Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Its National Register listings include Old Cawker City Library and Wisconsin Street Historic District. Cawker City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Cawker City beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 1,039 in 1880, 457 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 2 maps from 1962 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cawker 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 Cawker City.
A typical home in Cawker City is worth about $106,000, down 0.8% in a year, 57% below the Kansas typical home. 82% of households are owner-occupiers here.
| Cawker City | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $583 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 82% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
A winter brings about 18 inches of snow, with January nights at 17° and July afternoons at 92°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Cawker City, the risk rating from FEMA is 67 of 100, above both Kansas’ towns (49 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100). Federal aid has come to Cawker City households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2011. FEMA puts two fifths of the town’s expected hazard losses down to hail, and 24% to inland flooding.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The income of the median household for Cawker City comes to $45,000. Most people who work leave Cawker City to do it: just 11% work in town. In Cawker City, the mean commuting time is 23 minutes, above the Kansas town median (20 minutes) but below the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Half commute less than 18 miles.
| Cawker City | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 27% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the Kansas average, Cawker City comes out ahead on 7 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 5. In Cawker City, 32% of adults sleep under 7 hours. Two figures for adults locally: 40% have high blood pressure, 15% report frequent mental distress. Among 151 Kansas towns, just 7 have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Cawker City.
| Cawker City | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 34% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| What stands out | Cawker City | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.4% | 13% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.5% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.7% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Cawker City; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Cawker City residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
2 places in Cawker City on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Mitchell County, Kansas
Cawker City is a city in Mitchell County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 457. The city is located along the north shore of Waconda Lake and Glen Elder State Park. It is one of several places claiming to be home of the largest ball of twine in the world.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cawker City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
