Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Joseph metro’s $65K median household income.
The best of Elwood’s subject grades is an A+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for safety. Elwood’s property crime rate is 36.7 per 1,000 residents, above both the Kansas town median (11) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9). No town in Kansas scores lower than Elwood on safety. Elwood has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Elwood beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
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 Elwood is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 323 in 1880, 1,125 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1924 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elwood, 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 Elwood.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Elwood home is worth about $109,000, up 5.4% in a year, 56% below the Kansas typical home. At $839 a month, Elwood’s median rent is against $975 a month in Kansas’ towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
| Elwood | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $839 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Elwood for work: only 3% work in town. The average trip to work in Elwood is 15 minutes. Since 2013, Elwood has lost 140 jobs, to 201 in 2023.
| Elwood | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 15% | 8% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Elwood has chilly winters and warm summers. Among 152 Kansas towns, just 2 have a lower July high than Elwood.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities. Since 1984, 62 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elwood.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Elwood beats the Kansas average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 16% of adults smoke cigarettes in Elwood.
| Elwood | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 16% |
| What stands out | Elwood | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 59% | 64.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Elwood | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Elwood. Close and well known come first.
26 mi LandmarkU.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery
2 mi MuseumPony Express Museum
3 mi TheatreMissouri TheatreU.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
1 within 15 miles of the center of Elwood
About 7 of every 100 Elwood residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Kansas.
Where Elwood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Doniphan County, Kansas
Elwood is a city in Doniphan County, Kansas, United States, located west across the Missouri River from Saint Joseph, Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,125.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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+.
