State scorecard
Kansas in the US Political Rank
Every place Kansas holds across our state rankings, in one scorecard. Economy, taxes, education, crime, healthcare, and more, each measured the same way for all 50 states and each linked to the full cited ranking.
#3
of 25 on States Ranked by Housing Affordability
#39
of 50 on States Ranked by Violent Crime Rate
47.1%
Governor Laura Kelly performance score, rank 29 of 50
10
state rankings that score Kansas
Governor
Kansas's governor, Laura Kelly (Democrat), holds performance rank 29 of 50 at 47.1% this week in the Governor Performance Rankings, scored on 263 metrics and updated every Monday.
| Ranking | Kansas's place | Score |
|---|---|---|
| States Ranked by Housing AffordabilityRoughly 2.8 years of median income buys the median home (Best Interest research, 2026). Kansas remains one of the last states where a single median income can plausibly carry a mortgage. | #3 of 25 | 94.6 |
| States Ranked by Infrastructure ConditionManages one of the largest bridge inventories in the country, a structural burden most states do not carry, while staying out of the worst tier on condition (FHWA National Bridge Inventory). | #15 of 25 | 85.6 |
| The 2026 Battleground States, RankedCook opened the race to succeed term-limited Democrat Laura Kelly at Leans Republican, the only competitive-tier governor race not rated Toss Up (Cook Political Report, 2026). Kansas has elected Democratic governors in three of the last five gubernatorial cycles despite its presidential lean, a documented split the raters price in (official returns; Ballotpedia, 2026). | #15 of 15 | 5.0 |
| States Ranked by Health Care OutcomesA middle-tier state with near-average life expectancy and an above-average uninsured rate as a non-expansion state (Commonwealth Fund, 2025; Census ACS, 2023). | #26 of 50 | 76.4 |
| States Ranked by K-12 Education OutcomesNear the national average in math with reading results softening since 2019, consistent with the national pattern (NCES, NAEP 2024). | #26 of 50 | 78.7 |
| Voting With Their Feet: States Ranked by Migration and Population GrowthNear migration balance in the Vintage 2025 estimates (Census Bureau, 2025), with low unemployment and an agriculture-and-aviation base that holds population steady (BLS LAUS, 2026). | #29 of 50 | 55.9 |
| Ranking the 50 State Economies of 2026One of the lower unemployment states in the BLS series (BLS LAUS, 2026), anchored by agriculture and aviation manufacturing. Held its ground in the 2026 labor freeze (BLS, 2026). | #30 of 50 | 69.3 |
| States Ranked by Dependence on Federal MoneyA relatively low federal share of state revenue in fiscal 2023 at 27.2 percent, third lowest in the nation, balanced by a modestly favorable spending inflow (Pew, 2025). | #32 of 50 | 61.8 |
| States Ranked by Total Tax BurdenA middle-of-the-pack total burden (Tax Foundation, 2022), with property taxes above average balanced by moderate income and sales rates. | #33 of 50 | 65.6 |
| States Ranked by Violent Crime Rate438.7 per 100,000, the highest reported rate in the central Midwest, though its murder rate of 3.8 is below the national average (FBI, 2024). | #39 of 50 | 438.7 |
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