Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,422, settled in 1889.
The best of Meade’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for schools and walkability; the weakest is a C for hazard risk. 37% of working residents work locally in Meade, where Kansas’ towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 8%. Only 11 of Kansas’ 372 towns score higher on walkability. Meade's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 92% of U.S. towns. Dalton Gang Hideout and Museum is on the National Register of Historic Places. Meade has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Meade beats most towns.
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 Meade is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1910.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Meade, 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 Meade.
The typical Meade home is worth about $121,000, up 7.3% in a year, 51% below the Kansas typical home. At $759 a month, Meade’s median rent is below both Kansas’ towns ($975 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Meade | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $759 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The July high in Meade is 94°F. Meade has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Meade’s working residents works in town. Meade’s average trip to work is 17 minutes. Jobs based in Meade grew to 498 in 2023, 92 more than in 2013.
| Meade | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.6% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Adults 35 to 64 are 41% of residents (36% statewide); children under 18 are 20% of residents (24% statewide). Meade has lost 5.1% of its people since 2020, down to 1,422 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Only 8 of the 152 Kansas towns we compare have a higher median age than Meade.
| Meade | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.7 years | 38.1 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 20% | 24% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 18% | 17% | 18% |
42% women, 58% men
About 137 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.1 points). Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Meade | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.2% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.5% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.1% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.5% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.7% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 19.6% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.8% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.6% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.6% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.9% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 28.3% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.2% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.9% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Meade beats the Kansas average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 30% of Meade adults get no exercise outside work.
| Meade | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 26% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Meade | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.5% | 77.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.5% | 6.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Meade; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Meade residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
1,721 counted in 2010 and 1,505 in 2020; an estimated 1,422 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
City in Meade County, Kansas
Meade is a city in and the county seat of Meade County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,505.
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