Emporia Facts

Life is better here, or so we think. Our community is invested in working together for housing, healthcare, education, childcare, entertainment and culture. Here are just a few reasons Emporia is a great place to live and grow a family:

• Emporia is within 90 minutes of 80% of the population of Kansas

• Emporia is the gateway to the Flint Hills, a four-million-acre region in eastern Kansas known for its unique tallgrass prairie ecosystem containing fossils over 250 million years old

• Emporia features 21^st century Gigabit and fiber, delivering the highest broadband speed, bandwidth, reliability and quality found within the United States. Our state of the art network is reliable, fast and consistent with broadband internet speeds up to 8 Gigabit.

• Home to notable community events and festivals including Día De Los Muertos Festival, All Veterans Tribute Week, Garmin Unbound Gravel, Glass Blown Open and more

• Home to Flint Hills Technical College and Emporia State University

• Emporia has been ranked by Realtor.com as one of the most affordable small towns in which to live

• Local amenities are superior to most communities of like size

• Pro sports are just 90 minutes away including the Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Sporting KC, NASCAR, Kansas City Mavericks, KC Monarchs, KC Current, Wichita Thunder, Wichita Wind Surge, Topeka Pilots and more

• Several major concert venues are within 90 minutes of Emporia

• Foodies thrive here with our local Farmer’s Market, fresh gourmet meats from Fanestil’s Fresh Local Market, Sweet Granada and more

• Emporia is the proud birthplace of Veteran’s Day

• Quality healthcare, from urgent care and emergency room services to a wide variety of medical specialties. Are you looking for a specialty physician or healthcare facility – search our Emporia Area Chamber & Visit Emporia membership directory. You can search by alpha category or name. Medical info here.

• Lyon County consistently has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state

• 24,000+ are proud to call Emporia home

• In 2016, Emporia was nominated by USA Today as one of the Best Main Streets in America

• Emporia features a variety of faith-based organizations. Click here for a list of churches and religious organizations

• Vibrant downtown loft living with great walkability

• Emporia is recognized as having some of the best water in the world, consistently finishing in the top 3 at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Event, with a 1st place finish in 2025.