Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Population 457: a town settled in 1862.
Only one of the 152 Kansas towns we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Clifton. Clifton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 142 in 1880, a peak of 746 in 1960, 454 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1893 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clifton, 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 Clifton.
The share of households in Clifton who live in a home they own is 83%, above both the Kansas town median (72%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). Values fell 1.3% in the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The peak summer temperature in Clifton is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Clifton’s middle household income stands at $63,000, where Kansas’ towns sit at $73,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. Commuting out is the norm here: 1% of working residents work locally. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs here rose by 34, to 169. In Clifton, the typical journey to work is 22 minutes.
| Clifton | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.3% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
People 65 and older are 23% of residents (17% statewide). Kansas has 36% of adults 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more; here it is 28%. Clifton’s midpoint age stands at 41.5 years.
| Clifton | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.5 years | 38.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 29% | 29% |
46% women, 54% men
About 120 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.8 points). Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Clifton | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.9% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.2% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.3% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.5% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.7% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.8% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.8% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.8% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.2% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.8% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.2% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.1% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.7% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.1% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
38% of Clifton adults have high blood pressure. The town does better than the Kansas average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 6.
| Clifton | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| What stands out | Clifton | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.3% | 11.2% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.8% | 77.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.5% | 6.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 55% of U.S. communities. 32% of Clifton’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by hail at 23%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Clifton once, in 2010.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Clifton; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Clifton residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
City in Kansas, United States
Clifton is a city in Clay and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 454.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Clifton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.