George Kinkead Barn · National Register of Historic Places
Center Township’s story
Center Township in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1926 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →
Center TownshipKS
A town of 1,694.
7 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5
Population
1,694
2025 Census estimate · +1.6% since 2020
Median home value
$121K
Census ACS
Household income
$59K
median
Median age
43.5
years
Jobs based here
353
A commuter town
Is Center Township a good place to live?
Center Township’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and civic life and an A+ for history; its weakest is a D for schools. Of the 152 Kansas towns we compare, none has a lower July high than Center Township. 18% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Center Township, where Kansas’ towns sit at 29% and U.S. towns at 29%. On history, just 1 of Kansas’ 373 towns do better. Center Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Center Township stand out
Where Center Township beats most towns.
A commuter town
88% of working residents leave Center Township for work
Where Center Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
353jobs based in Center Township
12%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Center Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Center Township is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $121K, 1.9 years of the St. Joseph metro’s $65K median household incomeAOpen →SchoolsDOpen →Jobs & income353 jobs based hereC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.1 of 20; 4.5% of households have no car; 7.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 41% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →HealthMosaic Life Care at St. Joseph 17.3 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trailsDOpen →History1 place on the National RegisterA+Open →Civic life4.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Center Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Center Township, and how to reach them.
PowerEvergy14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Troy water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Center Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Kansas you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDoniphan County ClerkDoniphan County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2020
ZIP code6608766087 99%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Center Township.
SchoolsD
On state tests, Center Township’s schools trail 89% of Kansas districts
Its public schools are run by the Troy Public Schools. Its two schools are below.
11%of KS districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troy ElemLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 165 | B |
| Troy High and Middle SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 150 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Center Township has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Center Township for work: only 12% work in town. At 25 minutes, Center Township’s average trip to work is above the Kansas town median (20 minutes) and near the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). The median household income in Center Township is $59,000.
12%work in town
| Center Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 15% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Center Township12%
St. Joseph24%
Troy8%
Atchison8%
Wathena7%
15 mi
median commute distance
353
jobs based in Center Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 66% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Center Township, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Center Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 18° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
21″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–39°
Spring43–64°
Summer65–85°
Fall44–66°
Oct 19
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Center Township
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Center Township since 2011.
41risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
1
paid flood claims since 2011
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB−
Residents of Center Township are healthier than 50% of U.S. towns
Center Township beats the Kansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 30% of adults feel lonely in Center Township.
50%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Center Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Kansas
1 better26 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Center Township | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 8.1% | 9.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.8% | 6.7% |
Mosaic Life Care at St. Joseph
17.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 40,312 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Troy Community Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 31 attractions →Glore Psychiatric Museum and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Center Township. Close and well known come first.
15 mi MuseumGlore Psychiatric Museum
32 mi LandmarkU.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery
14 mi MuseumPony Express Museum
13 mi TheatreMissouri Theatre
39 mi GardenMissouri State Arboretum
33 mi GardenItha T. Krumme Memorial Arboretum
32 mi LandmarkU.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery14 mi MuseumPony Express Museum13 mi TheatreMissouri Theatre39 mi GardenMissouri State Arboretum33 mi GardenItha T. Krumme Memorial ArboretumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
U.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery: Gorsedwa at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pony Express Museum: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Missouri Theatre: Jack Boucher, Public domain · Missouri State Arboretum: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Itha T. Krumme Memorial Arboretum: Kenraiz, Krzysztof Ziarnek, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Center Township
18pages on Center Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Center Township
About 2 of every 100 Center Township residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
About Center Township
Township in Kansas, United States
Center Township is a township in Doniphan County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,663.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 63 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,148 ft
Center Township’s neighbors
7 towns share a border with Center Township.
Washington TownshipBurr Oak TownshipMarion TownshipWayne TownshipIowa TownshipWolf River TownshipIndependence TownshipCenter Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | KS rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center Township | — | — | A | — | D | B− |
| Washington Township | #27 | A− | A | — | B | B− |
| Burr Oak Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Marion Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wayne Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Iowa Township | — | — | A | — | C+ | B |
| Wolf River Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Independence Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Center Township and Iowa Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Center Township, Washington Township and Iowa Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Burr Oak Township, Marion Township, Wayne Township, Wolf River Township and Independence Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Center Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Center Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Center Township, KS expensive?
Not for the area. Joseph, MO-KS metro 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.