

School safety measures and counseling resources

Kansas public schools generally implement a combination of:

• Building access controls (secured entries, visitor sign-in), emergency drills, and coordination with local law enforcement and emergency management.
• Student services staffing that typically includes school counselors and, depending on district size/resources, school psychologists, social workers, or contracted mental health providers.
  Specific safety and counseling staffing levels are typically documented in district handbooks/board policies rather than in county summary datasets. State-level context is available through [KSDE school safety resources](https://www.ksde.gov/Agency/Division-of-Learning-Services/School-Safety-and-Security "KSDE school safety resources" target="_blank").

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent)

The most consistently cited official series for county unemployment is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). The latest annual and monthly estimates for Stafford County are published through the BLS and Kansas labor market reporting (see [BLS LAUS county unemployment data](https://www.bls.gov/lau/ "BLS LAUS county unemployment data" target="_blank") and [Kansas Department of Labor labor market information](https://www.dol.ks.gov/labor-market-information "Kansas Department of Labor labor market information" target="_blank")).
Note: A single “most recent year” figure is not embedded here because BLS updates frequently; the linked LAUS series is the definitive source.

Major industries and employment sectors

Stafford County’s employment base is typical of rural south-central Kansas:

• Agriculture (crop and livestock) and agriculture-support services
• Local government and public education (county, city, school districts)
• Healthcare and social assistance (clinics, long-term care, outpatient services)
• Retail trade and accommodation/food services centered in Stafford and St. John
• Construction and transportation tied to regional service needs and farm/ag supply chains
  County-level industry shares are available through ACS “Industry by occupation” and labor market summaries (see [Census ACS county profiles](https://data.census.gov/ "Census ACS county profiles" target="_blank")).

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

The occupational mix generally features:

• Management and office/administrative support (public sector, small business, finance/admin)
• Education, training, and library occupations (K–12)
• Healthcare practitioners/support (nursing, aides, technicians)
• Sales and related (retail/service)
• Transportation/material moving, construction, and maintenance roles
• Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations and farm operators (often undercounted in standard wage-and-salary occupation tables due to self-employment/farm proprietors)
  Definitive county occupation distributions are published through ACS tables (see [data.census.gov](https://data.census.gov/ "data.census.gov" target="_blank")).

Commuting patterns and mean commute time

• Commuting patterns: A substantial share of workers commute out of the county for employment, reflecting limited local job density and the pull of larger regional centers in adjacent counties.
• Mean commute time: Rural Kansas counties often show commute times around the 20–30 minute range; the precise Stafford County mean is reported in ACS commuting tables. The most recent estimate is available through [Census QuickFacts (Commute time)](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/staffordcountykansas "Census QuickFacts (Commute time)" target="_blank") or detailed ACS tables in [data.census.gov](https://data.census.gov/ "data.census.gov" target="_blank").
  Note: The 20–30 minute range is a regional proxy; the linked sources provide the definitive county estimate.

Local employment vs. out-of-county work

ACS “Place of Work” and commuting-flow style tables commonly show rural counties functioning as net labor exporters (more residents working outside the county than nonresidents commuting in). Stafford County generally fits this pattern, with local employment concentrated in government/education, healthcare, retail/service, and agriculture while specialized and higher-volume employment is accessed in surrounding counties. The most current county measures are available through [ACS commuting and place-of-work tables on data.census.gov](https://data.census.gov/ "ACS commuting and place-of-work tables on data.census.gov" target="_blank").

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership and rental share

Stafford County housing tenure is predominantly owner-occupied, reflecting single-family and farmstead housing patterns common in rural Kansas. The most recent homeownership and renter shares are reported in ACS and summarized on [Census QuickFacts for Stafford County](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/staffordcountykansas "Census QuickFacts for Stafford County" target="_blank") (Housing section).

Median property values and recent trends

• Median value of owner-occupied housing: Reported via ACS; Stafford County typically falls below Kansas metro medians due to lower land and structure prices and slower appreciation.
• Trends: Rural Kansas counties often experience modest, uneven appreciation with stronger movement during 2020–2022 and normalization afterward; this is a regional trend proxy and not a county-specific measured statement.
  The definitive current median value is available in [QuickFacts (Median value of owner-occupied housing)](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/staffordcountykansas "QuickFacts (Median value of owner-occupied housing)" target="_blank").

Typical rent prices

• Median gross rent: Reported via ACS (and summarized in QuickFacts). Rental supply in Stafford County is generally limited and concentrated in the small towns, with fewer large multifamily properties than metro areas.
  The most recent median gross rent is available through [QuickFacts (Median gross rent)](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/staffordcountykansas "QuickFacts (Median gross rent)" target="_blank").

Types of housing

• Single-family detached homes dominate in Stafford and St. John and in unincorporated areas.
• Rural lots/farmsteads are common outside town limits, with agricultural outbuildings and larger parcels.
• Apartments/small multifamily units exist in town, typically in low-rise buildings or converted structures rather than large complexes.
  ACS “Units in structure” tables provide the county’s building-type distribution (via [data.census.gov](https://data.census.gov/ "data.census.gov" target="_blank")).

Neighborhood characteristics and access to amenities

• In-town neighborhoods (Stafford, St. John): shortest access to schools, clinics, grocery/convenience retail, parks, and civic services. School campuses and athletic facilities are typically located within or near town residential grids.
• Rural areas: greater travel distances to schools and services; housing is more dispersed with reliance on county roads and state highways.

Property tax overview (rates and typical homeowner cost)

Kansas property tax bills depend on assessed value, local mill levies (school, city, county), and exemptions. County-specific mill levies vary by jurisdiction and year; the most reliable public summary is maintained by Kansas taxing authorities and the county appraiser/treasurer.

• Effective property tax rates: Kansas effective rates are commonly around ~1.3%–1.6% of market value as a statewide ballpark; this is a state-level proxy and not a Stafford County-specific computed rate.
• Typical homeowner cost: Best represented by median real estate taxes paid reported in ACS (QuickFacts) and local levy tables published by Kansas or county offices. The current county value is available via [QuickFacts (Median real estate taxes paid)](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/staffordcountykansas "QuickFacts (Median real estate taxes paid)" target="_blank").