What Changed in Abilene?

Here's a quick look at what moved in Abilene over the past few weeks, from jobs to rainfall, using the latest numbers through mid-October 2026.

Dickinson County's unemployment rate rose to 4.3% in August from 3.9% in July. The sales tax money the state sent Abilene fell to $142,871 in September from $159,958 in August. And the first half of October brought 4.14 inches of rain, nearly three times the usual amount.

💼 Jobs

• Unemployment rate: 4.3% in August, compared with 3.9% in July and 4.1% a year earlier.
• County residents with jobs: 9,096, down from 9,229 in July.
• Residents out of work and looking: 413, up from 379 in July.

These are early federal estimates. Kansas moved the same way, to 4.4% from 4.2%, so Abilene is following the state.

Looking back further, the county's August unemployment rate was 3.3% in both 2022 and 2023, so it's a bit higher now. But 9,096 working residents is the most for any August since at least 2020, when it was 8,437.

In-person job openings within 5 miles of town were 5 on Oct. 17, compared with 4 a week earlier. That's too few to read much into.

💰 Sales tax

September's $142,871 compares with $160,881 a year earlier, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue. Swings like that from month to month are common in Abilene.

So far this year, the state has sent the city about $1.25 million, up from about $929,000 in the first nine months of 2025.

Most of that increase comes from the new 0.35% city sales tax for recreation facilities, which voters approved in February 2025. It took effect July 1, 2025, according to the City of Abilene, and first showed up in the state's September 2025 payment.

It means more money for city projects, not necessarily more shopping.

🏠 Housing

• Homes for sale: 48 on Oct. 17, the same as Oct. 9 and down from 50 on Sep. 17.
• Typical asking price: $224,900, compared with $227,900 on Oct. 9 and $234,900 on Sep. 17.
• Homes with a price cut: 25, compared with 27 on Oct. 9.

When Abilene311 started counting on Aug. 18, there were 55 homes for sale at a typical price of $199,500. Since then the typical price has gone as high as $245,000.

With fewer than 60 homes on the market, a few listings can swing the typical price a lot, so these moves don't mean values changed. There's no year-ago comparison yet.

🌧️ Rain and weather

The federal weather station at Chapman, the closest one to Abilene, recorded 4.14 inches of rain from Oct. 1 through Oct. 16. The 30-year average for those days is 1.45 inches, and last year brought 1.07.

September had 4.84 inches, compared with an average of 3.08 and 2.86 last year. August was about average.

Chapman has had 40.94 inches since Jan. 1, compared with an average of 29.73 by this date. It's been a wet year.

Abilene's high fell from 89 degrees on Oct. 13 to 59 on Oct. 15.

Highs averaged about 82 over the 30 days through Oct. 16, down from about 93 the 30 days before, the usual fall cooldown.

🚔 Jail

The Dickinson County jail held 35 people on Oct. 18, up from 28 a week earlier and close to 36 a month earlier.

It held about 33 on a typical day in September, compared with about 27 in September 2025. A few arrests or releases can move small numbers like these.

🏥 Health

Breathing illnesses like colds were behind 7.0% of Dickinson County ER visits in the week ending Oct. 3, up from 3.1% the week before and 3.0% a year earlier. That's the usual start of fall cold season.

Stomach bugs were 5.7%, compared with 4.7% the week before and 16.7% a year earlier. In a county this size, these weekly numbers swing a lot.