Jobs, pay and daily life in Atchison, 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 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Atchison is a city in Kansas with 10,785 residents. The median household earns $54,474 a year and the median rent is $737 a month, which is 16.2% of the median household income. The nearest metropolitan area with BLS wage data is Kansas City, MO-KS (1,096,110 jobs), about 20 miles away; this place is probably not part of it, so its pay tables are a reference only.
How Atchison compares. Among the 60 largest places in Kansas, Atchison is #35 by population, #4 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #52 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #49 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Atchison County, is #18 of 105 counties for average pay ($51,842).
Atchison has 10,785 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of Kansas. It covers 8 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,345 people per square mile. The median age is 29.1, 22% younger than the state median (29.1 against 37.4).
The median gross rent is $737 a month (rent plus utilities), 30% below the state median ($737 against $1,060). Over a year that is 16.2% 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 $129,700, which is 2.4 times the median household income ($54,474); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 60.5% of households own their home, 10% below the state average (60.5% against 67.2%).
The nearest metropolitan area with wage data is Kansas City, MO-KS, metropolitan area has 1,096,110 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $50,820 a year, about the same as the national median ($50,820 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (123,320 jobs, median $46,980); transportation and material moving (104,360 jobs, median $44,570); food preparation and serving related (96,330 jobs, median $32,000). The area is most specialised in personal care and service (1.2 times) and architecture and engineering (1.2 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($117,420) and computer and mathematical ($100,770). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Atchison County was 3.7%. 61.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Atchison County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 67.2% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 12.4% walk, 8.6% work from home. 12.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 63% above the state average (12.0% against 7.4%).
26.8% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 25% below the state share (26.8% against 35.6%). 2.8% of residents were born outside the United States, 62% below the state share (2.8% against 7.4%). The poverty rate is 15.8%, 40% above the state rate (15.8% against 11.3%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 79°F (26.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 27°F (-2.7°C). About 959 mm (38 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (136 mm) and Jan the driest (24 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: Leavenworth (20 miles, rent 67% higher); St. Joseph (22 miles, rent 22% higher); Lansing (25 miles, rent 91% higher); Basehor (32 miles, rent 71% higher). Rent differences are against Atchison; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Kansas (341) →State guide: KansasCountry guideAtchison 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.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 31,080 | 1.26 | $90,490 | $47,080 | $219,230 | -14% |
| Registered Nurses | 29,650 | 1.24 | $83,040 | $66,970 | $103,540 | -15% |
| Retail Salespersons | 26,110 | 0.95 | $34,320 | $28,630 | $47,150 | -3% |
| Cashiers | 24,160 | 1.11 | $30,700 | $28,600 | $38,160 | -7% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 23,580 | 1.18 | $36,850 | $30,000 | $52,130 | -1% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 22,240 | 1.22 | $44,350 | $31,420 | $62,510 | -1% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 20,870 | 0.69 | $32,780 | $28,600 | $44,420 | -8% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 20,120 | 0.74 | $29,560 | $23,550 | $35,840 | -5% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 19,070 | 0.92 | $41,700 | $31,350 | $51,600 | +4% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 18,230 | 1.25 | $60,170 | $44,070 | $80,900 | +3% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 16,540 | 1.03 | $36,080 | $28,600 | $63,260 | +2% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 15,930 | 1.32 | $46,810 | $33,680 | $61,720 | -2% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 13,850 | 3.07 | $30,170 | $29,180 | $34,800 | -2% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 13,770 | 1.39 | $54,990 | $36,810 | $78,900 | +23% |
| Nursing Assistants | 13,370 | 1.31 | $39,710 | $36,510 | $48,130 | -6% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 12,950 | 0.83 | $36,350 | $30,200 | $47,050 | -1% |
| Software Developers | 12,160 | 1.02 | $124,990 | $76,340 | $169,440 | -8% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 11,500 | 1.17 | $61,060 | $48,120 | $78,940 | -5% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 11,260 | 1.10 | $80,040 | $54,680 | $130,320 | -4% |
| Office Clerks, General | 10,520 | 0.61 | $45,640 | $31,110 | $65,730 | +1% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 990 | 0.69 | $221,640 | $80,390 | $503,890 | +4% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 980 | 2.68 | $218,080 | $167,250 | $464,130 | -8% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 590 | 0.77 | $213,950 | $74,550 | $425,160 | -12% |
| Dentists, General | 1,070 | 1.22 | $171,690 | $95,610 | $340,330 | +0% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 4,710 | 1.00 | $168,050 | $105,680 | $234,030 | -4% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 1,820 | 1.17 | $162,680 | $109,840 | $225,460 | -5% |
| Financial Managers | 4,970 | 0.84 | $162,490 | $101,060 | $296,870 | -2% |
| Purchasing Managers | 690 | 1.17 | $161,910 | $102,730 | $221,670 | +9% |
| Human Resources Managers | 1,380 | 0.89 | $140,890 | $91,780 | $220,570 | -6% |
| Pharmacists | 2,640 | 1.16 | $139,460 | $85,500 | $172,430 | -1% |
| Marketing Managers | 2,260 | 0.81 | $139,240 | $81,710 | $227,820 | -17% |
| Managers, All Other | 3,780 | 0.86 | $136,530 | $73,750 | $211,950 | -4% |
| Lawyers | 5,310 | 1.00 | $134,640 | $78,310 | $287,200 | -16% |
| Physician Assistants | 540 | 0.47 | $133,350 | $101,600 | $165,740 | -2% |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 1,960 | 0.97 | $130,850 | $60,310 | $205,470 | +25% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 2,730 | 1.20 | $130,760 | $97,030 | $159,810 | -1% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 1,430 | 0.82 | $129,300 | $79,750 | $208,930 | +3% |
| Database Architects | 570 | 1.21 | $127,590 | $67,690 | $165,010 | -9% |
| Physicians, All Other | 3,310 | 1.37 | $126,260 | $67,070 | $448,550 | -53% |
| Software Developers | 12,160 | 1.02 | $124,990 | $76,340 | $169,440 | -8% |
These figures are for the nearest metropolitan area with wage data, Kansas City, MO-KS, about 20 miles away. They show what the regional labour market pays; they are not a measure of this city.
Median pay across all occupations: $50,820 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 33.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.1% |
| Retail trade | 10.9% |
| Manufacturing | 9.4% |
| Public administration | 6.3% |
| Construction | 6.0% |
| Other services | 4.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 4.3% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.5% |
| Information | 0.6% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Atchison 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atchison County | 16,208 | $845 million | $52,150 | 5,566 | 428 | $51,842 | +1.2% | 3.7% | 8,333 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 675 | 21.8% | $91,956 | 1.48 |
| Accommodation and food services | 609 | 19.7% | $15,928 | 1.20 |
| Retail trade | 576 | 18.6% | $27,556 | 1.04 |
| Construction | 274 | 8.9% | $57,396 | 0.94 |
| Finance and insurance | 267 | 8.6% | $72,924 | 1.18 |
| Professional and technical services | 224 | 7.2% | $66,098 | 0.58 |
| Wholesale trade | 192 | 6.2% | $73,369 | 0.88 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 96 | 3.1% | $23,606 | 0.57 |
| Administrative and waste services | 51 | 1.6% | $28,832 | 0.16 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 47 | 1.5% | $21,715 | 0.50 |
| Management of companies | 44 | 1.4% | $84,319 | 0.47 |
| Information | 20 | 0.6% | $72,820 | 0.19 |
| Real estate and rental | 18 | 0.6% | $31,950 | 0.21 |
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 | 67.2% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 12.4% |
| Work from home | 8.6% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 12.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,474 |
| Income per person | $26,812 |
| Median gross rent per month | $737 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.2% |
| Median home value | $129,700 |
| Homeowners | 60.5% |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% |
| Price level of the nearest metro area (US = 100) | 92.5 |
| Nearest metro median pay, all occupations | $50,820 |
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 | 29.1 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 95.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 26.8% |
| Born abroad | 2.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 61.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -2.7 | 27 | 24 |
| Feb | -1.0 | 30 | 34 |
| Mar | 6.0 | 43 | 58 |
| Apr | 12.3 | 54 | 96 |
| May | 18.0 | 64 | 136 |
| Jun | 23.6 | 74 | 134 |
| Jul | 26.2 | 79 | 102 |
| Aug | 25.0 | 77 | 127 |
| Sep | 20.1 | 68 | 86 |
| Oct | 12.5 | 54 | 85 |
| Nov | 5.7 | 42 | 38 |
| Dec | -0.6 | 31 | 39 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leavenworth | KS | 20 mi | 37,195 | $72,987 | $1,229 |
| St. Joseph | MO | 22 mi | 71,236 | $57,956 | $898 |
| Lansing | KS | 25 mi | 11,246 | $102,786 | $1,406 |
| Basehor | KS | 32 mi | 7,491 | $116,769 | $1,257 |
| Tonganoxie | KS | 32 mi | 5,891 | $80,109 | $1,224 |
| Bonner Springs | KS | 37 mi | 7,839 | $83,218 | $1,165 |
| Kansas City | KS | 37 mi | 155,135 | $62,401 | $1,123 |
| Gladstone | MO | 39 mi | 27,207 | $79,271 | $1,088 |
| Shawnee | KS | 42 mi | 68,542 | $109,940 | $1,322 |
| Lawrence | KS | 42 mi | 96,051 | $65,009 | $1,091 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
10,785 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$737 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.2% of the median household income.
$54,474 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.7% (BLS county, Atchison County (latest month 2026M09)).
Kansas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.