Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Carbondale’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for civic life; the weakest is a C− for schools. Only 14 of Kansas’ 373 towns score higher on cost of living. Carbondale has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Carbondale 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 Carbondale is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 710 in 1880, a low of 383 in 1920, 1,352 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1955 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Carbondale, 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 Carbondale.
Most working residents leave Carbondale for work: only 2% work in town. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in Carbondale, above both the Kansas town median (9.1%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Jobs based in Carbondale grew to 116 in 2023, 35 more than in 2013.
| Carbondale | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 15% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 11% | 8.7% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Carbondale has chilly winters and warm summers. At 89°F, Carbondale’s July high is below Kansas’ towns (91°F) but above U.S. towns (85°F).
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Carbondale’s median rent is $617 a month. Only 4 of the 151 Kansas towns we compare have a higher share of renters spending 30% or more of income on rent than Carbondale. The typical Carbondale home is worth about $204,000, up 1.4% in a year, 17% below the Kansas typical home.
| Carbondale | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 65% | 44% | 48% |
| Median rent | $617 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Carbondale's reported crime rate is well below Kansas's. The property crime rate in Carbondale is 3.8 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Carbondale | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 3.8 per 1,000 residents | 13.6 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Carbondale beats the Kansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 30% of Carbondale adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Carbondale | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Carbondale | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.6% | 11.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Carbondale.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Carbondale. Close and well known come first.
9 mi MuseumCombat Air Museum
15 mi National Historical ParkBrown v. Board of Education National Historical Park18K visitors a year16 mi Zoo & aquariumTopeka Zoo
26 mi MuseumSpencer Museum of Art
26 mi MuseumUniversity of Kansas Natural History Museum17 mi MuseumKansas Historical SocietyCombat Air Museum: Eric Friedebach, CC BY 3.0 · Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park: James Michael DuPont, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Spencer Museum of Art: Alan Islas, CC BY-SA 4.0 · University of Kansas Natural History Museum: InaMaka, CC BY 3.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Carbondale
About 5 of every 100 Carbondale residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
Where Carbondale’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Osage County, Kansas
Carbondale is a city in Osage County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,352. It is located south of Topeka along the U.S. Route 75 four-lane freeway.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
.jpg){kind=link}
