Wakarusa TownshipKS
A town of 2,173, settled in 1857.
Is Wakarusa Township a good place to live?
The best of Wakarusa Township’s subject grades are an A for incomes and an A− for health; the weakest is a C− for cost of living. Wakarusa Township’s median age is 59 years, above both Kansas’ towns (38.1 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). On cost of living, just 20 of Kansas’ 373 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 72% of U.S. towns. The biggest place to walk is Baker Wetlands, 1,001 acres with 8.3 miles of trail. Wakarusa Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
98% of working residents leave Wakarusa Township for work
Where Wakarusa Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
How Wakarusa Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Kansas), ordered by how far Wakarusa Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Wakarusa Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wakarusa 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Wakarusa Township.
On CDC estimates, Wakarusa Township is healthier than 82% of U.S. towns
Wakarusa Township beats the Kansas average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 28% of Wakarusa Township adults have high blood pressure, where Kansas’ towns sit at 34% and U.S. towns at 35%. 19% of Wakarusa Township adults binge drink.
| Wakarusa Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 34% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.6% | 11% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 26% | 25% |
| What stands out | Wakarusa Township | KS |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| Fewer adults who get no exercise | 19.5% | 25.6% |
| More adults with depression | 24.4% | 20.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
A smaller share of residents are under 18 in Wakarusa Township than in most of Kansas or the rest of the country
15% of residents are under 18 in Wakarusa Township. Wakarusa Township has grown 4.1% since 2020, to 2,173 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 41% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Wakarusa Township.
| Wakarusa Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 15% | 24% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 29% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.5 points. Across Kansas, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Wakarusa Township | KS | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5% | 12.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.9% | 11.3% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.4% | 10.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.9% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.9% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.8% | 11.2% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 25.7% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 21.1% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.2% | 6.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.9% | 8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.2% | 25.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.6% | 21.8% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.3% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.3% | 22.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 23.8% | 13.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,200, single groups can be off by several points
Wakarusa Township stands out in Kansas and nationally: a smaller share of its working residents work locally
Since 2013, Wakarusa Township has lost 161 jobs, to 477 in 2023. Among 152 Kansas towns, just 4 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Wakarusa Township. The median household income in Wakarusa Township is $99,000.
| Wakarusa Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 15% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $99,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Wakarusa Township has four seasons and hot summers
Wakarusa Township has chilly winters and warm summers. Wakarusa Township’s July high is 90°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Wakarusa Township
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Wakarusa Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Wakarusa Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.2% | 2.1% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Baker Wetlands | 8.3 mi | 1,001 |
| 2. Outlet Park | — | 24 |
| 3. Wells Overlook Park | 0.1 mi | 17 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes in Wakarusa Township sell for about $225K
Only 10 of the 150 Kansas towns we compare have a higher median rent than Wakarusa Township.
| Wakarusa Township | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,564 a month | $975 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 85% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
CPKC Stadium and 37 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wakarusa Township. Close and well known come first.
39 mi Stadium & arenaCPKC Stadium
38 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Center
27 mi Stadium & arenaSporting Park
37 mi MuseumThe Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
36 mi Stadium & arenaHy-Vee Arena
37 mi MuseumNational World War I MemorialPhoto credits
CPKC Stadium: elisfkc2, CC BY-SA 2.0 · 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
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Everything we know about Wakarusa Township
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Wakarusa Township
About 4 of every 100 Wakarusa Township residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
About Wakarusa Township
Township in Kansas, United States
Wakarusa Township is a township in Douglas County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,102.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 47 sq mi
- Elevation
- 866 ft
Wakarusa Township’s neighbors
9 towns share a border with Wakarusa Township.
| Town | KS rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wakarusa Township | — | — | C− | — | B | A− |
| Lawrence | #77 | B− | C− | C | B | A− |
| Grant Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rural Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Eudora Township | #59 | B | C− | — | B+ | B+ |
| Palmyra Township | #30 | A− | C− | — | A− | A |
| Clinton Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Willow Springs Township | — | — | D | — | B | A |
Wakarusa Township and Willow Springs Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Wakarusa Township, Eudora Township, Palmyra Township and Willow Springs Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Grant Township, Rural Township and Clinton Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Wakarusa Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Wakarusa Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wakarusa Township, KS expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $384,000, 56% above the Kansas typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.