Trego County, Kansas | |
|---|---|
 Trego County Courthouse inWaKeeney (2017) | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKansas | |
 Kansas's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:39°00′30″N100°03′54″W / 39.0083°N 100.065°W /39.0083; -100.065 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kansas |
| Founded | June 21, 1879 |
| Named after | Edgar Poe Trego[1] |
| Seat | WaKeeney |
| Largest city | WaKeeney |
| Area | |
• Total | 900 sq mi (2,300 km2) |
| • Land | 889 sq mi (2,300 km2) |
| • Water | 10 sq mi (26 km2) 1.1% |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,808 |
| • Density | 3.2/sq mi (1.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | TregoCountyKS.com |
Trego County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofKansas. Itscounty seat and largest city isWaKeeney.[3] As of the2020 census, the county population was 2,808.[2] The county was named for Edgar Trego.
For manymillennia, theGreat Plains ofNorth America was inhabited bynomadicNative Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, theKingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts ofNorth America. In 1762, after theFrench and Indian War, France secretly cededNew France toSpain, per theTreaty of Fontainebleau.
In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land formodern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mileLouisiana Purchase for 2.83cents peracre.
In 1854, theKansas Territory was organized, then in 1861Kansas became the 34thU.S. state. In 1879,Trego County was established.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 900 square miles (2,300 km2), of which 889 square miles (2,300 km2) is land and 10 square miles (26 km2) (1.1%) is water.[4]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 166 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,535 | 1,427.1% | |
| 1890 | 2,535 | 0.0% | |
| 1900 | 2,722 | 7.4% | |
| 1910 | 5,398 | 98.3% | |
| 1920 | 5,880 | 8.9% | |
| 1930 | 6,470 | 10.0% | |
| 1940 | 5,822 | −10.0% | |
| 1950 | 5,868 | 0.8% | |
| 1960 | 5,473 | −6.7% | |
| 1970 | 4,436 | −18.9% | |
| 1980 | 4,165 | −6.1% | |
| 1990 | 3,694 | −11.3% | |
| 2000 | 3,319 | −10.2% | |
| 2010 | 3,001 | −9.6% | |
| 2020 | 2,808 | −6.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 2,731 | [5] | −2.7% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[6] 1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8] 1990-2000[9] 2010-2020[2] | |||
As of thecensus[10] of 2000, there were 3,319 people, 1,412 households, and 936 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 4 people per square mile (1.5 people/km2). There were 1,723 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (0.77/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.77%White, 0.18%Black orAfrican American, 0.39%Native American, 0.48%Asian, 0.06%Pacific Islander, 0.15% fromother races, and 0.96% from two or more races. 0.78% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 1,412 households, out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% weremarried couples living together, 6.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.70% were non-families. 31.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.90% under the age of 18, 5.50% from 18 to 24, 23.50% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 24.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 91.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,677, and the median income for a family was $40,524. Males had a median income of $26,545 versus $16,927 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $16,239. About 11.20% of families and 12.30% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.10% of those under age 18 and 12.00% of those age 65 or over.
Trego County is often carried by Republican candidates. The last time a Democratic candidate has carried this county was in 1964. The county has generally voted for Republican candidates by a larger margin with each succeeding election.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 477 | 63.86% | 220 | 29.45% | 50 | 6.69% |
| 1892 | 309 | 50.49% | 0 | 0.00% | 303 | 49.51% |
| 1896 | 256 | 42.74% | 340 | 56.76% | 3 | 0.50% |
| 1900 | 360 | 48.39% | 361 | 48.52% | 23 | 3.09% |
| 1904 | 526 | 60.81% | 264 | 30.52% | 75 | 8.67% |
| 1908 | 617 | 54.75% | 458 | 40.64% | 52 | 4.61% |
| 1912 | 160 | 14.34% | 449 | 40.23% | 507 | 45.43% |
| 1916 | 867 | 42.07% | 1,094 | 53.08% | 100 | 4.85% |
| 1920 | 1,299 | 75.04% | 395 | 22.82% | 37 | 2.14% |
| 1924 | 1,121 | 58.14% | 399 | 20.70% | 408 | 21.16% |
| 1928 | 1,359 | 57.73% | 982 | 41.72% | 13 | 0.55% |
| 1932 | 918 | 33.76% | 1,751 | 64.40% | 50 | 1.84% |
| 1936 | 1,012 | 36.00% | 1,783 | 63.43% | 16 | 0.57% |
| 1940 | 1,571 | 57.59% | 1,140 | 41.79% | 17 | 0.62% |
| 1944 | 1,459 | 61.98% | 883 | 37.51% | 12 | 0.51% |
| 1948 | 1,237 | 51.82% | 1,117 | 46.80% | 33 | 1.38% |
| 1952 | 1,915 | 75.60% | 608 | 24.00% | 10 | 0.39% |
| 1956 | 1,668 | 69.41% | 726 | 30.21% | 9 | 0.37% |
| 1960 | 1,426 | 61.76% | 875 | 37.90% | 8 | 0.35% |
| 1964 | 974 | 45.05% | 1,177 | 54.44% | 11 | 0.51% |
| 1968 | 1,211 | 58.67% | 623 | 30.18% | 230 | 11.14% |
| 1972 | 1,369 | 66.91% | 621 | 30.35% | 56 | 2.74% |
| 1976 | 1,025 | 49.56% | 1,003 | 48.50% | 40 | 1.93% |
| 1980 | 1,340 | 65.43% | 523 | 25.54% | 185 | 9.03% |
| 1984 | 1,491 | 70.40% | 598 | 28.23% | 29 | 1.37% |
| 1988 | 979 | 53.47% | 795 | 43.42% | 57 | 3.11% |
| 1992 | 727 | 38.02% | 608 | 31.80% | 577 | 30.18% |
| 1996 | 1,205 | 61.11% | 548 | 27.79% | 219 | 11.11% |
| 2000 | 1,220 | 66.41% | 516 | 28.09% | 101 | 5.50% |
| 2004 | 1,225 | 72.66% | 434 | 25.74% | 27 | 1.60% |
| 2008 | 1,225 | 73.31% | 420 | 25.13% | 26 | 1.56% |
| 2012 | 1,261 | 79.86% | 291 | 18.43% | 27 | 1.71% |
| 2016 | 1,227 | 82.79% | 198 | 13.36% | 57 | 3.85% |
| 2020 | 1,363 | 83.62% | 242 | 14.85% | 25 | 1.53% |
| 2024 | 1,343 | 84.41% | 216 | 13.58% | 32 | 2.01% |
Trego 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 percent food sales requirement.[12]
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Trego County.[13]
† means a community is designated aCensus-Designated Place (CDP) by theUnited States Census Bureau.
Trego County is divided into seventownships. None of the cities within the county are consideredgovernmentally independent, and all figures for the townships include those of the cities. 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.
| Township | FIPS | Population center | Population | Population density /km2 (/sq mi) | Land area km2 (sq mi) | Water area km2 (sq mi) | Water % | Geographic coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collyer | 14925 | 368 | 1 (2) | 517 (200) | 0 (0) | 0.02% | 39°0′31″N100°3′55″W / 39.00861°N 100.06528°W /39.00861; -100.06528 | |
| Franklin | 24500 | 60 | 0 (1) | 259 (100) | 0 (0) | 0% | 38°45′42″N100°4′10″W / 38.76167°N 100.06944°W /38.76167; -100.06944 | |
| Glencoe | 26425 | 70 | 1 (2) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0% | 38°55′40″N99°38′30″W / 38.92778°N 99.64167°W /38.92778; -99.64167 | |
| Ogallah | 52250 | 214 | 1 (1) | 373 (144) | 0 (0) | 0.05% | 39°0′31″N99°41′49″W / 39.00861°N 99.69694°W /39.00861; -99.69694 | |
| Riverside | 60150 | 117 | 0 (1) | 296 (114) | 15 (6) | 4.95% | 38°47′32″N99°42′41″W / 38.79222°N 99.71139°W /38.79222; -99.71139 | |
| WaKeeney | 74475 | 2,398 | 5 (13) | 465 (179) | 0 (0) | 0.03% | 39°0′41″N99°52′36″W / 39.01139°N 99.87667°W /39.01139; -99.87667 | |
| Wilcox | 79137 | 92 | 0 (1) | 298 (115) | 12 (5) | 3.85% | 38°47′25″N99°52′37″W / 38.79028°N 99.87694°W /38.79028; -99.87694 |
Former towns and settlements in the county includeWilcox.
Places adjacent to Trego County, Kansas | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||
Municipalities and communities ofTrego County, Kansas,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Townships | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
