Metro Life Score
Manhattan, KS
Above-median composite Life Score — grade B+, 72nd percentile of the national corpus.
- 55.2
- Life Score / 100
- B+
- Grade (curved)
- #108
- of 387 metros
- 72%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
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The verdict
Manhattan is above-median composite Life Score — #108 of 387 (55.2/100, grade B+, 72nd percentile). Carried by childcare at 100/100; held back most by safety at 17/100.
- 72nd
- composite percentile
- #108
- of 387 peers
- 74th
- cost dimension percentile
- 28th
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · UPPER · BALANCED · signature cost
Manhattan: affordability leads the Life Score story
Manhattan is a UPPER-band metro whose cost dimension sits at the 74th percentile of 387 US metros (CHEAP) while composite is #108 (55.2/100, grade B+). Childcare at 100/100 carries the upside; Safety at 17/100 is the residual drag. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Manhattan, KS ranks #108 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #101 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 90.2 (rent-RPP 72.0). BLS median salary $60,825, 45,880 jobs (Fast Food and Counter Workers, Cashiers, Retail Salespersons). HUD 2BR FMR $1,048/mo (studio $843).
FBI UCR (KS): 456 violent, 2090 property/100K. NCES: 12.9:1 ratio, 0.7% charter. DOL infant childcare $5,783/yr. EPA: 20 Superfund sites (KS).
Where Manhattan sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
55 72nd percentile higher than 72% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
How the 55.2 is built
Manhattan's Life Score, decomposed
Dimension detail
How Manhattan scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are KS state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare Manhattan With...
Ranking Context
Manhattan outranks 72% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #105 | Rome, GA | 55.4 | B+ |
| #106 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 55.4 | B+ |
| #107 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 55.5 | B+ |
| #108 | Manhattan, KS | 55.2 | B+ |
| #109 | Laredo, TX | 55.2 | B+ |
| #110 | Roanoke, VA | 55.2 | B+ |
| #111 | Champaign-Urbana, IL | 55.0 | B+ |
Quality vs. Affordability
Manhattan, KS's quality rank (top 28% highest-quality) and affordability rank (top 26% most affordable) sit close together -- an unusually proportionate metro where overall quality and cost-of-living move together.
KS Metro Scores
Read with Manhattan
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Manhattan (UPPER · BALANCED · CHEAP/LOW), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Laredo, TX
ABS(composite) peer at 55.2 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B+ vs this page's UPPER · BALANCED · CHEAP/LOW.
Roanoke, VA
ABS(composite) peer at 55.2 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B+ vs this page's UPPER · BALANCED · CHEAP/LOW.
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
ABS(composite) peer at 55.4 (Δ 0.2 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B+ vs this page's UPPER · BALANCED · CHEAP/LOW.
Rome, GA
ABS(composite) peer at 55.4 (Δ 0.2 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B+ vs this page's UPPER · BALANCED · CHEAP/LOW.
Bowling Green, KY (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 74/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp CHEAP vs this metro's CHEAP.
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 75/100 (Δ 1); cost stamp CHEAP vs this metro's CHEAP.
Manhattan, KS relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for UPPER · BALANCED · CHEAP/LOW - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.
Using Manhattan's top-third Life Score
Manhattan scores 55.2/100 overall, but Childcare (99.7) and Safety (16.6) sit 83.1 points apart, so decide which of the two matters more to you before leaning on the total.
- Childcare is the strongest of Manhattan's seven dimensions (weighted 10% in the composite); if it is your priority, this is where the metro earns its rank. See all seven dimensions
- Safety is the weakest (weighted 15% in the composite); if it is a dealbreaker, weigh it before the ranking does. Rank metros on the composite
- Topeka is the nearest comparison this page can offer; put the two side by side on the same seven dimensions. Compare with Topeka
A high composite is a weighted blend; it does not mean every dimension is strong.