Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,273, settled in 1856. Joseph metro’s $65K median household income.
Trash & recyclingThe best of Wathena’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a C− for walkability. Wathena’s median age is 46.2 years, above both Kansas’ towns (38.1 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 10 of the 152 Kansas towns we compare have a lower July high than Wathena. Wathena Fruit Growers' Association Building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Wathena has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Wathena 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 Wathena is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 710 in 1880, 1,246 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 3 maps from 1961 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wathena, 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 Wathena.
Most working residents leave Wathena for work: only 13% work in town. Jobs based in Wathena grew to 1,099 in 2023, 625 more than in 2013. 5.6% of Wathena residents live below the poverty line, against 9.1% in Kansas’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns.
| Wathena | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 5.6% | 9.1% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 20 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 15% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Wathena home is worth about $184,000, up 10.9% in a year, 25% below the Kansas typical home. 84% of Wathena households own their home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Wathena has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 18° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Wathena beats the Kansas average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 30% of adults feel lonely in Wathena.
| Wathena | Kansas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 34% | 35% |
| What stands out | Wathena | KS |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.9% | 11.3% |
| More adults with arthritis | 29.7% | 25.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.4% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Elwood Wildlife Area | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wathena. Close and well known come first.
27 mi LandmarkU.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery
4 mi MuseumPony Express Museum
4 mi TheatreMissouri TheatreU.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery: Gorsedwa at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pony Express Museum: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Missouri Theatre: Jack Boucher, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Wathena
About 5 of every 100 Wathena residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Kansas.
Where Wathena’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Doniphan County, Kansas
Wathena is a city in Doniphan County, Kansas, United States, located about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of St. Joseph, Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,246.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Joseph, MO-KS metro 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.
