Is Clearwater, KS a Good Place to Live?
Clearwater is a small town of 2,544 in Kansas, with a median household income of $78,472 and a 2.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 90 (US average = 100), which is 10% below the national average.
Strengths: Clearwater stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Clearwater is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Clearwater city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 89.5Clearwater's overall cost of living index is 89.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Clearwater costs roughly 10% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Clearwater, KS | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $182,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $921 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 73.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $78,472 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeClearwater's violent crime rate is 37.9 per 100,000 residents — 90% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Clearwater is served primarily by Clearwater. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.9:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Clearwater, KS | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Clearwater | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.9:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 28.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Clearwater sees average highs of 43.8°F in January and 91.7°F in July, with 35.1 inches of annual precipitation and 10.8 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Clearwater, KS |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 43.8°F |
| Average High — July | 91.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 35.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 10.8" |
Demographics
| Metric | Clearwater, KS | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,544 | — |
| Median Age | 36.7 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 23.4 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 90.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 2.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 31.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 16.2% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Clearwater
Clearwater, KS is covered by 1 ZIP code: