The Town Files

Rossville, Kansas

City in Shawnee County · population 1,105 (2020 Census)

Map: where Rossville is in KansasRossville
Median home
$154,600
Household income
$54,318
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 89°
Snow a year
12 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
26
Median age
33.1

Rossville is a city of 1,105 people in Shawnee County, Kansas. The median home is worth $154,600, above the typical Kansas town ($128,200). It ranks better for families than 91% of Kansas towns, more upscale than 81% of Kansas towns, better for cycling than 72% of Kansas towns.

Rossville in our rankings:

How Rossville 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.

Rossville lifestyle rankings vs other Kansas townsRetirement61st pctFamilies91st pctQuiet45th pctWalkability38th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals28th pctVibrancy36th pctHip & trendy20th pctCollege town64th pctUpscale81st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling72nd pctTransit71st pctDriving60th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Rossville is worth $154,600, above the typical Kansas town ($128,200). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $54,318, which is more affordable than 18% of Kansas towns. Median rent is $930 a month. 54.8% of households own their home.

Rossville vs Shawnee County vs typical Kansas townRossvilleShawnee CountyTypical Kansas townHome value$154,600$180,900$128,200Household income$54,318$67,104$63,857Monthly rent$930$1,000$815
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Kansas towns with 500+ people.
HousingRossvilleTypical Kansas town
Median home value$154,600$128,200
Median rent$930$815
Median household income$54,318$63,857
Home value ÷ income2.8×2.1×
Homeownership54.8%73.7%
Median year built19661964
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Rossville

PeopleRossvilleTypical Kansas town
Median age33.138.5
Age 65 and over20.4%19.0%
Under 1824.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher21.8%24.0%
Below the poverty line8.3%10.6%
Veterans12.8%—
Born outside the U.S.1.5%—
Work from home5.7%6.4%
Average commute19.2 min19.6 min
Homes with broadband90.1%89.2%

Weather in Rossville

July highs average 88.5°F and January lows 18.7°F. About 37.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 12.3 inches of snow (typical Kansas town: 12.4 in). Expect about 44 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 114 nights at or below freezing.

Rossville monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing40°19°Jan45°23°Feb56°33°Mar67°43°Apr76°55°May85°64°Jun89°68°Jul87°66°Aug80°57°Sep69°44°Oct55°32°Nov43°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.94.21.32.82.20.73.90.15.35.04.24.43.52.90.42.00.61.53.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Topeka - Nws station (17.7 mi away); snow from Rossville (0.2 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rossville since 1950, compared with 26 for the typical Kansas town. 12 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on May 19, 1960 about 3.0 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 108 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 13, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Rossville by decade31950s51960s11970s11980s51990s32000s72010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 127 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on June 30, 2023.

Severe weather in Shawnee County since 1996

Storm events in Shawnee County since 1996 by typeHail452Heat14Flood29Drought11Tornado17High Wind19Lightning27Heavy Snow18
NOAA Storm Events Database, Shawnee County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 8 deaths recorded.

Shawnee County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 28, 2024Winter StormDR-4774: Severe Winter Storm
March 29, 2020BiologicalDR-4504: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3481: Covid-19
March 9, 2010Severe StormDR-1885: Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm
February 1, 2008Severe StormDR-1741: Severe Winter Storms

Jobs and pay in Shawnee County

Shawnee County had 99,247 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,096 a year. Unemployment was 2.7% in 2023; in Rossville itself the ACS puts it at 8.8%.

Largest industries in Shawnee CountyHealth care & social assistan…17,852 jobs · $63,597Retail8,599 jobs · $34,473Manufacturing8,198 jobs · $70,765Hotels & restaurants7,236 jobs · $21,642Administrative & support6,037 jobs · $45,716Finance & insurance5,437 jobs · $98,526
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Shawnee County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Shawnee 2.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Rossville

2 public schools with 590 students, about 11.3 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Rossville ElemPK-632913.7
Rossville Jr.-Sr. High School7-122619.3

Towns near Rossville

Rossville questions

Is Rossville, Kansas a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Rossville scores better for retirees than 61% of Kansas towns and quieter than 45%. 20.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.1).

How much does a house cost in Rossville?

The median owner-occupied home in Rossville is valued at $154,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $54,318, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $930 a month.

What is the weather like in Rossville?

July highs average 88.5°F and January lows 18.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.3 inches of precipitation a year and 12.3 inches of snow.

Does Rossville get tornadoes?

26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rossville since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on May 19, 1960. The typical Kansas town has had 26.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Rossville's Census boundary (GEOID 2061400). Comparisons use the median of Kansas towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.