The Edgar W. Howe House is a historic house in Atchison, Kansas. It was built for a newspaper editor. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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46 on the National Register · #4 in KSHistoric places →

Know Atchison

The town at a glance, and the guide to how things work

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About Atchison

City in northeast Kansas, U.S.

1854Established

10,885Population

8.3 sq miArea

814 ftElevation

Atchison is a city in and the county seat of Atchison County, Kansas, United States, along the Missouri River. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 10,885. The city is named in honor of US Senator David Rice Atchison from Missouri and was the original eastern terminus of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Atchison is also the home of Benedictine College, a Catholic liberal arts university.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Atchison ranks

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#17Most conserved land in KS #21Cheapest rent in KS #34Most affordable in KS All KS rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code66002

Area code913

Living in Atchison

Housing in Atchison

$176K▲ 7.1% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Atchison home is worth about $176,000, up 7.1% in a year, 29% below the Kansas typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market39

Sale-to-list94%

Sold in May15

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Atchison

C⁺

Safety Grade C+

Atchison reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 57% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Atchison 1.9

Kansas 4.8

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Atchison 10.6

Kansas 19.2

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Atchison

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40% of Atchison’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are St. Joseph (6%), Kansas City (5%) and Leavenworth (4%). Half commute less than 21 miles.

St. Joseph, MO

Kansas City, MO

Leavenworth

Topeka

40%Work in townlive and work in Atchison 21 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 4,656Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Atchison →

Health in Atchison

B⁻

Health Grade B−

Healthier than 50% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 84% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Kansas

5worse than KS

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 27 are too close to call.

Conditions 1▼ 11 close Habits all close Care 2▼ 5 close Mind 1▼ 4 close Everyday needs 1▼ 3 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

14.5%More older adults who have lost all their teethKS 11.3% · worse 8.5%More adults without reliable transportationKS 7.1% · worse 18.9%More adults in frequent mental distressKS 16% · worse

Care nearby

Amberwell Atchison AssociationAtchison · 1.6 mi · ER · rural critical access

Achc Commercial StreetAtchison · 0.9 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthNo shortage

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Atchison · CMS · HRSAHealth in Atchison →

Natural hazards in Atchison

Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 54% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes🌡️ Heat waves

1Does Atchison flood?paid flood claims since 2011 6Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Atchison MapAtchison vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Atchison →

Climate in Atchison

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Atchison has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

41° / 22°Winter

65° / 43°Spring

86° / 66°Summer

67° / 45°Fall

How much snow does Atchison get?About 17 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 29, with the last in spring around Apr 11.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.8° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Atchison →

Schools in Atchison

All Atchison schools →

School Grade C

The public schools Atchison’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 70% of Kansas’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Atchison’s schools compare in KS →

DistrictAtchison Public SchoolsSchools7

Atchison Elementary School C+Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 693 students St. Benedict Catholic SchoolElementary · Grades PK–8 · 237 students Trinity Lutheran SchoolElementary · Grades PK–8 · 160 students Atchison Middle School C-Middle · Grades 6–8 · 287 students Atchison High School C-High · Grades 9–12 · 419 students Maur Hill - Mount AcademyHigh · Grades 9–12 · 147 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within KS. Ratings are from neighbors.