Clay County, Kansas | |
|---|---|
 Clay County Courthouse inClay Center (2006) | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKansas | |
 Kansas's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:39°21′N97°10′W / 39.350°N 97.167°W /39.350; -97.167 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kansas |
| Founded | February 20, 1857 |
| Named after | Henry Clay |
| Seat | Clay Center |
| Largest city | Clay Center |
| Area | |
• Total | 656 sq mi (1,700 km2) |
| • Land | 645 sq mi (1,670 km2) |
| • Water | 10 sq mi (26 km2) 1.6% |
| Population | |
• Total | 8,117 |
• Estimate (2023)[2] | 8,007 |
| • Density | 12.6/sq mi (4.9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 785 |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | ClayCountyKansas.org |
Clay County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofKansas. Itscounty seat and most populous city isClay Center.[3] As of the2020 United States census, the county population was 8,117.[1] The county was named forHenry Clay, an influential U.S. Senator from Kentucky.
For manymillennia, theGreat Plains ofNorth America were 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 1857, Clay County was established.
When the first counties were created by the Kansas legislature in 1855, the territory within the present limits of the county was attached toRiley County for all revenue and judicial purposes. Subsequently, Clay was attached toGeary County. In 1857, Clay was created and named in honor of the famous American statesmanHenry Clay,[4] a member of theUnited States Senate fromKentucky andUnited States Secretary of State in the 19th century.
In 1887, theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway built a branch line fromNeva (3 miles west ofStrong City) toSuperior, Nebraska. This branch line connectedStrong City,Neva,Rockland,Diamond Springs,Burdick,Lost Springs,Jacobs,Hope,Navarre,Enterprise,Abilene,Talmage,Manchester,Longford,Oak Hill,Miltonvale,Aurora,Huscher,Concordia,Kackley,Courtland,Webber,Superior. At some point, the line fromNeva toLost Springs was pulled, but the right of way has not been abandoned. This branch line was originally called "Strong City and Superior line" but later the name was shortened to the "Strong City line". In 1996, theAtchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway merged withBurlington Northern Railroad and renamed to the currentBNSF Railway. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Santa Fe".
In 2010, theKeystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was constructed north to south through Clay County, with much controversy over tax exemption and environmental concerns (if a leak ever occurs).[5][6] A pumping station named Riley was built along the pipeline.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 656 square miles (1,700 km2), of which 645 square miles (1,670 km2) is land and 10 square miles (26 km2) (1.6%) is water.[7]
Sources: National Atlas,[8] U.S. Census Bureau[9]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 163 | — | |
| 1870 | 2,942 | 1,704.9% | |
| 1880 | 12,320 | 318.8% | |
| 1890 | 16,146 | 31.1% | |
| 1900 | 15,833 | −1.9% | |
| 1910 | 15,251 | −3.7% | |
| 1920 | 14,365 | −5.8% | |
| 1930 | 14,556 | 1.3% | |
| 1940 | 13,281 | −8.8% | |
| 1950 | 11,697 | −11.9% | |
| 1960 | 10,675 | −8.7% | |
| 1970 | 9,890 | −7.4% | |
| 1980 | 9,802 | −0.9% | |
| 1990 | 9,158 | −6.6% | |
| 2000 | 8,822 | −3.7% | |
| 2010 | 8,535 | −3.3% | |
| 2020 | 8,117 | −4.9% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 8,007 | [2] | −1.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12] 1990-2000[13] 2010-2020[1] | |||
As of the2000 census,[14] there were 8,822 people, 3,617 households, and 2,517 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 14 people per square mile (5.4 people/km2). There were 4,084 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile (2.3/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 97.72%White, 0.57%Black orAfrican American, 0.41%Native American, 0.15%Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 0.90% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic orLatino people of any race were 0.83% of the population.
There were 3,617households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.90% weremarried couples living together, 6.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.40% were non-families. 27.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.90% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 23.90% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 20.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.60 males.
Themedian income for a household in the county was $33,965, and the median income for a family was $41,103. Males had a median income of $28,817 versus $17,760 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $17,939. About 6.80% of families and 10.10% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.60% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 1,914 | 50.80% | 920 | 24.42% | 934 | 24.79% |
| 1892 | 1,666 | 43.67% | 0 | 0.00% | 2,149 | 56.33% |
| 1896 | 1,655 | 45.55% | 1,929 | 53.10% | 49 | 1.35% |
| 1900 | 2,001 | 51.47% | 1,826 | 46.97% | 61 | 1.57% |
| 1904 | 2,262 | 68.57% | 403 | 12.22% | 634 | 19.22% |
| 1908 | 1,858 | 52.96% | 1,495 | 42.62% | 155 | 4.42% |
| 1912 | 843 | 22.69% | 1,373 | 36.96% | 1,499 | 40.35% |
| 1916 | 2,692 | 47.70% | 2,632 | 46.63% | 320 | 5.67% |
| 1920 | 3,521 | 72.69% | 1,155 | 23.84% | 168 | 3.47% |
| 1924 | 3,767 | 62.93% | 1,417 | 23.67% | 802 | 13.40% |
| 1928 | 4,457 | 73.74% | 1,515 | 25.07% | 72 | 1.19% |
| 1932 | 3,115 | 47.26% | 3,289 | 49.90% | 187 | 2.84% |
| 1936 | 3,525 | 50.45% | 3,441 | 49.25% | 21 | 0.30% |
| 1940 | 4,699 | 68.74% | 2,067 | 30.24% | 70 | 1.02% |
| 1944 | 4,101 | 74.01% | 1,391 | 25.10% | 49 | 0.88% |
| 1948 | 3,763 | 65.89% | 1,804 | 31.59% | 144 | 2.52% |
| 1952 | 5,059 | 84.87% | 831 | 13.94% | 71 | 1.19% |
| 1956 | 4,378 | 80.17% | 1,034 | 18.93% | 49 | 0.90% |
| 1960 | 3,937 | 75.33% | 1,246 | 23.84% | 43 | 0.82% |
| 1964 | 3,030 | 62.18% | 1,806 | 37.06% | 37 | 0.76% |
| 1968 | 3,335 | 71.95% | 926 | 19.98% | 374 | 8.07% |
| 1972 | 3,562 | 78.42% | 887 | 19.53% | 93 | 2.05% |
| 1976 | 3,085 | 63.85% | 1,610 | 33.32% | 137 | 2.84% |
| 1980 | 3,449 | 73.90% | 932 | 19.97% | 286 | 6.13% |
| 1984 | 3,559 | 78.76% | 919 | 20.34% | 41 | 0.91% |
| 1988 | 2,997 | 72.10% | 1,112 | 26.75% | 48 | 1.15% |
| 1992 | 2,198 | 47.89% | 947 | 20.63% | 1,445 | 31.48% |
| 1996 | 2,793 | 66.87% | 963 | 23.05% | 421 | 10.08% |
| 2000 | 2,998 | 73.34% | 951 | 23.26% | 139 | 3.40% |
| 2004 | 3,174 | 79.15% | 793 | 19.78% | 43 | 1.07% |
| 2008 | 2,998 | 73.95% | 1,009 | 24.89% | 47 | 1.16% |
| 2012 | 2,788 | 75.64% | 834 | 22.63% | 64 | 1.74% |
| 2016 | 2,891 | 74.94% | 677 | 17.55% | 290 | 7.52% |
| 2020 | 3,177 | 75.97% | 894 | 21.38% | 111 | 2.65% |
| 2024 | 3,150 | 76.59% | 867 | 21.08% | 96 | 2.33% |
Like all of Kansas outside the eastern cities, Clay County is overwhelmingly Republican. WhenLyndon B. Johnson became in 1964 the last Democrat to carry the state's electoral votes, Clay County was his weakest in the state, giving over 62 percent of its votes toBarry Goldwater. The solitary Democrat to win a majority of Clay County's votes has beenWilliam Jennings Bryan in 1896, althoughWoodrow Wilson in a four-way race in 1912, andFranklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 both obtained slim pluralities. Roosevelt in 1936, when he lost to KansanAlf Landon by eighty-four votes, remains the last Democrat to win forty percent of the county's vote, andJimmy Carter in 1976 is the last to pass thirty percent.
Unified school districts that serve portions of the county include:[16]
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Clay County.[17]
‡ means a community has portions in an adjacent county.
† means a community is designated aCensus-Designated Place (CDP) by theUnited States Census Bureau.
Clay County is divided into eighteentownships. The city ofClay Center is consideredgovernmentally independent and is 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.
Two formerKansas Governors resided in Clay County.George Docking was the 35th Governor, serving from January 14, 1957, until January 9, 1961.[18]William H. Avery was the 37th Governor, from January 11, 1965, until January 9, 1967.[19]
Places adjacent to Clay County, Kansas | |
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Municipalities and communities ofClay County, Kansas,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Townships | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This community also has portions in an adjacent county or counties. | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
