The Town FilesPlainville, Kansas
City in Rooks County · population 1,746 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $82,500
- Household income
- $59,236
- Jan low / Jul high
- 17° / 91°
- Snow a year
- 20 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 30
- Median age
- 41.9
Plainville is a city of 1,746 people in Rooks County, Kansas. The median home is worth $82,500, below the typical Kansas town ($128,200). It ranks easier by car than 91% of Kansas towns, better for first-time buyers than 86% of Kansas towns, better for retirees than 84% of Kansas towns.
How Plainville 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 Plainville is worth $82,500, below the typical Kansas town ($128,200). Homes cost about 1.4 times the median household income of $59,236, which is more affordable than 92% of Kansas towns. Median rent is $773 a month. 74.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Plainville | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $82,500 | $128,200 |
| Median rent | $773 | $815 |
| Median household income | $59,236 | $63,857 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.4× | 2.1× |
| Homeownership | 74.4% | 73.7% |
| Median year built | 1955 | 1964 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 5.4% | — |
Who lives in Plainville
| People | Plainville | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.9 | 38.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.8% | 19.0% |
| Under 18 | 22.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.7% | 24.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.5% | 10.6% |
| Veterans | 7.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.1% | — |
| Work from home | 3.8% | 6.4% |
| Average commute | 13.9 min | 19.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.2% | 89.2% |
Weather in Plainville
July highs average 91.3°F and January lows 17.3°F. About 26.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 19.7 inches of snow (typical Kansas town: 12.4 in). Expect about 57 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 142 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
30 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Plainville since 1950, compared with 26 for the typical Kansas town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on April 25, 1990 about 8.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 8, 2016.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 78 times; the largest was 4.25 inches on August 9, 2011.
Severe weather in Rooks County since 1996
Rooks County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4869: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires |
| May 25, 2022 | Snowstorm | DR-4654: Severe Winter Storms And Straight-Line Winds |
| February 17, 2022 | Severe Storm | DR-4640: Severe Storms And Straight Line Winds |
| March 29, 2020 | Biological | DR-4504: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3481: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Rooks County
Rooks County had 1,746 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $44,590 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Plainville itself the ACS puts it at 1.5%.
Public schools in Plainville
2 public schools with 430 students, about 12.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainville Elem | PK-6 | 258 | 14.3 |
| Plainville High | 7-12 | 172 | 10.8 |
Towns near Plainville
- Stockton, KS13.3 mi · 1,480 people · home $95,000
- Hays, KS24.3 mi · 21,116 people · home $225,500
- Ellis, KS24.8 mi · 1,958 people · home $155,500
- Victoria, KS27.5 mi · 1,129 people · home $174,200
Plainville questions
Is Plainville, Kansas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Plainville scores better for retirees than 84% of Kansas towns and quieter than 49%. 20.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.9).
How much does a house cost in Plainville?
The median owner-occupied home in Plainville is valued at $82,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $59,236, so homes cost about 1.4 times income. Median rent is $773 a month.
What is the weather like in Plainville?
July highs average 91.3°F and January lows 17.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 26.1 inches of precipitation a year and 19.7 inches of snow.
Does Plainville get tornadoes?
30 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Plainville since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on April 25, 1990. 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)