Johnson County, Kansas | |
|---|---|
![Former Johnson County Courthouse in Olathe (2009). It was opened in 1952, closed in 2020, then demolished in 2021 after a new courthouse was finished.[1][2]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aJohnson_county_kansas_courthouse_2009.jpg) | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKansas | |
 Kansas's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:38°52′N94°52′W / 38.867°N 94.867°W /38.867; -94.867 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kansas |
| Founded | August 25, 1855 |
| Named after | Thomas Johnson |
| Seat | Olathe |
| Largest city | Overland Park |
| Area | |
• Total | 480 sq mi (1,200 km2) |
| • Land | 473 sq mi (1,230 km2) |
| • Water | 6.5 sq mi (17 km2) 1.4% |
| Population | |
• Total | 609,863 |
• Estimate (2023)[4] | 622,237 |
| • Density | 1,290/sq mi (498/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | jocogov.org |
Johnson County is acounty in theU.S. state ofKansas, along the border of the state ofMissouri. Itscounty seat isOlathe.[5] As of the2020 census, the population was 609,863, making it the most populous county in Kansas.[3] The county was named afterThomas Johnson, a Methodist missionary who was one of the state's first settlers. Largely suburban, the county contains a number of suburbs ofKansas City, Missouri, includingOverland Park, a principal city of and the second most populous city in theKansas City Metropolitan Area.[6][7]
Present day Johnson County was part of a large territory of theOsage people, who occupied lands as far east as present-daySt. Louis. After theIndian Removal, the United States government reserved much of this area as Indian territory for a reservation for theShawnee people, who were relocated from east of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwest.
TheSanta Fe Trail andOregon–California Trail, which pass through nearbyIndependence, Missouri, also passed through the county. Johnson County was established in 1855 as one of the first counties in the newly organizedKansas Territory; it was named forproslavery AmericanmissionaryThomas Johnson.[8] The renowned gunfighterWild Bill Hickok settled for a time in the county, becoming constable ofMonticello Township in 1858.
Johnson County was the site of many battles betweenabolitionists and pro-slavery advocates during the period ofBleeding Kansas, prior to the residents voting on whether slavery would be allowed in the territory. In 1862, during theCivil War, Confederate guerrillas from nearby Missouri, led byWilliam Quantrill, raided the Johnson County communities ofOlathe andSpring Hill. They killed half a dozen men and destroyed numerous homes and businesses.[9]
The county was largely rural until the early 20th century, when housing subdivisions were developed in the northeastern portion of the county adjacent toKansas City, Missouri. DeveloperJ. C. Nichols spurred the boom in 1914 when he built theMission Hills Country Club to attract upscale residents who previously had been reluctant to move from Missouri to Kansas.[10] Suburban development continued at a steady pace until the close ofWorld War II.
Following the war, the pace of development exploded, triggered by the return of veterans in need of housing, construction of highways that facilitated commuting from suburbs, and the pent-up demand for new housing. The US Supreme Court ruling inBrown v. Board of Education (1954) ruled that segregation of public schools was unconstitutional. Integration of public schools in Kansas City, Missouri, resulted in many white families leaving the inner city, resulting in increased migration to the county for new housing and what were considered higher quality public schools, generally an indicator of higher economic status. From the mid-1980s, the pace of growth increased significantly, with the county adding 100,000 residents each decade between the 1990 census and 2010 census.
The 1952 Johnson County Courthouse was closed in 2020, then demolished in 2021.[1] It was replaced by a seven-story courthouse in 2021 after over two years of construction. This new courthouse is the county's fourth such building.[2]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 480 square miles (1,200 km2), of which 473 square miles (1,230 km2) is land and 6.5 square miles (17 km2) (1.4%) is water.[11]
The naturaltopography of the county consists of gently rolling terrain. TheKansas River forms a portion of the northwestern boundary of the county. The elevation generally increases from north to south as the distance from the Kansas andMissouri rivers increases.
The county is drained by the watersheds of theKansas,Blue, andMarais des Cygnes, all of which are part of theMissouri River watershed. Located in northeastern Kansas, the county receives plentiful rainfall. The county contains numerous small streams, including Kill Creek, Mill Creek, Turkey Creek, Indian Creek, Brush Creek, Tomahawk Creek, the Blue River, Bull Creek and Little Bull Creek.
Kill Creek begins in the southwestern portion of the county and flows northward into the Kansas River atDe Soto. Mill Creek begins in the central portion of the county in Olathe, flowing northward it empties into the Kansas River atShawnee. Turkey Creek and Brush Creek each begin in northeastern Johnson County. Turkey Creek flows northeastward intoWyandotte County and joins theKansas River just before its confluence with the Missouri River atKaw Point. Brush Creek flows east-northeastward throughPrairie Village andMission Hills, entering Kansas City, Missouri, within the median ofWard Parkway and passing theCountry Club Plaza before emptying into the Blue River east of the Country Club Plaza and north ofSwope Park. Indian Creek begins in the southern portion of Olathe and Tomahawk Creek begins in southern Overland Park. Each flows northeastward meeting inLeawood, where the stream retains the name of Indian Creek, just before crossing the state line and entering theBlue River in Kansas City, Missouri. The Blue River begins in rural southern Johnson County and flows north-northeastward through the southeastern portion of the county and crossing the state line just east of the intersection of 151st Street and Kenneth Road in southernOverland Park. The Blue River flows through southern and eastern Kansas City before joining the Missouri River. Bull Creek and Little Bull Creek begin in rural southwestern Johnson County and flow southward where they enterHillsdale Lake before continuing intoFranklin County, eventually joining the Marais des Cygnes atPaola.
The county consists primarily of prairie grassland, with corridors of forested areas along streams and rivers.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 4,364 | — | |
| 1870 | 13,684 | 213.6% | |
| 1880 | 16,853 | 23.2% | |
| 1890 | 17,385 | 3.2% | |
| 1900 | 18,104 | 4.1% | |
| 1910 | 18,288 | 1.0% | |
| 1920 | 18,314 | 0.1% | |
| 1930 | 21,179 | 15.6% | |
| 1940 | 33,327 | 57.4% | |
| 1950 | 62,783 | 88.4% | |
| 1960 | 143,792 | 129.0% | |
| 1970 | 220,073 | 53.0% | |
| 1980 | 270,269 | 22.8% | |
| 1990 | 357,048 | 32.1% | |
| 2000 | 451,086 | 26.3% | |
| 2010 | 544,179 | 20.6% | |
| 2020 | 609,863 | 12.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 622,237 | [12] | 2.0% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] 1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15] 1990-2000[16] 2010-2020[3] | |||
Johnson County (county codeJO) is included in theKansas City metropolitan area. The county has the highestmedian household income at $107,261 in 2019-2023 and the highestper-capita income in Kansas, with the 19th highest median household income in 2000 and the 46th highest per-capita income in 2005.[citation needed] 56.9 percent of residents haveBachelor's degree orhigher as of 2023 according theU.S Census Bureau.[17]
As of the2010 census, there were 544,179 people, 210,278 households, and 143,509 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,150 inhabitants per square mile (440/km2). There were 226,571 housing units at an average density of 381 per square mile (147/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 86.0%White, 4.2%Asian, 4.3%Black orAfrican American, 0.4%Native American, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races, and 2.5% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 7.2% of the population. 30.6% identified as ofGerman, 16.8%Irish, 13.6%English and 5.7%American ancestry.[18]
There were 210,278households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% weremarried couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.05.[18]
In the county, 26.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.60% was from 18 to 24, 32.80% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.4 years. 48.8% of the population were males and 51.2% of the population were females.
Themedian income for a household in the county was $73,733, and the median income for a family was $90,380. Males had a median income of $61,346 versus $43,785 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $37,882. About 3.6% of families and 5.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.[18]
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 451,086 people, 174,570 households, and 121,675 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 365/km2 (950/sq mi). There were 181,612 housing units at an average density of 147/km2 (380/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 91.11%White, 2.61%Black orAfrican American, 0.33%Native American, 2.83%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 1.55% fromother races, and 1.54% from two or more races. 3.98% of the population wasHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 174,570 households, out of which 36.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% weremarried couples living together, 7.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.30% were non-families. 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county, 27.10% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.60% was from 18 to 24, 32.80% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 10.00% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $61,455, and the median income for a family was $72,987. Males had a median income of $49,790 versus $32,145 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $30,919. 3.40% of the population and 2.10% of families were below thepoverty line. Out of the total population, 3.30% of those under the age of 18 and 3.60% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Johnson County was a prohibition, or"dry", county until theKansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink, with a 30% food sales requirement.[19]
The county voted "No" on the2022 Kansas abortion referendum, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 69% to 31%, outpacing its support ofJoe Biden during the2020 presidential election.[20][21]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 2,132 | 58.06% | 1,180 | 32.14% | 360 | 9.80% |
| 1884 | 2,110 | 52.87% | 1,392 | 34.88% | 489 | 12.25% |
| 1888 | 2,164 | 53.13% | 1,435 | 35.23% | 474 | 11.64% |
| 1892 | 2,070 | 50.48% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,031 | 49.52% |
| 1896 | 2,313 | 47.82% | 2,462 | 50.90% | 62 | 1.28% |
| 1900 | 2,393 | 51.58% | 2,171 | 46.80% | 75 | 1.62% |
| 1904 | 2,573 | 61.07% | 1,373 | 32.59% | 267 | 6.34% |
| 1908 | 2,313 | 51.17% | 2,091 | 46.26% | 116 | 2.57% |
| 1912 | 834 | 19.00% | 1,837 | 41.85% | 1,719 | 39.16% |
| 1916 | 3,767 | 47.68% | 3,928 | 49.72% | 205 | 2.59% |
| 1920 | 4,325 | 64.27% | 2,303 | 34.22% | 101 | 1.50% |
| 1924 | 6,102 | 66.15% | 2,519 | 27.31% | 603 | 6.54% |
| 1928 | 8,185 | 70.40% | 3,373 | 29.01% | 69 | 0.59% |
| 1932 | 6,487 | 49.53% | 6,485 | 49.52% | 124 | 0.95% |
| 1936 | 8,399 | 57.71% | 6,108 | 41.97% | 47 | 0.32% |
| 1940 | 10,326 | 63.97% | 5,770 | 35.75% | 46 | 0.28% |
| 1944 | 11,951 | 67.24% | 5,771 | 32.47% | 51 | 0.29% |
| 1948 | 14,191 | 60.70% | 8,982 | 38.42% | 205 | 0.88% |
| 1952 | 29,103 | 72.46% | 10,990 | 27.36% | 70 | 0.17% |
| 1956 | 35,511 | 71.40% | 14,185 | 28.52% | 37 | 0.07% |
| 1960 | 43,026 | 66.16% | 21,914 | 33.70% | 93 | 0.14% |
| 1964 | 37,672 | 54.46% | 31,213 | 45.12% | 294 | 0.42% |
| 1968 | 55,060 | 62.63% | 26,034 | 29.61% | 6,818 | 7.76% |
| 1972 | 76,161 | 74.14% | 24,324 | 23.68% | 2,242 | 2.18% |
| 1976 | 75,798 | 66.41% | 35,605 | 31.19% | 2,739 | 2.40% |
| 1980 | 78,048 | 62.95% | 33,210 | 26.79% | 12,725 | 10.26% |
| 1984 | 101,987 | 72.39% | 38,019 | 26.99% | 876 | 0.62% |
| 1988 | 95,591 | 62.81% | 55,183 | 36.26% | 1,425 | 0.94% |
| 1992 | 85,418 | 43.83% | 59,573 | 30.57% | 49,875 | 25.59% |
| 1996 | 110,368 | 57.82% | 68,129 | 35.69% | 12,397 | 6.49% |
| 2000 | 129,965 | 59.74% | 79,118 | 36.37% | 8,453 | 3.89% |
| 2004 | 158,103 | 61.12% | 97,866 | 37.83% | 2,718 | 1.05% |
| 2008 | 152,627 | 53.70% | 127,091 | 44.72% | 4,493 | 1.58% |
| 2012 | 158,401 | 57.58% | 110,526 | 40.18% | 6,147 | 2.23% |
| 2016 | 137,490 | 46.73% | 129,852 | 44.14% | 26,866 | 9.13% |
| 2020 | 155,631 | 44.54% | 184,259 | 52.74% | 9,496 | 2.72% |
| 2024 | 154,247 | 44.47% | 183,451 | 52.89% | 9,162 | 2.64% |
Johnson County is entirely located withinKansas's 3rd congressional district, which has been represented by DemocratSharice Davids since 2019. The two U.S. Senators from Kansas are RepublicansRoger Marshall andJerry Moran.
Johnson County was historically a Republican stronghold. It was won by the GOP in every presidential election from1920 to2016, including Barry Goldwater's1964 election victory despite his statewide loss. The county was one of the few to rejectFranklin Roosevelt in all four of his successful campaigns, with his closest margin coming in1932, where he lost by just two votes.[22] However, the margin narrowed considerably in the early 2000s. In2008,Barack Obama became the first Democrat sinceLyndon Johnson to win as much as 40 percent of the county's vote. In 2016, RepublicanDonald Trump won the county by less than three points, as the GOP's shift towardright-wing populism alienated moderate voters. In2020,Joe Biden became the first Democrat to win the county sinceWoodrow Wilson in1916, securing an 8% margin and the highest share of the vote ever for a Democrat there at the time. In2024,Kamala Harris not only carried the county but also achieved the highest Democratic vote share in its history, becoming the first Democrat to lose a presidential election while carrying Johnson County since1896. Johnson County is one of nine counties that shifted more than 25 percentage points to the left from2012 to 2024.[23]
This leftward shift was mirrored in the state's Senate races, where the Democratic candidates won Johnson County in2020 and2022 despite losing statewide. Once a classic suburban Republican bastion, the county now leans Democratic at the national level, reflecting broader trends in Kansas's suburban areas.
On November 8, 2020, Democrats made historic gains in Johnson County, securing a majority on the Board of Commissioners for the first time in the county's history. In both the 2022 and 2024 elections, Democrats expanded their majority on the Board and flipped the sheriff's office for the first time in 96 years.[24][25]
Johnson County is home to 25Kansas state representatives and nineKansas state senators. Thirteen out of 25 of Johnson County's representatives are Republicans, as are six of the county's nine senators.[26][27] Numerous Republicans from the area identify asmoderates, compared to some of the more ideological hard-liners from other parts of the state. Differences between moderates and the more hard-line members can most commonly be seen on social issues, the most infamous being the numerous debates about the state's school finance formula in 2004[28] and 2014–2018.[29][30][31][32]
The county government is administered by an elected, seven-member Board of County Commissioners, with six elected fromsingle-member districts and oneat-large.[33] Governance of the county is divided into six districts. The county government has full jurisdiction of the unincorporated areas of the county and limited jurisdiction of those areas of the county within incorporated places. For instance, decisions regarding the regulation of land use, development and zoning in unincorporated areas of the county are the responsibility of the county government, whereas such decisions for areas within incorporated places are the jurisdiction of the incorporated city of which the property is a part.
| Party | District | Name | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | At-large | Mike Kelly | |
| Democratic | District 1 | Becky Fast | |
| Democratic | District 2 | Jeff Meyers | |
| Democratic | District 3 | Julie Brewer | |
| Democratic | District 4 | Janeé Hanzlick | |
| Democratic | District 5 | Michael Ashcraft | |
| Democratic | District 6 | Shirley Allenbrand | |
| Party | Office | Name | Reference(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | District Attorney | Stephen Howe | [38] | |
| Democratic | Sheriff | Byron Roberson | [39] | |
The current sales tax rate in Johnson County is 7.975%, higher than the 6.5% rate inWyandotte (whereKansas City,Kansas is located).[40] The sales tax rates of each of the surrounding counties are nearly the same as the rate in Johnson County.[40] Individual cities have additional sales taxes.
Property taxes are a conglomeration of state, county, city, and school district taxes. Property tax rates are generally lower in Johnson County because property values in the county are higher than in other counties throughout Kansas.
| City | Commercial | Real property | Motor vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|
| De Soto | 3.20 | 1.47 | 3.84 |
| Gardner | 3.39 | 1.56 | 4.07 |
| Leawood | 3.39 | 1.56 | 4.07 |
| Lenexa | 2.75 | 1.26 | 3.30 |
| Merriam | 2.57 | 1.18 | 3.08 |
| Olathe | 3.09 | 1.42 | 3.71 |
| Overland Park | 2.31 | 1.06 | 2.77 |
| Prairie Village | 2.71 | 1.25 | 3.25 |
| Shawnee | 2.61 | 1.20 | 3.13 |
Note: Some cities have multiple tax rates because they are divided among multiple school districts. The above rates are what exist for the majority of residents in the city.
| Johnson County Sheriff's Office | |
|---|---|
 Patch of Johnson County Sheriff's Office | |
| Abbreviation | JCSO |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1861; 164 years ago (1861) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Johnson, Kansas, US |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | 27747 West 159th Street, New Century, KS 66031 |
| Agency executive |
|
| Website | |
| Official website | |
The Johnson County Sheriff's Office runs the jails at Olathe and New Century,[43] and patrols the unincorporated parts of Johnson County as well as the cities ofEdgerton andDeSoto.[44]
In 2019, the county announced that it is creating a new task force with shared jurisdiction between neighboringMiami andFranklin counties to combat crime.[45]
In April 2024, Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden claimed that he "had a search warrant in hand" when local election officials "decided in a hurry to destroy" ballots from 2019, 2020 and 2021, despite Kansas state law ordering the regular destruction of old ballots, and the local officials having informed Hayden in November 2023 that they would move to destroy the old ballots, which Hayden had asked to be preserved during his investigation of an election software firm. The local prosecutors' office said that it was "unaware of any search warrant being submitted to a judge for review". In May 2024, when Hayden was questioned on which judge approved his search warrant, Hayden responded: "there's no judge"; when the questioner replied: "A judge has to sign a search warrant to be valid", Hayden responded: "I didn’t say it was valid".[46][47]
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According to the 2010 Census Bureau, the education attainment of the population 25 years and over: 95.6% high school graduate or higher, 51.1% bachelor's degree or higher, and 17.9% graduate or professional degree.[18]
TheJohnson County Library has 13 branches.[48]
School districts include:[49]
Johnson County has a grid network through most of the county, with a road every mile. The grid has facilitated rapid growth and easy access.Interstate 435 runs through much of the county, and serves as a developmental "border" in the northbound–southbound portion. The westbound–eastbound part of I-435 divides the county into a northern and southern section. The northern section is older, while the southern portion is the fastest-growing area in Johnson County, containing a massive volume of new homes.[citation needed]
The Johnson County numbered street grid generally begins at 47th Street, the Wyandotte County line (the lowest numbered street is 40th Street in Bonner Springs), and is a continuation of the adjacentKansas City, Missouri, street grid. The grid continues to 215th Street, and into Miami County (with somewhat differently named roads) to 407th Street at the Miami-Linn county line, with most suburban development ending around 167th Street. Named streets in the grid run from State Line Road (1900 West) to County Line Road (40699 West) at the Douglas County line. A portion of the grid extends north from Westwood into the Rosedale area in Kansas City, Kansas.
Another principal highway running through the area isInterstate 35, which runs diagonally through the county, entering it nearDowntown Kansas City, and continuing through Olathe and Gardner. Outside the county, it eventually leads toDuluth, Minnesota in the north and the US–Mexico border in the south.U.S. 69 also serves Johnson County, entering from Wyandotte County at the south end ofInterstate 635. Much of U.S. 69 within the county is freeway; this freeway eventually heads south and connects toFort Scott and the rest of southeastern Kansas.
I-35 Southwestern corner with Franklin County northeast through Edgerton, Gardner, Olathe, Lenexa, Overland Park, and Merriam to the northeastern corner with downtown Kansas City
I-435 Northern border with Wyandotte County south through Shawnee and Lenexa to K-10 then east through Overland Park and Leawood to the Missouri border
I-635 Starts in Johnson County at I-35 and enters Wyandotte County/Kansas City, KS less than 1000 feet later.
US-50 Southwestern corner with Franklin County northeast through Edgerton, Gardner, Olathe, Lenexa, Overland Park, and Merriam to the northeastern corner with downtown Kansas City
US-56 Southwestern border with Douglas County east through Edgerton and Gardner to I-35
US-69 Southeastern border with Miami County north through Stilwell and Overland Park past I-435 to I-35
US-169 Southern border with Miami County. Joins with I-35 in Olathe.
K-7 Southern border with Miami County north through Spring Hill, Olathe, Lenexa, and Shawnee to Wyandotte County
K-10 Western border with Douglas County east through De Soto, Lenexa, and Olathe to I-435Johnson County is home to threegeneral aviation airports:
The closest airport withairline service isKansas City International Airport inPlatte County, Missouri
Johnson County Transit is the public transit operator.
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Johnson County.[50]
‡ means a community has portions in an adjacent county.
Johnson County was originally divided into ninetownships, two of which have since been eliminated by the annexation of all their territory into independent municipalities. All of the cities are consideredgovernmentally independent and are excluded from the census figures for the townships. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Places adjacent to Johnson County, Kansas | |
|---|---|
Municipalities and communities ofJohnson County, Kansas,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This community also has portions in an adjacent county or counties. | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
