Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Baxter Springs gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $120K, 1.9 years of the Joplin metro’s $62K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 117th of 150 in Kansas. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 95% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household income is $51K, and 24% of residents live below the poverty line. 24% of residents live below the poverty line in Baxter Springs, where Kansas’ towns sit at 9.1% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. On hazard risk, just 30 of Kansas’ 373 towns do worse. Baxter Springs has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Johnston Library and Rial A. Niles House.
Where Baxter Springs beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Johnston Library| Widest gap | Baxter Springs | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.9% | 11.3% |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Baxter Springs is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,284 in 1870, 3,888 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1860 and 4 maps from 1959 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Baxter Springs, 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 Baxter Springs.
Baxter Springs sends many workers across the state line to Joplin, has homes that are cheap against local pay and fares better on crime within Kansas than nationally.
23% of Baxter Springs adults smoke cigarettes. Only 5 of the 150 Kansas towns we compare have a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Baxter Springs. 15% of Baxter Springs adults binge drink.
| Baxter Springs | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 37% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 18% | 19% |
| What stands out | Baxter Springs | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.9% | 11.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.6% | 6.7% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 11.8% | 7.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Baxter Springs school district.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln ElemLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 245 | – |
| Baxter Springs HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 361 | C+ |
| Central ElemTop results in townGrades 3–6 | Grades 3–6 | 223 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
At 1.9 years of the Joplin metro’s $62K median household income, the typical home (about $120K) costs less against local pay than in 91% of Kansas towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $1,296, against $2,798 across Kansas, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Baxter Springs’ median rent is $754 a month. The typical Baxter Springs home is worth about $120,000, up 4.1% in a year, 51% below the Kansas typical home.
| Baxter Springs | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $754 a month | $977 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
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities. Since 1985, 23 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Baxter Springs.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Baxter Springs has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Baxter Springs is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 24.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 51% of Kansas’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
54% of working residents cross a state line to work, Joplin among the top destinations. Baxter Springs has about as many jobs (1,545) as working residents, but only 355 people both live and work here.
22% of working residents work locally in Baxter Springs. Jobs based in Baxter Springs grew to 1,545 in 2023, 263 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Joplin (17%), Pittsburg (5%) and Galena (5%).
| Baxter Springs | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 15% | 8% |
| Median household income | $51,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
0.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Football Field and Track | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Baxter Springs
About 4 of every 100 Baxter Springs residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
4 places in Baxter Springs on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Baxter Springs.
City in Cherokee County, Kansas
Baxter Springs is a city in Cherokee County, Kansas, United States, and located along Spring River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,888.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Baxter Springs.
| Town | KS rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter Springs | #117 | C− | A− | C+ | B | D− |
| Spring Valley Township | — | — | A | — | C+ | D |
| Garden Township | #127 | C− | B+ | — | C− | C− |
Spring Valley Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Spring Valley Township and Garden Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Baxter Springs with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Baxter Springs grades C− overall, better than 25% of U.S. towns and #117 of 150 in Kansas. It grades D− for health, C+ for safety and B for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
6 notable people were born here, including Lee Scott and Byron Stewart.
