Life In Riley County, Kansas
They call it the Little Apple — but life here feels anything but small. Manhattan is for the professional ready to trade traffic for tallgrass, without giving up what makes a city worth living in. Work remotely from a K-State library, grab dinner on Poyntz Ave, then wake up Saturday five minutes from 8,600 acres of ancient Konza Prairie. All in a city where your commute is twelve minutes and your neighbors actually know your name. That's Manhappiness — and once you feel it...
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Local Employers & Careers
Major employers in Manhattan that are actively hiring roles across healthcare, education, and biodefense.
Kansas State University
Kansas State University is one of the region’s largest and most influential employers, driving innovation, research, and education in Manhattan and across Kansas. As a major public research institution and land grant university, Kansas State prepares students for careers in fields ranging from engineering and agriculture to business, education, and the sciences.
The university offers a wide range of career opportunities across academic departments, student services, research and extension, administration, IT, facilities, finance, HR, communications, and more. With roles spanning faculty, professional staff, and operational teams, Kansas State provides diverse options for professionals at every stage of their careers.
Kansas State’s culture is rooted in collaboration, discovery, and service. Employees are supported through professional development, competitive benefits, and a shared mission to advance knowledge while strengthening communities throughout Kansas and beyond.
Ft. Riley / U.S. Army
One of the largest Army installations in the country and the single biggest economic driver for the greater Manhattan metro, Ft. Riley employs thousands of active-duty soldiers alongside 3,000+ civilian and contractor personnel. Civilian roles span IT, engineering, logistics, healthcare, education, and base operations. The installation injects over $2B annually into the local economy.
(Photo Cred: U.S. Army)
#employers
Ascension Via Christi
Ascension Via Christi is Manhattan's primary acute-care hospital and one of the city's largest employers in clinical healthcare. Part of the national Ascension network, it hires extensively in nursing, medical imaging, surgery, pharmacy, and patient care support. Its Catholic mission and nonprofit status shape a culture oriented around whole-person care, with access to Ascension's wide internal career mobility.
(Photo Cred: Acension Via Chrisit)
#employers
USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden Schools
The public school district serves Manhattan and Ogden with 20+ schools and roughly 1,500 employees, making it one of the city's largest non-university employers. Hiring spans classroom teaching at all grade levels, special education, counseling, paraprofessionals, and district administration. The district benefits from strong community investment and consistent enrollment driven by the university and military base.
(Photo Cred: USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden Schools)
#employers)
Stormont Vail Health
A leading regional health system based in Topeka with a presence serving the greater Manhattan area, Stormont Vail employs physicians, specialists, and care coordinators across outpatient and specialty clinic settings. As a nonprofit academic health system affiliated with the University of Kansas School of Medicine, it offers roles that blend clinical practice with teaching and research.
(Photo Cred: Stormont Vail Health)
#employers
Pawnee Mental Health Services
The primary community mental health center serving a 10-county north-central Kansas region, Pawnee Mental Health employs licensed therapists, case managers, psychiatrists, and crisis workers. Known for integrated care models combining outpatient therapy, crisis intervention, and residential services, it's a top healthcare employer for social work and counseling professionals.
(Photo Cred: Pawnee Mental Health Services)
#employers
Kansas State University
Kansas State University is one of the region’s largest and most influential employers, driving innovation, research, and education in Manhattan and across Kansas. As a major public research institution and land grant university, Kansas State prepares students for careers in fields ranging from engineering and agriculture to business, education, and the sciences.
The university offers a wide range of career opportunities across academic departments, student services, research and extension, administration, IT, facilities, finance, HR, communications, and more. With roles spanning faculty, professional staff, and operational teams, Kansas State provides diverse options for professionals at every stage of their careers.
Kansas State’s culture is rooted in collaboration, discovery, and service. Employees are supported through professional development, competitive benefits, and a shared mission to advance knowledge while strengthening communities throughout Kansas and beyond.
Ft. Riley / U.S. Army
One of the largest Army installations in the country and the single biggest economic driver for the greater Manhattan metro, Ft. Riley employs thousands of active-duty soldiers alongside 3,000+ civilian and contractor personnel. Civilian roles span IT, engineering, logistics, healthcare, education, and base operations. The installation injects over $2B annually into the local economy.
(Photo Cred: U.S. Army)
#employers
Ascension Via Christi
Ascension Via Christi is Manhattan's primary acute-care hospital and one of the city's largest employers in clinical healthcare. Part of the national Ascension network, it hires extensively in nursing, medical imaging, surgery, pharmacy, and patient care support. Its Catholic mission and nonprofit status shape a culture oriented around whole-person care, with access to Ascension's wide internal career mobility.
(Photo Cred: Acension Via Chrisit)
#employers
USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden Schools
The public school district serves Manhattan and Ogden with 20+ schools and roughly 1,500 employees, making it one of the city's largest non-university employers. Hiring spans classroom teaching at all grade levels, special education, counseling, paraprofessionals, and district administration. The district benefits from strong community investment and consistent enrollment driven by the university and military base.
(Photo Cred: USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden Schools)
#employers)
Stormont Vail Health
A leading regional health system based in Topeka with a presence serving the greater Manhattan area, Stormont Vail employs physicians, specialists, and care coordinators across outpatient and specialty clinic settings. As a nonprofit academic health system affiliated with the University of Kansas School of Medicine, it offers roles that blend clinical practice with teaching and research.
(Photo Cred: Stormont Vail Health)
#employers
Pawnee Mental Health Services
The primary community mental health center serving a 10-county north-central Kansas region, Pawnee Mental Health employs licensed therapists, case managers, psychiatrists, and crisis workers. Known for integrated care models combining outpatient therapy, crisis intervention, and residential services, it's a top healthcare employer for social work and counseling professionals.
(Photo Cred: Pawnee Mental Health Services)
#employers
Kansas State University
Kansas State University is one of the region’s largest and most influential employers, driving innovation, research, and education in Manhattan and across Kansas. As a major public research institution and land grant university, Kansas State prepares students for careers in fields ranging from engineering and agriculture to business, education, and the sciences.
The university offers a wide range of career opportunities across academic departments, student services, research and extension, administration, IT, facilities, finance, HR, communications, and more. With roles spanning faculty, professional staff, and operational teams, Kansas State provides diverse options for professionals at every stage of their careers.
Kansas State’s culture is rooted in collaboration, discovery, and service. Employees are supported through professional development, competitive benefits, and a shared mission to advance knowledge while strengthening communities throughout Kansas and beyond.
Ft. Riley / U.S. Army
One of the largest Army installations in the country and the single biggest economic driver for the greater Manhattan metro, Ft. Riley employs thousands of active-duty soldiers alongside 3,000+ civilian and contractor personnel. Civilian roles span IT, engineering, logistics, healthcare, education, and base operations. The installation injects over $2B annually into the local economy.
(Photo Cred: U.S. Army)
#employers
Ascension Via Christi
Ascension Via Christi is Manhattan's primary acute-care hospital and one of the city's largest employers in clinical healthcare. Part of the national Ascension network, it hires extensively in nursing, medical imaging, surgery, pharmacy, and patient care support. Its Catholic mission and nonprofit status shape a culture oriented around whole-person care, with access to Ascension's wide internal career mobility.
(Photo Cred: Acension Via Chrisit)
#employers
USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden Schools
The public school district serves Manhattan and Ogden with 20+ schools and roughly 1,500 employees, making it one of the city's largest non-university employers. Hiring spans classroom teaching at all grade levels, special education, counseling, paraprofessionals, and district administration. The district benefits from strong community investment and consistent enrollment driven by the university and military base.
(Photo Cred: USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden Schools)
#employers)
Stormont Vail Health
A leading regional health system based in Topeka with a presence serving the greater Manhattan area, Stormont Vail employs physicians, specialists, and care coordinators across outpatient and specialty clinic settings. As a nonprofit academic health system affiliated with the University of Kansas School of Medicine, it offers roles that blend clinical practice with teaching and research.
(Photo Cred: Stormont Vail Health)
#employers
Pawnee Mental Health Services
The primary community mental health center serving a 10-county north-central Kansas region, Pawnee Mental Health employs licensed therapists, case managers, psychiatrists, and crisis workers. Known for integrated care models combining outpatient therapy, crisis intervention, and residential services, it's a top healthcare employer for social work and counseling professionals.
(Photo Cred: Pawnee Mental Health Services)
#employers
Awards & Press
Manhattan – “#1 of 16 Midsize U.S. Cities You Do Not Want To Miss” (TravelAwaits, 2023)
Kansas State University – “Best Value College in Kansas” (SmartAsset, 2022)
Manhattan - #65 Best Small Places in the U.S. for Business and Careers (Forbes, 2019)
Manhattan - #81 Top 100 Best Places to Live in America (Livability.com, 2021
Cost of Living Comparison
See how your current cost of living compares to life in Riley County, Kansas. Sign up to save your details and auto-load results next time.
MakeMyMove sources all Cost of Living Data from COLI, published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER), without any modification or bias.
COLI data is recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and CNN Money. The data and methodology are described in detail and completely transparent to users, found in the COLI Manual. Both data and methodology are reviewed by an Advisory Board composed of academic researchers and government officials. The Cost of Living Index is referenced in the Census Bureau's Statistical Abstract of the U.S.
According to the COLI Manual, composite differences of <4% and categorical differences of <5% are not statistically significant and should not be treated as necessarily accurate.
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Riley County Community Feed
Get a feel for what Riley County is all about from the community's locals who know best.
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