Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Paola Township’s subject grades is an A− for civic life. Among 152 Kansas towns, just 5 have a higher median age than Paola Township. Paola Township's public schools beat 74% of Kansas towns on state tests and graduation. Paola Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Paola Township 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 Paola Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,811 in 1870, 5,768 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1898 and 3 maps from 1957 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Paola Township, 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 Paola Township.
Paola Township’s typical journey to work stands at 24 minutes. Just 2% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Its typical household income stands at $88,000, above both Kansas’ towns ($73,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Half the trips to work are shorter than 25 miles.
| Paola Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 15% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $88,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
16% of Paola Township adults report frequent mental distress, where Kansas’ towns sit at 17% and U.S. towns at 17%. Against the Kansas average, Paola Township comes out ahead on 9 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 2. Among adults here, 29% feel lonely.
| Paola Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Paola Township | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.7% | 13% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.5% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 35 to 64 are just over two in five residents (36% statewide). Among adults 25 and older, 27% have a four-year degree or more, against 36% across Kansas.
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.3 points. Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Paola Township | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.1% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.1% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.2% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 18.7% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.9% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.7% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 23% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.5% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.8% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.2% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.5% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 18% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3.5% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
For Paola Township, the FEMA risk score is 56 of 100. Expected losses in Paola Township break down as 43% from inland flooding and 17% from tornadoes.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. For Paola Township, the trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wallace Park | — | 18 |
| 2. Lake Miola Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Paola Township; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Paola Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Kansas.
Where Paola Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City and County seat in Kansas, United States
Paola is a city in and the county seat of Miami County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 5,768.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.