Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 29% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Most of Cave City was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1981. 1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 8 buildings.
Cave City dates its founding to 1890 (Wikidata). Its post office opened in 1880.
More historic than 29% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Cave City is more historic than 29% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
Arkansas towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Arkansas town has 20.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Cave City’s 38.3 sits near the middle of its state (64% of Arkansas towns have fewer) while its 8 historic buildings outnumber those of 74% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Cave City’s history is told.
From Wikipedia’s history of Cave City.
On March 14, 2025, a devastating EF3 tornado hit the city, causing severe and widespread damage to homes and businesses. Mayor Jonas Anderson issued a state of emergency and a curfew during the overnight hours of March 15. Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders visited Cave City the following morning as well to tour the damage.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Cave City’s post office has been open since 1892. Another post office, Loyal, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
In 1890, according to Wikidata. Cave City’s post office opened in 1880.
Cave City is more historic than 29% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
One place: the Crystal River Tourist Camp (listed 1991).
0.0% of Cave City’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.3 points), against a typical 3.1% for an Arkansas town; the median home was built in 1981.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (2), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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