Is Downs, KS a Good Place to Live?
Downs is a small town of 605 in Kansas, with a median household income of $57,500 . Its cost of living index is 86 (US average = 100), which is 14% below the national average.
Strengths: Downs 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 Downs is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Downs 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: 85.7Downs's overall cost of living index is 85.7, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Downs costs roughly 14% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Downs, KS | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $104,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $619 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 78.3% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $57,500 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Crime data for Downs is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.
Schools & Education
Downs is served primarily by Waconda. The student-to-teacher ratio is 11.5:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Downs, KS | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Waconda | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 11.5:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 29.8% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 96.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Downs sees average highs of 40.3°F in January and 92.7°F in July, with 26.8 inches of annual precipitation and 17.9 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Downs, KS |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 40.3°F |
| Average High — July | 92.7°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 26.8" |
| Annual Snowfall | 17.9" |
Demographics
| Metric | Downs, KS | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 605 | — |
| Median Age | 59.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 0.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 14.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 96.5% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 11.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 42.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Downs
Downs, KS is covered by 1 ZIP code: