Buck Creek School · National Register of Historic Places
Rural Township’s story
155 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 maps from 1949 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1871Rural Township is settled
Rural TownshipKS
A town of 799, settled in 1871.
6 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Bhall87 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
799
2025 Census estimate · +0.6% since 2020
Median home value
$270K
Census ACS
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
37.9
years
Jobs based here
50
A commuter town
Is Rural Township a good place to live?
Rural Township’s average trip to work is 35 minutes, above both Kansas’ towns (20 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Among 152 Kansas towns, just 1 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Rural Township. The biggest park or preserve is Buck Creek Wildlife Area, at 910 acres. Rural Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
799 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Oskaloosa TownshipLecompton TownshipSarcoxie TownshipGrant TownshipWakarusa TownshipKentucky TownshipRural Township
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Rural Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rural Township, and how to reach them.
PowerEvergy14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterJefferson Co RWD 2No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Rural 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 hereJefferson County ClerkJefferson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2024
ZIP codes66073, 66066, 6604466073 88% · 66066 8% · 66044 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 Rural Township.
Work & commute
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Rural Township’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Rural Township for work: only 1% work in town. Jobs based in Rural Township grew to 50 in 2023, 39 more than in 2013. 14% of Rural Township residents live below the poverty line, against 9.1% in Kansas’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns.
1%work in town
Where working residents work
In Rural Township1%
Lawrence19%
Topeka12%
Oskaloosa8%
Kansas City6%
20 mi
median commute distance
50
jobs based in Rural Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Kansas overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (23% statewide); children under 18 are 29% of residents (24% statewide). 38% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Rural Township.
37.9median age · KS 37.4
| Rural Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 37.9 years | 38.1 years | 40.5 years |
Rural TownshipKansasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
27%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school23%
Some college23%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate16%
Women and men · all residents
37% women, 63% men
About 167 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±9.8 points). Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Rural Township | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 2.5% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 26.7% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.1% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 20.4% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.3% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.2% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.7% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.4% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.7% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Rural Township has four seasons and hot summers
Rural Township has chilly winters and warm summers. Rural Township’s July high is 90°F.
14″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–43°
Spring44–66°
Summer66–88°
Fall45–68°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Rural Township
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
Health
How healthy Rural Township is
Rural Township beats the Kansas average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 33% of Rural Township adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Rural Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 31% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 13% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Kansas
5 better26 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Rural Township | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.6% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.2% | 13% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.4% | 8.1% |
Lmh
7.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Rural Township has set aside 1.5% of its land for conservation
1.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
1.5%conserved
1.5%
conserved · 313 of 20,667 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Buck Creek Wildlife Area | — | 910 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 48 attractions →T-Mobile Center and 32 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Rural Township. Close and well known come first.
40 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Center
27 mi Stadium & arenaSporting Park
40 mi MuseumThe Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
38 mi Stadium & arenaHy-Vee Arena
39 mi MuseumNational World War I Memorial
39 mi TheatreKauffman Center for the Performing ArtsSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
T-Mobile Center: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sporting Park: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: User:Charvex, Public domain · Hy-Vee Arena: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · National World War I Memorial: National WWI Museum, CC0 · Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts: Little Mountain 5, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rural Township
17pages on Rural Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Rural Township
University of KansasUniversity or college · Public · Lawrence9.2 mi$12,102 in-state tuitionHaskell Indian Nations UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Lawrence10.8 mi$600 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Rural Township residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Rural Township for work
Where Rural Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
50jobs based in Rural Township
1%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
2 places in Rural Township on the National Register of Historic Places.
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About Rural Township
Township in Kansas, United States
Rural Township is a township in Jefferson County, Kansas, United States. It was formed in 1871, from the territory of Kentucky Township and Sarcoxie Township. As of the 2020 census, its population was 776.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 32 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,047 ft
Questions about Rural Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rural Township, KS a good place to live?
Rural Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.