The Town FilesHarper, Kansas
City in Harper County · population 1,313 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $78,600
- Household income
- $54,250
- Jan low / Jul high
- 22° / 93°
- Snow a year
- 11 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 32
- Median age
- 37.6
Harper is a city of 1,313 people in Harper County, Kansas. The median home is worth $78,600, below the typical Kansas town ($128,200). It ranks easier by car than 80% of Kansas towns, quieter than 78% of Kansas towns.
How Harper ranks
Percentile among Kansas towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Kansas towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Harper is worth $78,600, below the typical Kansas town ($128,200). Homes cost about 1.4 times the median household income of $54,250, which is more affordable than 92% of Kansas towns. Median rent is $805 a month. 63.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Harper | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $78,600 | $128,200 |
| Median rent | $805 | $815 |
| Median household income | $54,250 | $63,857 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.4× | 2.1× |
| Homeownership | 63.4% | 73.7% |
| Median year built | 1957 | 1964 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.9% | — |
Who lives in Harper
| People | Harper | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.6 | 38.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 18.5% | 19.0% |
| Under 18 | 19.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.7% | 24.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 19.1% | 10.6% |
| Veterans | 7.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 6.3% | — |
| Work from home | 2.4% | 6.4% |
| Average commute | 13.9 min | 19.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 81.8% | 89.2% |
Weather in Harper
July highs average 92.9°F and January lows 22.4°F. About 33.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 11.1 inches of snow (typical Kansas town: 12.4 in). Expect about 70 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 101 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
32 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Harper since 1950, compared with 26 for the typical Kansas town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on May 19, 2012 about 1.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 17, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 114 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on July 20, 2009.
Severe weather in Harper County since 1996
Harper County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4943: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| September 11, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4891: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| March 29, 2020 | Biological | DR-4504: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3481: Covid-19 |
| June 20, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4449: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Harper County
Harper County had 2,422 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,237 a year. Unemployment was 2.3% in 2023; in Harper itself the ACS puts it at 0.8%.
Public schools in Harper
1 public school with 251 students, about 13.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Elem | PK-6 | 251 | 13.2 |
Towns near Harper
- Anthony, KS8.8 mi · 2,108 people · home $69,000
- Attica, KS11.4 mi · 516 people · home $66,700
- Conway Springs, KS22.3 mi · 1,086 people · home $113,300
- Kingman, KS25.5 mi · 3,105 people · home $73,800
- Cheney, KS27.8 mi · 2,181 people · home $167,900
- Caldwell, KS28.8 mi · 1,025 people · home $75,600
Harper questions
Is Harper, Kansas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Harper scores better for retirees than 69% of Kansas towns and quieter than 78%. 18.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.6).
How much does a house cost in Harper?
The median owner-occupied home in Harper is valued at $78,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $54,250, so homes cost about 1.4 times income. Median rent is $805 a month.
What is the weather like in Harper?
July highs average 92.9°F and January lows 22.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.1 inches of precipitation a year and 11.1 inches of snow.
Does Harper get tornadoes?
32 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Harper since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on May 19, 2012. The typical Kansas town has had 26.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)