Harvey County is ideally located in south central Kansas, along the Little Arkansas River and encompasses 540 square miles.  It is 18 miles wide in its north-south dimension and 30 miles long in its east-west dimension.

We are located approximately 130 miles south-southeast of the geographic center of the continental Unites States; 1,517 miles west of New York City and 1,498 miles east of Los Angeles.  The county is located 370 miles west of the geodesic center of the United States population.  Within 500 miles of Kansas are more than 40% of the nations’ population; retail sales over $480 billion and some 48,000 manufacturing plants.

Education

Harvey County’s education institutions provide a wide array of programs, without the problems of crime and congestion often associated with larger metropolitan areas.

The strong support for public schools indicates the commitment of Harvey County communities in providing the best possible future for the youth of the area.  The school districts have a reputation for high levels of community support and parent involvement as well as highly qualified teaching staff.

The importance of post-secondary education has resulted in the establishment of three institutions of higher learning in Harvey County.  More information can be found on their website by clicking the college name.

Bethel College – located in North Newton, is a four-year liberal arts college.  It is the oldest Mennonite college in North America, founded in 1887 for the advancement of post-secondary education in a Christian community.  It is affiliated with Mennonite Church USA.  Bethel is a self-governing, independent legal corporation with close ties to its constituent churches and communities.  It is academically recognized as a leading liberal arts college.

Hesston College – Hesston College was established in 1909 by the Mennonite Church now known as the Mennonite Church USA.  It is a two-year coeducational, traditional liberal arts school which stresses broadly based liberal studies in 40 major areas which fully prepares students for transfer.  It has integrated the curriculum to include several “career tracks” which prepare students for their profession in two years.

Hutchinson Community College – HCC is a public, two-year college that provides academic excellence to meet the educational needs of the people in its service area.  HCC offers courses to prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions.  The school also offers skills needed for students to take advantage of career opportunities in industry or business after two-year or nine-month programs.

Surrounding Area – Located within a 30-mile radius of Harvey County are nine other colleges and universities including two public two-year schools; five private four-year schools; one private two-year school; and the major four-year State of Kansas Board of Regents school, Wichita State University.

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Cost of Living

Nearly all aspects of living costs in Harvey County are below national averages. Many of the aspects, with a few exceptions, are far below the national average. According to the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association’s (ACCRA) report for 2008, the composite cost of living index for the Wichita Metro area (Harvey County included) is 91.8. Most of the elements comprising the composite cost of living index in the Wichita MSA were also below the United States average.

INTERPRETING THE INDEX: The ACCRA Cost of Living Index measures relative price levels for consumer goods and services in participating areas. The average for all participating places, both metropolitan and non-metropolitan, equals 100, and each participant’s index is read as a percentage of the average for all places.

• COMPOSITE INDEX (100%): 91.8
• Grocery Items: 91.9
• Housing: 78.3
• Utilities: 97.5
• Transportation: 97.3
• Health Care: 94.4
• Miscellaneous Goods and Services: 99.6