The Town FilesBurden, Kansas
City in Cowley County · population 512 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $58,600
- Household income
- $55,833
- Jan low / Jul high
- 20° / 91°
- Snow a year
- 8 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 26
- Median age
- 33.2
Burden is a city of 512 people in Cowley County, Kansas. The median home is worth $58,600, below the typical Kansas town ($128,200). It ranks better for families than 83% of Kansas towns, more of a college town than 76% of Kansas towns.
How Burden ranks
Percentile among Kansas towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Kansas towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Burden is worth $58,600, below the typical Kansas town ($128,200). Homes cost about 1.0 times the median household income of $55,833, which is more affordable than 99% of Kansas towns. Median rent is $604 a month. 77.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Burden | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $58,600 | $128,200 |
| Median rent | $604 | $815 |
| Median household income | $55,833 | $63,857 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.0× | 2.1× |
| Homeownership | 77.9% | 73.7% |
| Median year built | 1948 | 1964 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Burden
| People | Burden | Typical Kansas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.2 | 38.5 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.3% | 19.0% |
| Under 18 | 33.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.9% | 24.0% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.9% | 10.6% |
| Veterans | 10.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.1% | — |
| Work from home | 3.9% | 6.4% |
| Average commute | 27.5 min | 19.6 min |
| Homes with broadband | 84.1% | 89.2% |
Weather in Burden
July highs average 91.1°F and January lows 20.2°F. About 40.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 7.6 inches of snow (typical Kansas town: 12.4 in). Expect about 55 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 108 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Burden since 1950, compared with 26 for the typical Kansas town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F5, struck on May 25, 1955 about 9.3 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 13 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 14, 2018.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 113 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on May 13, 1997.
Severe weather in Cowley County since 1996
Cowley County has been included in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4943: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| September 11, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4891: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| March 29, 2020 | Biological | DR-4504: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3481: Covid-19 |
| June 20, 2019 | Severe Storm | DR-4449: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Cowley County
Cowley County had 13,041 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,217 a year. Unemployment was 3% in 2023; in Burden itself the ACS puts it at 2.1%.
Public schools in Burden
2 public schools with 302 students, about 13.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Elem | PK-6 | 157 | 17.4 |
| Central Jr-Sr High | 7-12 | 145 | 10.4 |
Towns near Burden
- Winfield, KS13.3 mi · 11,777 people · home $132,700
- Douglass, KS19.7 mi · 1,555 people · home $138,800
- Udall, KS20.5 mi · 661 people · home $96,100
- Arkansas City, KS22.8 mi · 11,974 people · home $86,800
- Oxford, KS22.9 mi · 1,048 people · home $117,200
- Leon, KS25.9 mi · 669 people · home $113,100
- Rose Hill, KS27.3 mi · 4,185 people · home $219,900
- Mulvane, KS28.6 mi · 6,286 people · home $176,300
Burden questions
Is Burden, Kansas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Burden scores better for retirees than 52% of Kansas towns and quieter than 66%. 12.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.2).
How much does a house cost in Burden?
The median owner-occupied home in Burden is valued at $58,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $55,833, so homes cost about 1.0 times income. Median rent is $604 a month.
What is the weather like in Burden?
July highs average 91.1°F and January lows 20.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.7 inches of precipitation a year and 7.6 inches of snow.
Does Burden get tornadoes?
26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Burden since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F5 on May 25, 1955. The typical Kansas town has had 26.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)