Union Block · National Register of Historic Places
Oskaloosa’s story
170 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1860.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1856Oskaloosa is settled
OskaloosaKS
Trash day: TuesdayPhoto: Ichabod · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,060
2025 Census estimate · −3.6% since 2020
Typical home
$317K
+9.2% in a year
Household income
$84K
median
Median age
38.9
years
Jobs based here
617
Balanced
Is Oskaloosa a good place to live?
Oskaloosa’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and civic life. Oskaloosa is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 71% of U.S. towns. Oskaloosa has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Union Block and Newell-Johnson-Searle House. Oskaloosa has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Oskaloosa stand out
Where Oskaloosa beats most towns.
Typical home value
Oskaloosa$317K
Kansas$246K
Cost of livingA
4.5 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 87% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Oskaloosa5.2
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical KS town4.2
Civic lifeA
24% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Kansas town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Union BlockHistoryA−
Settled in 1856
3 places on the National Register
A history going back 170 years.
Small town
1,060 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Oskaloosa grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Oskaloosa is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.7 of 20; 0.2% of households have no car; 3.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →HealthF W Huston Medical Center 7.9 miles awayB+Open →SchoolsBehind 65% of Kansas districts on tests and graduationC+Open →Jobs & income$84K median household incomeBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →History3 places on the National Register; 5 notable people born hereA−Open →Civic life5.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 38.9; 23% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Oskaloosa: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Oskaloosa, and how to reach them.
PowerEvergy14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Oskaloosa water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpTuesdayTrash dayTown site
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 hereJefferson County ClerkJefferson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2024
ZIP code6606666066 100%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 Oskaloosa.
HousingCost of living grade A
Oskaloosa’s typical home value is about $317K
The typical Oskaloosa home is worth about $317,000, up 9.2% in a year, 29% above the Kansas typical home. Oskaloosa’s median rent is $846 a month, against $975 a month in Kansas’ towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
$317KZillow home value
| Oskaloosa | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $846 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 72% | 73% |
Typical home value
Oskaloosa$317K
Kansas$246K
+9.2%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthB+
Residents of Oskaloosa are healthier than 69% of U.S. towns
Oskaloosa beats the Kansas average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 33% of Oskaloosa adults sleep under 7 hours, where Kansas’ towns sit at 35% and U.S. towns at 36%. 18% of adults binge drink in Oskaloosa.
69%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Oskaloosa | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 9.9% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Kansas
5 better26 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Oskaloosa | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.9% | 13% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.7% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.2% | 8.1% |
F W Huston Medical Center
7.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Oskaloosa
Oskaloosa has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Oskaloosa is 89°F.
16″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–41°
Spring43–65°
Summer66–87°
Fall45–67°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 16
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Oskaloosa has 1.2 jobs for every working resident, and 584 people commute in
Most working residents leave Oskaloosa for work: only 7% work in town. 5.7% of Oskaloosa residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Oskaloosa fell to 617 in 2023, 33 fewer than in 2013.
7%work in town
| Oskaloosa | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 5.7% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.6% | 15% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $84,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Oskaloosa7%
Lawrence24%
Topeka12%
Kansas City5%
Kansas City5%
22 mi
median commute distance
617
jobs based in Oskaloosa
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 71% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Low risk in Oskaloosa, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities.
39risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 48 attractions →Sporting Park and 20 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Oskaloosa. Close and well known come first.
27 mi Stadium & arenaSporting Park
39 mi Stadium & arenaHy-Vee Arena
40 mi TheatreKauffman Center for the Performing Arts
40 mi MuseumArabia Steamboat Museum
24 mi LandmarkU.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery25 mi TheatreSandstone AmphitheaterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Sporting Park: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hy-Vee Arena: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts: Little Mountain 5, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Arabia Steamboat Museum: Prosekc, CC BY-SA 3.0 · U.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery: Gorsedwa at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Oskaloosa
18pages on Oskaloosa
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Oskaloosa; the nearest are
University of KansasUniversity or college · Public · Lawrence18.1 mi$12,102 in-state tuitionKansas City Kansas Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Kansas City31 mi$3,210 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Oskaloosa residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Kansas.
Famous people from Oskaloosa
5 notable people were born in Oskaloosa.
About Oskaloosa
City and County seat in Kansas, United States
Oskaloosa is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,110.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1856
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,119 ft
- ZIP code
- 66066
- Area code
- 785
Questions about Oskaloosa
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Oskaloosa, 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 A.
What is Oskaloosa, KS known for?
5 notable people were born here, including James Reynolds and Dummy Taylor.