Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Baldwin City grades A− overall, 19th among Kansas's 150 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Residents are healthier than 94% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and its schools rank ahead of 78% of Kansas towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $363K for a typical one and 5.2 times the Lawrence metro’s $70K median household income. Only 14 of Kansas’ 372 towns score higher on walkability. Baldwin City is home to Baker University. Only 29 of Kansas’ 373 towns score higher on hazard risk.
Where Baldwin City beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Baldwin City | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.3% | 13% |
Census counts: 325 in 1880, 4,826 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1858 and 4 maps from 1885 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Baldwin City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Baldwin City, 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 Baldwin City.
Baldwin City fares better on crime within Kansas than nationally, has less food insecurity than most of Kansas and has more 90° days than most of the country, though not than most of Kansas.
Its widest gap with Kansas is food insecurity: 7.3% of its 3,753 adults worry about having enough food, against 13% statewide.
26% of adults have high blood pressure in Baldwin City, where Kansas’ towns sit at 35% and U.S. towns at 35%. 28% of Baldwin City adults have obesity. Among 150 Kansas towns, just 2 have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than Baldwin City.
| Baldwin City | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 35% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 26% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Baldwin City | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.3% | 13% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.1% | 9.9% |
| More binge drinkers | 20.3% | 16.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
61.3% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 43.5% across Kansas.
At $858 a month, Baldwin City’s median rent is against $977 a month in Kansas’ towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. The typical Baldwin City home is worth about $363,000, up 3.4% in a year, 47% above the Kansas typical home. 66% of households own their home in Baldwin City.
| Baldwin City | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 66% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $858 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Baldwin City for work: only 15% work in town. The average trip to work in Baldwin City is 26 minutes. The top destinations are Lawrence (17%), Overland Park (9%) and Topeka (7%).
| Baldwin City | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 9.2% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 2013, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Baldwin City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Ottawa weather station, 12 miles away, records that about 47 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 80% of Kansas places with climate records. July afternoons average 88.9°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 90% of Kansas places with climate records; January nights average 20.8°.
Baldwin City has chilly winters and warm summers. Baldwin City’s July high is 89°F. About 9 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Baldwin City | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 89°F | 91°F | 85°F |
| January low | 21°F | 21°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 15.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 78% of Kansas’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Grove Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Baldwin City. Close and well known come first.
39 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Center
31 mi Stadium & arenaSporting Park
38 mi MuseumThe Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
38 mi Stadium & arenaHy-Vee Arena
39 mi MuseumNational World War I Memorial
39 mi TheatreKauffman Center for the Performing ArtsT-Mobile Center: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sporting Park: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: User:Charvex, Public domain · Hy-Vee Arena: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · National World War I Memorial: National WWI Museum, CC0 · Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts: Little Mountain 5, CC BY-SA 3.0
4 within 15 miles of the center of Baldwin City
College town 16 of every 100 Baldwin City residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
7 places in Baldwin City on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Baldwin City.
City in Kansas, United States
Baldwin City is a city in Palmyra Township, Douglas County, Kansas, United States, about 12 miles (19 km) south of Lawrence. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,826. The city is home to Baker University, the state's oldest four-year university.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Baldwin City grades A− overall, better than 83% of U.S. towns and #19 of 150 in Kansas. It grades A for health, B for safety and A− for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
4 notable people were born here, including George Counts and Paul Wilkins Kendall.
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