Lincoln County, Kansas | |
|---|---|
 Lincoln County Courthouse inLincoln (2005) | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKansas | |
 Kansas's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:39°03′N98°12′W / 39.05°N 98.2°W /39.05; -98.2 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kansas |
| Founded | February 26, 1867 |
| Named after | Abraham Lincoln[1] |
| Seat | Lincoln |
| Largest city | Lincoln |
| Area | |
• Total | 720 sq mi (1,900 km2) |
| • Land | 719 sq mi (1,860 km2) |
| • Water | 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2) 0.1% |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,939 |
• Estimate (2023)[3] | 2,920 |
| • Density | 4.09/sq mi (1.58/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | lincolncoks.com |
Lincoln County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofKansas. Itscounty seat and largest city isLincoln Center.[4] As of the2020 census, the county population was 2,939.[2] The county was named afterAbraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States.
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 1867,Lincoln County was established.
Lincoln county is among those in Kansas that are part of thedepopulation of the Great Plains.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 720 square miles (1,900 km2), of which 719 square miles (1,860 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) (0.1%) is water.[5]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 516 | — | |
| 1880 | 8,582 | 1,563.2% | |
| 1890 | 9,709 | 13.1% | |
| 1900 | 9,886 | 1.8% | |
| 1910 | 10,142 | 2.6% | |
| 1920 | 9,894 | −2.4% | |
| 1930 | 9,707 | −1.9% | |
| 1940 | 8,338 | −14.1% | |
| 1950 | 6,643 | −20.3% | |
| 1960 | 5,556 | −16.4% | |
| 1970 | 4,582 | −17.5% | |
| 1980 | 4,145 | −9.5% | |
| 1990 | 3,653 | −11.9% | |
| 2000 | 3,578 | −2.1% | |
| 2010 | 3,241 | −9.4% | |
| 2020 | 2,939 | −9.3% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 2,920 | [6] | −0.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2020[2] | |||
As of thecensus[11] of 2000, there were 3,578 people, 1,529 households, and 1,039 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 5 people per square mile (1.9 people/km2). There were 1,853 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile (1.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.30%White, 0.11%Black orAfrican American, 0.48%Native American, 0.11%Asian, 0.25% fromother races, and 0.75% from two or more races. 1.03% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 1,529 households, out of which 27.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% weremarried couples living together, 6.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.00% were non-families. 29.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.50% under the age of 18, 5.50% from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 23.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 96.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,893, and the median income for a family was $36,538. Males had a median income of $24,681 versus $20,000 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,788. About 7.30% of families and 9.70% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 11.70% of those under age 18 and 10.00% of those age 65 or over.
In common with other rural areas of the Great Plains states, Lincoln County votes predominantly Republican.Lyndon B. Johnson was the lastDemocrat to lose the county by less than 5%, and the last Democrat to win the county wasFranklin D. Roosevelt in1936.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 1,069 | 50.19% | 617 | 28.97% | 444 | 20.85% |
| 1892 | 878 | 39.18% | 0 | 0.00% | 1,363 | 60.82% |
| 1896 | 787 | 35.89% | 1,385 | 63.16% | 21 | 0.96% |
| 1900 | 1,110 | 46.44% | 1,250 | 52.30% | 30 | 1.26% |
| 1904 | 1,516 | 67.86% | 613 | 27.44% | 105 | 4.70% |
| 1908 | 1,218 | 50.27% | 1,117 | 46.10% | 88 | 3.63% |
| 1912 | 381 | 15.69% | 1,091 | 44.93% | 956 | 39.37% |
| 1916 | 1,716 | 43.55% | 2,106 | 53.45% | 118 | 2.99% |
| 1920 | 2,298 | 69.51% | 935 | 28.28% | 73 | 2.21% |
| 1924 | 2,277 | 59.41% | 615 | 16.04% | 941 | 24.55% |
| 1928 | 2,655 | 73.12% | 953 | 26.25% | 23 | 0.63% |
| 1932 | 1,653 | 40.80% | 2,297 | 56.70% | 101 | 2.49% |
| 1936 | 2,001 | 47.42% | 2,209 | 52.35% | 10 | 0.24% |
| 1940 | 2,822 | 67.69% | 1,301 | 31.21% | 46 | 1.10% |
| 1944 | 2,405 | 72.03% | 910 | 27.25% | 24 | 0.72% |
| 1948 | 2,181 | 65.73% | 1,094 | 32.97% | 43 | 1.30% |
| 1952 | 2,841 | 84.63% | 507 | 15.10% | 9 | 0.27% |
| 1956 | 2,219 | 76.20% | 681 | 23.39% | 12 | 0.41% |
| 1960 | 2,052 | 71.15% | 822 | 28.50% | 10 | 0.35% |
| 1964 | 1,373 | 50.80% | 1,316 | 48.69% | 14 | 0.52% |
| 1968 | 1,721 | 68.16% | 583 | 23.09% | 221 | 8.75% |
| 1972 | 1,649 | 75.57% | 476 | 21.81% | 57 | 2.61% |
| 1976 | 1,225 | 54.52% | 985 | 43.84% | 37 | 1.65% |
| 1980 | 1,685 | 72.16% | 528 | 22.61% | 122 | 5.22% |
| 1984 | 1,723 | 75.14% | 551 | 24.03% | 19 | 0.83% |
| 1988 | 1,229 | 59.66% | 796 | 38.64% | 35 | 1.70% |
| 1992 | 893 | 41.11% | 612 | 28.18% | 667 | 30.71% |
| 1996 | 1,372 | 64.47% | 528 | 24.81% | 228 | 10.71% |
| 2000 | 1,295 | 68.52% | 469 | 24.81% | 126 | 6.67% |
| 2004 | 1,368 | 76.00% | 391 | 21.72% | 41 | 2.28% |
| 2008 | 1,204 | 75.91% | 347 | 21.88% | 35 | 2.21% |
| 2012 | 1,165 | 78.56% | 289 | 19.49% | 29 | 1.96% |
| 2016 | 1,179 | 80.53% | 215 | 14.69% | 70 | 4.78% |
| 2020 | 1,283 | 81.25% | 266 | 16.85% | 30 | 1.90% |
| 2024 | 1,233 | 81.82% | 250 | 16.59% | 24 | 1.59% |
Following amendment to theKansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or"dry", county until 1990, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.[13]
List of townships, incorporated cities, unincorporated communities, and extinct former communities within Lincoln County:[14]
Lincoln County is divided into twentytownships. 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.
Places adjacent to Lincoln County, Kansas | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofLincoln County, Kansas,United States | ||
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
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