Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Caldwell’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for history and civic life; the weakest is a D for incomes. No town in Kansas scores higher than Caldwell on cost of living. On the outdoors, just 6 of Kansas’ 373 towns do worse. Caldwell has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them US Post Office-Caldwell and Caldwell Carnegie Library. Caldwell has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Caldwell beats most towns.
Caldwell Carnegie LibraryIn 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 Caldwell is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1893.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Caldwell, 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 Caldwell.
The typical Caldwell home is worth about $81,000, down 3.6% in a year, 67% below the Kansas typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Caldwell school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caldwell ElemLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 136 | B |
| Caldwell Secondary SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 109 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
Caldwell’s median household income is $44,000, below both Kansas’ towns ($73,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). 13% of Caldwell residents live below the poverty line. Most working residents leave Caldwell for work: only 15% work in town.
| Caldwell | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Caldwell’s July high is 94°F, above both the Kansas town median (91°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Caldwell has chilly winters and hot summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (23% statewide); children under 18 are 28% of residents (24% statewide). 21% of residents are 65 or older in Caldwell. Caldwell has lost 2.9% of its people since 2020, down to 1,000 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Caldwell | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 28% | 24% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 17% | 18% |
| Median age | 41.1 years | 38.1 years | 40.5 years |
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.5 points. Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Caldwell | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 17.4% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.9% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0.8% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.5% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.6% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.8% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.9% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 30.9% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.4% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.6% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.1% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 65% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Caldwell beats the Kansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6.
| Caldwell | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 34% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Caldwell | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.7% | 77.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Caldwell; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Caldwell residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
Where Caldwell’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Caldwell on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Caldwell.
City in Sumner County, Kansas
Caldwell is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,025.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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 Max Showalter and Bill Hougland.
