Median Income
$45,625
household / year
Median Home Value
$86,500
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$539
gross / month
Cost of Living
84
national avg = 100

Is Cottonwood Falls, KS a Good Place to Live?

Cottonwood Falls is a small town of 888 in Kansas, with a median household income of $45,625 and a 2.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 84 (US average = 100), which is 16% below the national average.

Strengths: Cottonwood Falls stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.

Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Cottonwood Falls is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Cottonwood Falls 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: 83.7

Cottonwood Falls's overall cost of living index is 83.7, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Cottonwood Falls costs roughly 16% less than the average American city.

Metric Cottonwood Falls, KS National Avg
Median Home Value $86,500 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $539 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 75.9% 65.9%
Median Household Income $45,625 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Crime data for Cottonwood Falls is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.

Schools & Education

Cottonwood Falls is served primarily by Chase County. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.8:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Cottonwood Falls, KS National Avg
School District Chase County —
Elementary Schools 1 —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools 1 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 11.8:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 22.8% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 89.2% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Cottonwood Falls sees average highs of 41.2°F in January and 90.0°F in July, with 38.0 inches of annual precipitation and 10.6 inches of snow per year.

MetricCottonwood Falls, KS
Average High — January41.2°F
Average High — July90.0°F
Annual Precipitation38.0"
Annual Snowfall10.6"

Demographics

MetricCottonwood Falls, KSNational Avg
Population888—
Median Age39.338.9
Unemployment Rate2.5%3.7%
Avg Commute Time20.9 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)85.8%59.3%
Black or African American1.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino5.6%18.9%
Asian0.0%6.3%
Under 1818.8%22.2%
65 and over22.4%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Strong City, KS 2 mi Elmdale, KS 6 mi Matfield Green, KS 14 mi Cedar Point, KS 17 mi Dunlap, KS 17 mi

ZIP Codes in Cottonwood Falls

Cottonwood Falls, KS is covered by 1 ZIP code:

66845

Cottonwood Falls vs Other Cities

Cottonwood Falls, KS vs Strong City, KS Cottonwood Falls, KS vs Elmdale, KS Cottonwood Falls, KS vs Matfield Green, KS Cottonwood Falls, KS vs Cedar Point, KS Cottonwood Falls, KS vs Dunlap, KS

Frequently Asked Questions

Cottonwood Falls's cost of living index is 84, where 100 is the national average. That makes Cottonwood Falls roughly 16% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $86,500 and median rent is $539/month.
Crime data for Cottonwood Falls is not available in the current FBI UCR reporting year. Not all jurisdictions submit data annually.
Public schools in Cottonwood Falls are operated by Chase County. The district has 1 elementary, several middle, and 1 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.8:1. 22.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cottonwood Falls, KS has a population of 888, a median household income of $45,625, and an unemployment rate of 2.5%. It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Cottonwood Falls averages 41.2°F in January and 90.0°F in July. Annual rainfall is 38.0 inches with about 10.6 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Cottonwood Falls, KS is covered by 1 ZIP code: 66845.
The population of Cottonwood Falls, Kansas is 888 with a median age of 39.3. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Cottonwood Falls: cost of living index 84 (100 = US average), median home $86,500, median household income $45,625, schools rated B. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Cottonwood Falls side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.