Abilene, KS, United States

Capital City

Living costs here run about 15% below the U.S. average in this modest Kansas cattle town, where presidential history meets Old West grit. The Eisenhower Presidential Library anchors this former Wild West hub of 6,460 residents, down from its rowdy days as the end of the Chisholm Trail in the 1860s when hundreds of thousands of cattle were shipped from its stockyards.

Today's Abilene maintains its agricultural roots while diversifying through manufacturing, with two Great Plains Manufacturing facilities providing steady employment. The demographic makeup skews older and predominantly white - over 90% of residents identify as white, with a median age of 42.3 years. Housing remains relatively affordable, though the median household income of $47,829 trails both state and national averages. The town's location at the intersection of I-70 and K-15 puts it within manageable driving distance of larger economic centers like Salina (27 miles) and Wichita (94 miles).