Kansas Cities by Population 2025

Kansas has 105 counties and over 600 incorporated municipalities, including cities that follow either mayor-council or council-manager systems. Counties in Kansas deliver services like public safety, public health, and land use management across both incorporated and unincorporated areas, especially in rural regions.

Johnson County, home to Overland Park, is among Kansas‘s most urbanized counties, where a board of commissioners manages countywide services like public health, law enforcement, and regional planning. Overland Park, Kansas‘s second-largest city, operates under a council-manager system. The elected city council provides policy direction, while the city manager handles daily operations for services like public transit, economic development, and municipal planning.

Kansas’s smaller towns, like Hays or Emporia, often use council-manager systems as well, where elected councils focus on policy while appointed managers handle administrative functions. This setup suits Kansas‘s medium-sized cities, allowing for a balanced approach to governance that emphasizes both professional management and representative democracy.

In rural counties like Osborne County or Nemaha County, county governments play a vital role in overseeing unincorporated areas, managing essential services such as road maintenance, land use, and emergency response. Boards of county commissioners coordinate with township trustees to deliver services to these less-populated areas.

Kansas’s unincorporated areas are frequently organized as townships, which function as local government units within counties to provide basic services like road maintenance. Residents in these areas, such as those in Leavenworth County‘s townships, rely on county or township governance without the need for formal city government.

Regional cooperation is facilitated by Kansas‘s nine regional planning commissions, which help municipalities and counties address regional needs such as economic development, transportation planning, and land use. These commissions bridge local and state policies, ensuring comprehensive growth and resource sharing across jurisdictions.