The Town FilesScranton, Kansas
City in Osage County · population 653 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $75,900
- Household income
- $56,793
- Jan low / Jul high
- 18° / 89°
- Snow a year
- 12 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 24
- Median age
- 36.9
Scranton is a city of 653 people in Osage County, Kansas. The median home is worth $75,900, below the typical Kansas town ($128,200). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 86% of Kansas towns, quieter than 82% of Kansas towns, better transit than 70% of Kansas towns.
How Scranton 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 Scranton is worth $75,900, below the typical Kansas town ($128,200). Homes cost about 1.3 times the median household income of $56,793, which is more affordable than 96% of Kansas towns. Median rent is $768 a month. 86.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Scranton | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $75,900 | $128,200 |
| Median rent | $768 | $815 |
| Median household income | $56,793 | $63,857 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.3× | 2.1× |
| Homeownership | 86.9% | 73.7% |
| Median year built | 1984 | 1964 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Scranton
| People | Scranton | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.9 | 38.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 15.6% | 19.0% |
| Under 18 | 30.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.2% | 24.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 18.4% | 10.6% |
| Veterans | 5.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.1% | — |
| Work from home | 6.8% | 6.4% |
| Average commute | 29.1 min | 19.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 72.9% | 89.2% |
Weather in Scranton
July highs average 89.3°F and January lows 17.9°F. About 38.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 11.5 inches of snow (typical Kansas town: 12.4 in). Expect about 46 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 124 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
24 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Scranton since 1950, compared with 26 for the typical Kansas town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on April 2, 1956 about 8.3 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 17 deaths and 6 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 19, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 158 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on April 14, 2001.
Severe weather in Osage County since 1996
Osage County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4940: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| June 30, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4926: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| September 11, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4891: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| April 28, 2024 | Winter Storm | DR-4774: Severe Winter Storm |
| March 29, 2020 | Biological | DR-4504: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Osage County
Osage County had 2,941 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $38,780 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Scranton itself the ACS puts it at 5.4%.
Towns near Scranton
- Carbondale, KS4.0 mi · 1,352 people · home $119,400
- Burlingame, KS5.4 mi · 971 people · home $86,700
- Auburn, KS9.8 mi · 1,273 people · home $151,200
- Overbrook, KS9.9 mi · 1,005 people · home $146,300
- Osage City, KS10.8 mi · 2,861 people · home $155,800
- Vassar, KS11.4 mi · 584 people · home $176,300
- Lyndon, KS11.9 mi · 1,037 people · home $114,400
- Topeka, KS17.9 mi · 126,587 people · home $144,200
Scranton questions
Is Scranton, Kansas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Scranton scores better for retirees than 43% of Kansas towns and quieter than 82%. 15.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.9).
How much does a house cost in Scranton?
The median owner-occupied home in Scranton is valued at $75,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $56,793, so homes cost about 1.3 times income. Median rent is $768 a month.
What is the weather like in Scranton?
July highs average 89.3°F and January lows 17.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.9 inches of precipitation a year and 11.5 inches of snow.
Does Scranton get tornadoes?
24 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Scranton since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on April 2, 1956. 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)