Shutter BoysPlantation shutters in Manhattan
Homes in Manhattan
Manhattan's 24,403 homes are a mix: 48% detached houses, 40% apartments or units in buildings of two or more homes and 8% townhouses and other attached houses.
The biggest building period was 1950 to 1979, which accounts for 36% of homes standing today; 31% are from 2000 or later. The median home dates from 1983. Most homes are rented: owners live in only 43%.
Of the 9 Kansas cities we have census figures for, Manhattan has the second-highest share of apartments. In nearby Topeka, 50 miles away, 68% of homes were built before 1980, so Manhattan's windows are on the whole newer. Nationally, Manhattan's homes are newer than those in 53% of the 881 US cities we have census figures for.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. Estimates carry margins of error.
Apartments and condos
40% of homes are in buildings of two or more units. Balcony and patio doors suit bypass or bifold panels rather than hinged ones, which need floor space to swing. Check what your HOA or building allows to show from outside before you order: most rules are about the colour seen through the glass.
Shallow openings
31% of homes were built in 2000 or later. Newer windows are often set close to the room side of the wall, and handles, cranks and alarm sensors stick out into the space a louver swings through. Measure the depth to the glass and to anything that sticks out; the designer checks it against the louver size you pick.
Out-of-square openings
With 47% of homes built before 1980, many openings have had decades to settle. Measure each one's width at the top, middle and bottom, and both diagonals. If the diagonals differ by more than about ¼ inch, add a mounting frame in the designer, or choose an outside mount so the shutter covers the uneven edges.
Renting?
57% of homes are rented. Shutters screw into the window frame or casing, so ask your landlord before you install; taking them down later leaves only screw holes to fill.
Manhattan weather and your shutters
At Manhattan, KS (1 mi away), July averages a high of 90.8°F and January a low of 18.7°F. Average highs reach 85°F from June to August and average lows sit at or below freezing from November to March.
About 59 days a year reach 90°F, 125 nights fall to freezing and 35.7 inches of precipitation falls, most of it around June and least in January.
Among the Kansas cities we have climate normals for, Manhattan has the second-most hot days and the second-most freezing days.
That's more 90°F days than in 62% of the 881 US cities we have climate normals for.
Daylight runs from 14 h 56 min on the longest day to 9 h 24 min on the shortest, and the midday sun stands 74° above the horizon in June and 27° in December.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Manhattan, KS (temperature) and Manhattan, KS (precipitation, 1 mi away). Daylight and sun height: calculated from the city’s latitude.
Monthly figures
| Month | Average high | Average low | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39.6°F | 18.7°F | 0.6 in |
| Feb | 45.1°F | 22.1°F | 1.1 in |
| Mar | 56.3°F | 31.5°F | 2.2 in |
| Apr | 66.4°F | 42.2°F | 3.4 in |
| May | 75.9°F | 54.1°F | 5.2 in |
| Jun | 85.8°F | 64.3°F | 5.5 in |
| Jul | 90.8°F | 69.3°F | 4.6 in |
| Aug | 89°F | 66.4°F | 4.4 in |
| Sep | 81.3°F | 57.1°F | 3.4 in |
| Oct | 69.1°F | 44.1°F | 2.5 in |
| Nov | 54.6°F | 31.8°F | 1.6 in |
| Dec | 43°F | 22.5°F | 1.2 in |
Cold winters
With 125 freezing nights a year, warm room air meets cold glass for months. Shutters closed tight overnight hold that air against the window, so condensation can collect on the sill: tilt the louvers open in the morning, and wipe the sill on windows that often run wet.
Fitting them in Manhattan
Shutter Boys shutters are made for you to fit yourself: an inside or outside mount takes a drill, a level and our step-by-step guide. If you'd rather hire someone, a finish carpenter or blinds installer can fit them; ask on your quote and we'll tell you if we know one near you. You arrange and pay the installer directly.
More about shutters in Manhattan
Each page takes one question further (fitting your windows, room by room, sizes and colours, louvers, or how shutters compare with other choices), using Manhattan’s own figures.
Price your windows
Pick your look once, add every window, and see each one drawn and priced. Send it to us and we reply with your quote.