Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 9,191. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Smoky Hill Township grades D overall, ranked 141st of 150 in Kansas, mostly because of incomes. The median household income is $51K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line. It also has a long history, with 2 places on the National Register. 2.3% of residents are 65 or older in Smoky Hill Township, where Kansas’ towns sit at 17% and U.S. towns at 18%. On cost of living, just 11 of Kansas’ 373 towns do worse. The biggest park or preserve is Milford State Wildlife Area, at 2,152 acres.
Where Smoky Hill Township beats most towns.
6,531 counted in 2010 and 9,143 in 2020; an estimated 9,191 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 40% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Smoky Hill Township is from typical.
Its best grade is an A− for history (2 places on the National Register), which describes the town but isn’t part of the overall grade; its D comes from the livability subjects above.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 4 maps from 1947 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Smoky Hill 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 Smoky Hill Township.
Smoky Hill Township is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has more 90° days than most of the country, though not than most of Kansas; it also has poverty well above the Kansas rate.
22.3% of residents live below the poverty line, against 11.3% across Kansas, which weighs on its D− for jobs and income. Only 8.5% of households own their home, against 67.2% across Kansas.
41% of Smoky Hill Township residents are under 18. Among 151 Kansas towns, just 3 have a lower median age than Smoky Hill Township. Adults 35 to 64 are 11% of residents (36% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 46% of residents (23% statewide).
| Smoky Hill Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 41% | 24% | 22% |
| Median age | 23.3 years | 38.2 years | 40.5 years |
45% women, 55% men
About 123 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.7 points). Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women. Median age: women 22.9, men 23.9.
| Smoky Hill Township | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 30.1% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.5% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 15.8% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 30.3% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.1% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 1.7% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 1.3% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 1% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 1.3% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 17.1% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 33.7% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.8% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.7% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.7% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Its public schools are run by the Geary County Schools. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ware ElemLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 623 | A− |
| Fort Riley ElemTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 361 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within KS on state tests and graduation
24 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Milford State Wildlife Area | — | 2,152 |
| 2. Rolling Hills Park | — | 894 |
| 3. Curtis Creek Public Use Area | — | 406 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Chapman weather station, 9 miles away, records that about 57 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 82% of Kansas places with climate records.
Smoky Hill Township has chilly winters and warm summers. Smoky Hill Township’s July high is 91°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 1,233 working residents takes 11.7 minutes, against 19.7 across Kansas.
Most working residents leave Smoky Hill Township for work: only 3% work in town. The average trip to work in Smoky Hill Township is 12 minutes. Since 2013, Smoky Hill Township has added 156 jobs, to 978 in 2023.
| Smoky Hill Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $51,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.2% | 15% | 8% |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 8.8% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 59% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 6,110 U.S. towns with household incomes like Smoky Hill Township’s, it is healthier than 89%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Smoky Hill Township beats the Kansas average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 36% of adults feel lonely in Smoky Hill Township. Only 8 of the 150 Kansas towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Smoky Hill Township.
| Smoky Hill Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 31% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 77% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Smoky Hill Township | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.9% | 8.1% |
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.7% | 6.4% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 10.9% | 7.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Smoky Hill Township. Close and well known come first.
19 mi MuseumDwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home
in town MuseumU.S. Cavalry Museum18 mi Zoo & aquariumSunset Zoo
20 mi MuseumFlint Hills Discovery CenterDwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home: Unknown, Public domain · U.S. Cavalry Museum: US Army, Public domain · Flint Hills Discovery Center: Kgwo1972, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Smoky Hill Township; the nearest are
About 10 of every 100 Smoky Hill Township residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
Township in Kansas, United States
Smoky Hill Township is a township in Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 9,143.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Smoky Hill Township.
| Town | KS rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoky Hill Township | #141 | D | D | — | B | B− |
| Junction City | #142 | D | C+ | D | B− | C+ |
| Lyon Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Noble Township | — | — | B+ | — | B+ | B− |
| Milford Township | — | — | C | — | B− | B− |
| Jefferson Township | — | — | B+ | — | B− | B− |
| Fragrant Hill Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Madison Township | — | — | C | — | B | — |
Noble Township, Milford Township and Jefferson Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Smoky Hill Township, Noble Township, Milford Township, Jefferson Township and Madison Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Lyon Township, Fragrant Hill Township and Madison Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Smoky Hill Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Smoky Hill Township grades D overall, better than 12% of U.S. towns and #141 of 150 in Kansas. It grades B− for health and B for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
