Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,229, settled in 1875. 3.6 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Kansas town.
The best of Atwood’s subject grades are an A for cost of living, an A− for walkability, and an A+ for civic life; the weakest is a C for health. Atwood’s average trip to work is 9 minutes, where Kansas’ towns sit at 20 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 24 of Kansas’ 372 towns score higher on walkability. Atwood’s trail density is 2.6 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Kansas’ towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. No town in Kansas scores higher than Atwood on civic life. Shirley Opera House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Atwood has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Atwood beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Atwood is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 450 in 1890, a peak of 1,906 in 1960, 1,290 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1907 and 2 maps from 1951 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Atwood, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Atwood.
The typical Atwood home is worth about $134,000, up 3.4% in a year, 46% below the Kansas typical home. Atwood’s median rent is $806 a month.
| Atwood | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $806 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Atwood beats the Kansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 42% of Atwood adults have obesity. Among 151 Kansas towns, just 6 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Atwood.
| Atwood | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 34% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| What stands out | Atwood | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.2% | 77.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20% | 11.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Atwood has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in Atwood is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
41% of Atwood’s working residents work right in town. Since 2013, Atwood has lost 77 jobs, to 613 in 2023. The top destinations are Center Township (6%), Colby (6%) and Atwood Township (5%).
| Atwood | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 41% | 15% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.9% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
No town among the 87 in Kansas we compare has a lower violent crime rate than Atwood. Atwood's reported crime rate is well below Kansas's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Atwood | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 9.8 per 1,000 residents | 13.6 | 11.5 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
2.9 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Atwood Lake Park, at 61 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Atwood Lake Park | 0.1 mi | 61 |
| 2. Bliss Field | — | 8 |
| 3. Kelly Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Atwood; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Atwood residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
City in Rawlins County, Kansas
Atwood is a city in and the county seat of Rawlins County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,290.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
3.6 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Kansas town.
Not for the area. That is 2 years of the area's median household income ($67,742 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.