Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
2.5 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Kansas town.
Holton gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $230K, 3.3 years of the Topeka metro’s $70K median household income. It grades B overall, ranked 69th of 150 in Kansas. 34% of working residents work locally in Holton, against 15% in Kansas’ towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Holton's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 95% of U.S. towns. Only 36 of Kansas’ 373 towns score higher on the outdoors.
Where Holton beats most towns.
State Bank of HoltonEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Holton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,727 in 1890, 3,401 in 2020. The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 2 maps from 1960 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Holton, 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 Holton.
Holton trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, fares better on crime within Kansas than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Its public schools are run by the Holton school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Holton High, with 335 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holton Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 511 | B− |
| Holton HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 335 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
The Horton weather station, 18 miles away, records that about 43 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 93% of Kansas places with climate records. July afternoons average 88.7°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 91% of Kansas places with climate records; January nights average 16.8°.
Holton has chilly winters and warm summers. Among 151 Kansas towns, just 3 have a lower January low than Holton. Holton’s July high is 89°F.
| Holton | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 89°F | 91°F | 85°F |
| January low | 17°F | 21°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
0.0 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Prairie Lake Park, at 172 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prairie Lake Park | — | 172 |
| 2. Rafters Park | — | 15 |
| 3. Elk Horn Lake Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
About one in 3 of Holton’s working residents works in town. The median household income in Holton is $53,000. Jobs based in Holton grew to 2,189 in 2023, 105 more than in 2013.
| Holton | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Homes are within reach (about $230K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 26 miles.
56% of Holton households own their home. Typical home values rose 6% in the year to September 2026. Among 149 Kansas towns, just 7 have a lower median rent than Holton.
| Holton | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $664 a month | $977 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Holton since 2001.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 6,650 U.S. towns with household incomes like Holton’s, it is healthier than 83%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Holton beats the Kansas average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 28% of adults get no exercise outside work in Holton.
| Holton | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 22% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 31% | 33% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Holton | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with heart disease | 7.6% | 6.4% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 3.8% | 3.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 18.6 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 70% of Kansas’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Holton; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Holton residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
4 places in Holton on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Holton.
City in Jackson County, Kansas
Holton is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,401.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Holton grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns and #69 of 150 in Kansas. It grades B− for health, B− for safety and B− for schools.
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 A−.
8 notable people were born here, including Lynn Jenkins and Bill James.
