Kiowa County, Kansas | |
|---|---|
 Renovated County Courthouse inGreensburg (2009) after atornado damaged it in 2007. Construction of the building started in 1920. | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKansas | |
 Kansas's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:37°34′N99°17′W / 37.56°N 99.29°W /37.56; -99.29 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kansas |
| Founded | February 26, 1867 |
| Named after | Kiowa tribe |
| Seat | Greensburg |
| Largest city | Greensburg |
| Area | |
• Total | 723 sq mi (1,870 km2) |
| • Land | 723 sq mi (1,870 km2) |
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.52 km2) 0.03% |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,460 |
| • Density | 3.4/sq mi (1.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | kiowacountyks.gov |
Kiowa County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofKansas. Itscounty seat and largest city isGreensburg.[2] As of the2020 census, the county population was 2,460.[1] The county is named after theKiowa tribe.
In 1854, theKansas Territory was organized, then in 1861Kansas became the 34thU.S. state. In 1867, Kiowa County was established and named after theKiowa tribe.[3] In 1875, the county's land was given to a nearby county, but in 1886, Kiowa County was reestablished and organized.[4]
The Santa Fe Railroad was built into the county around the time it was organized. The Greensburg Well, one of the largest hand-dug wells in the world, was built in 1887-1888. It has been a popular tourist attraction since 1939. The well is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.[4]
The first oil well in Kiowa County was drilled in 1917.[4]
Mabel Chase ran for county sheriff after her husband's time in the office was term-limited and became the state's first female sheriff. Her husband provided her the family's armored 1926 Hudson Super Six, and she was the first sheriff in Kansas to be supplied with aThompson submachine gun. Chase conducted raids on local stills.[4]
On the evening of May 4, 2007,Greensburg was devastated by the2007 Greensburg tornado. It killed 11 people, injured 63 others, and destroyed 95% of the community.
The Kiowa County Courthouse was renovated with new windows and roof after the 2007 tornado damaged it. Originally, construction of the building started in 1920.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 723 square miles (1,870 km2), of which 723 square miles (1,870 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (0.03%) is water.[5]
Kiowa County has a large number of iron-richmeteorites in its soil due to theBrenham meteor fall over 10 thousand years ago.
Kiowa County has only U.S. highways, no state highways.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 2,873 | — | |
| 1900 | 2,365 | −17.7% | |
| 1910 | 6,174 | 161.1% | |
| 1920 | 6,164 | −0.2% | |
| 1930 | 6,035 | −2.1% | |
| 1940 | 5,112 | −15.3% | |
| 1950 | 4,743 | −7.2% | |
| 1960 | 4,626 | −2.5% | |
| 1970 | 4,088 | −11.6% | |
| 1980 | 4,046 | −1.0% | |
| 1990 | 3,660 | −9.5% | |
| 2000 | 3,278 | −10.4% | |
| 2010 | 2,553 | −22.1% | |
| 2020 | 2,460 | −3.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 2,374 | [6] | −3.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2020[1] | |||
As of thecensus[11] of 2000, there were 3,278 people, 1,365 households, and 924 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 4 people per square mile (1.5 people/km2). There were 1,643 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (0.77/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.19%White, 0.21%Black orAfrican American, 0.61%Native American, 0.27%Asian, 0.98% fromother races, and 0.73% from two or more races. 2.04% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 1,365 households, out of which 27.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.60% weremarried couples living together, 5.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.30% were non-families. 30.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.00% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 21.80% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 21.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 96.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,576, and the median income for a family was $40,950. Males had a median income of $29,063 versus $20,764 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $17,207. About 7.40% of families and 10.80% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 13.50% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 525 | 50.34% | 381 | 36.53% | 137 | 13.14% |
| 1892 | 398 | 50.44% | 0 | 0.00% | 391 | 49.56% |
| 1896 | 250 | 49.80% | 245 | 48.80% | 7 | 1.39% |
| 1900 | 322 | 51.52% | 293 | 46.88% | 10 | 1.60% |
| 1904 | 494 | 59.23% | 251 | 30.10% | 89 | 10.67% |
| 1908 | 699 | 59.49% | 409 | 34.81% | 67 | 5.70% |
| 1912 | 276 | 19.59% | 506 | 35.91% | 627 | 44.50% |
| 1916 | 901 | 40.97% | 956 | 43.47% | 342 | 15.55% |
| 1920 | 1,411 | 69.51% | 587 | 28.92% | 32 | 1.58% |
| 1924 | 1,541 | 70.08% | 498 | 22.65% | 160 | 7.28% |
| 1928 | 1,929 | 82.09% | 406 | 17.28% | 15 | 0.64% |
| 1932 | 1,306 | 52.24% | 1,159 | 46.36% | 35 | 1.40% |
| 1936 | 1,280 | 47.32% | 1,417 | 52.38% | 8 | 0.30% |
| 1940 | 1,571 | 64.10% | 844 | 34.43% | 36 | 1.47% |
| 1944 | 1,479 | 69.60% | 618 | 29.08% | 28 | 1.32% |
| 1948 | 1,258 | 59.79% | 722 | 34.32% | 124 | 5.89% |
| 1952 | 1,838 | 78.61% | 432 | 18.48% | 68 | 2.91% |
| 1956 | 1,717 | 76.18% | 517 | 22.94% | 20 | 0.89% |
| 1960 | 1,662 | 74.56% | 555 | 24.90% | 12 | 0.54% |
| 1964 | 1,135 | 53.29% | 970 | 45.54% | 25 | 1.17% |
| 1968 | 1,484 | 70.87% | 481 | 22.97% | 129 | 6.16% |
| 1972 | 1,559 | 76.35% | 406 | 19.88% | 77 | 3.77% |
| 1976 | 1,180 | 59.48% | 764 | 38.51% | 40 | 2.02% |
| 1980 | 1,433 | 72.16% | 438 | 22.05% | 115 | 5.79% |
| 1984 | 1,537 | 79.51% | 361 | 18.68% | 35 | 1.81% |
| 1988 | 1,276 | 71.09% | 485 | 27.02% | 34 | 1.89% |
| 1992 | 1,057 | 55.90% | 355 | 18.77% | 479 | 25.33% |
| 1996 | 1,264 | 70.97% | 331 | 18.59% | 186 | 10.44% |
| 2000 | 1,262 | 78.48% | 294 | 18.28% | 52 | 3.23% |
| 2004 | 1,275 | 81.47% | 256 | 16.36% | 34 | 2.17% |
| 2008 | 912 | 80.35% | 200 | 17.62% | 23 | 2.03% |
| 2012 | 976 | 85.31% | 163 | 14.25% | 5 | 0.44% |
| 2016 | 900 | 82.42% | 114 | 10.44% | 78 | 7.14% |
| 2020 | 980 | 84.12% | 156 | 13.39% | 29 | 2.49% |
| 2024 | 941 | 84.85% | 151 | 13.62% | 17 | 1.53% |
Like all of the High Plains, Kiowa County is Republican. The only Democrat to ever win a majority in the county has beenFranklin D. Roosevelt in 1936, who ironically achieved the feat against incumbent Kansas governorAlf Landon.Woodrow Wilson won a plurality in 1916, but since 1944 only three Democrats have reached thirty percent of the county's vote, andMichael Dukakis in 1988 duringa major drought and consequent farm crisis is the last Democrat to receive so much as twenty percent.
List of current townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Kiowa County.[13]
Kiowa County has only onetownship, and none of the cities within the county are consideredgovernmentally independent; all figures for the township include those of the cities.
| Township | FIPS | Population | Population density /km2 (/sq mi) | Land area km2 (sq mi) | Water area km2 (sq mi) | Water % | Geographic coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiowa Rural | 37185 | 3,278 | 2 (5) | 1,871 (722) | 1 (0) | 0.03% | 37°33′32″N99°17′09″W / 37.55889°N 99.28583°W /37.55889; -99.28583 |
Places adjacent to Kiowa County, Kansas | |
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Municipalities and communities ofKiowa County, Kansas,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
