KSMap-doton-Melvern, 2005
Melvern Township’s story
156 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2005.
- 1870Melvern Township is settled
Melvern TownshipKS
A town of 741, settled in 1870.
Population
741
2025 Census estimate · −0.4% since 2020
Median home value
$179K
Census ACS
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
45.1
years
Jobs based here
61
A commuter town
Is Melvern Township a good place to live?
Melvern Township’s average commute is 41 minutes, where Kansas’ towns sit at 20 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 9 of the 152 Kansas towns we compare have a higher share of residents 65 or older than Melvern Township. Melvern Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
741 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Olivet TownshipLincoln TownshipAgency TownshipRock Creek TownshipKey West TownshipValley Brook TownshipMelvern Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Melvern Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Melvern Township, and how to reach them.
PowerEvergy13.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOsage Co RWD 4No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers72% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Melvern 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 hereOsage County ClerkOsage County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Dec 2025
ZIP codes66510, 66451, 6685666510 89% · 66451 8% · 66856 3%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 Melvern Township.
Work & commute
Melvern Township has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
In Melvern Township, the typical household income is $57,000, below both the Kansas town median ($73,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). Most people who work leave Melvern Township to do it: just 2% work in town. 15% of Melvern Township residents live below the poverty line. Employers in Melvern Township shed 24 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 61.
2%work in town
| Melvern Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 15% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Melvern Township2%
Topeka17%
Osage City9%
Lyndon9%
Emporia6%
35 mi
median commute distance
61
jobs based in Melvern Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Melvern Township’s kids attend
Public schools: the Marais Des Cygnes Valley school district. Its two schools are below. 2 public schools serve Melvern Township, with 88 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marais Des Cygnes Valley MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 35 | C− |
| Marais Des Cygnes Valley HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 53 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Climate
Expect four seasons and hot summers in Melvern Township
The typical July afternoon high in the town is 90°F.
10″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–43°
Spring44–66°
Summer66–88°
Fall46–68°
Oct 30
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Melvern Township is inland flooding, at a high overall level
Federal aid has come to Melvern Township households in 8 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024. On expected storm and flood damage, Melvern Township sits above 64% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Melvern Township break down as 31% from inland flooding and 15% from ice storms.
64risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingIce stormsTornadoes
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
How healthy Melvern Township is
28% of adults in Melvern Township feel lonely; 40% have obesity. This Kansas town does better than the Kansas average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 3. In Melvern Township, 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Melvern Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Kansas
6 better23 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Melvern Township | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.4% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10% | 13% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 8.1% |
Coffey County Hospital
21.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 28,478 acres
1.7 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Melvern Township
18pages on Melvern Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Melvern Township; the nearest are
Ottawa University-OttawaUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Ottawa21.7 mi$35,880 tuitionEmporia State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Emporia29.6 mi$7,106 in-state tuitionFlint Hills Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Emporia31.9 mi$6,400 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Melvern Township residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Melvern Township for work
Where Melvern Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
61jobs based in Melvern Township
2%of working residents work in town
35 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Melvern Township
City in Osage County, Kansas
Melvern is a city in Osage County, Kansas, United States, along the Marais des Cygnes River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 356.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,014 ft
- ZIP code
- 66510
- Area code
- 785
Questions about Melvern Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Melvern Township, KS a good place to live?
Melvern Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.