Dighton, Kansas, c. 1900
Dighton Township’s story
147 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1900.
- 1879Dighton Township is settled
Dighton TownshipKS
A town of 1,101, settled in 1879. 3.5 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Kansas town.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Population
1,101
2025 Census estimate · −4.3% since 2020
Median home value
$141K
Census ACS
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
50.3
years
Jobs based here
378
Balanced
Is Dighton Township a good place to live?
Dighton Township’s best subject grades are an A+ for schools and civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. 42% of working residents work locally in Dighton Township, above both the Kansas town median (15%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Only 31 of Kansas’ 373 towns score lower on incomes. A typical home costs about $141K, 2.6 years of the county’s $55K median household income. On civic life, just 4 of Kansas’ 362 towns do better. Dighton Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Dighton Township stand out
Where Dighton Township beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Dighton Township14.7
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical KS town4.2
Civic lifeA+
3.5 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Kansas town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Dighton schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Dighton Elem | PK–6 | 139 |
| Dighton High | 7–12 | 86 |
SchoolsA+
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Small town
1,101 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Alamota TownshipGarfield TownshipWilson TownshipCheyenne TownshipDighton Township
How Dighton Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Dighton Township is from typical.
SchoolsA+Open →Jobs & incomeDOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.8 of 20; 2.3% of households have no car; 10.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 40% of U.S. communities; drought tops the listBOpen →HealthLane County Hospital 6.2 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0% conserved landC−Open →HistoryB−Open →Civic life14.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
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 Dighton Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dighton Township, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of DightonEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Dighton water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Dighton 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 hereLane County ClerkLane County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP code6783967839 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 Dighton Township.
SchoolsA+
Dighton Township’s schools rank ahead of 95% of Kansas districts
Its public schools are run by the Dighton school district. Its two schools are below.
95%of KS districts it outscoresA+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dighton ElemLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 139 | A− |
| Dighton HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 86 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
Who lives here
The median age in Dighton Township is higher than in the typical Kansas or U.S. town
At 50.3 years, Dighton Township’s median age is against 38.1 years in Kansas’ towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Dighton Township has lost 4.3% of its people since 2020, down to 1,101 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. People 65 and older are 30% of residents (17% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (23% statewide).
50.3median age · KS 37.4
| Dighton Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.3 years | 38.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 29% | 29% |
Dighton TownshipKansasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma0%
High school29%
Some college33%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
46% women, 54% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.1 points. Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women. Among residents 65 to 74, 65% are men (KS 48%).
| Dighton Township | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.4% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.6% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.9% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.6% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 2.1% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 19.9% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.6% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.8% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0.3% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.3% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 32.5% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.9% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.9% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.1% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Dighton Township
Dighton Township has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Dighton Township’s July high is 93°F.
22″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–46°
Spring38–67°
Summer62–90°
Fall40–69°
Oct 15
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
About two in five of Dighton Township’s working residents commute to Dighton
The average trip to work in Dighton Township is 10 minutes. Since 2013, Dighton Township has lost 137 jobs, to 378 in 2023. The top destinations are Dighton (39%), Wilson Township (8%) and Healy (7%).
42%work in town
| Dighton Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 10 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Dighton Township42%
Dighton39%
Wilson Township8%
Healy7%
Scott City6%
8 mi
median commute distance
378
jobs based in Dighton Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Drought leads a moderate hazard risk in Dighton Township
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtHailInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB−
Residents of Dighton Township are less healthy than 53% of U.S. towns
Dighton Township beats the Kansas average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 40% of adults have high blood pressure in Dighton Township.
47%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Dighton Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 34% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 22% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Kansas
2 better23 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Dighton Township | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.2% | 77.6% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.1% | 84.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.9% | 8.1% |
Lane County Hospital
6.2 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.2%conserved
| Dighton Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
0.2%
conserved · 429 of 193,237 acres
30 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dighton Township
18pages on Dighton Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dighton Township; the nearest are
Garden City Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Garden City34.7 mi$3,690 in-state tuitionFort Hays State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Hays72.1 mi$5,923 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Dighton Township residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
About Dighton Township
City in Lane County, Kansas
Dighton is a city in and the county seat of Lane County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 960. Dighton is named for Dick Dighton, a surveyor.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,766 ft
- ZIP code
- 67839
- Area code
- 620
Questions about Dighton Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dighton Township, KS a good place to live?
3.5 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Kansas town.
Is Dighton Township, KS expensive?
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 B+.