Wichita County, Kansas | |
|---|---|
 Wichita County Courthouse inLeoti (2015) | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKansas | |
| Coordinates:38°28′00″N101°21′00″W / 38.4667°N 101.35°W /38.4667; -101.35 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kansas |
| Founded | December 24, 1886 |
| Named after | Wichita tribe |
| Seat | Leoti |
| Largest city | Leoti |
| Area | |
• Total | 719 sq mi (1,860 km2) |
| • Land | 719 sq mi (1,860 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.052 km2) 0.0% |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,152 |
• Estimate (2023) | 2,082 |
| • Density | 2.99/sq mi (1.16/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | wichitacounty.org |
Wichita County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofKansas. Itscounty seat isLeoti.[2] As of the2020 census, the county population was 2,152.[1] The county was named after theWichita tribe.
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, in accordance with 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 1886,Wichita County was established.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 719 square miles (1,860 km2), virtually all of which is land.[3]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 14 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,827 | 12,950.0% | |
| 1900 | 1,197 | −34.5% | |
| 1910 | 2,006 | 67.6% | |
| 1920 | 1,856 | −7.5% | |
| 1930 | 2,579 | 39.0% | |
| 1940 | 2,185 | −15.3% | |
| 1950 | 2,640 | 20.8% | |
| 1960 | 2,765 | 4.7% | |
| 1970 | 3,274 | 18.4% | |
| 1980 | 3,041 | −7.1% | |
| 1990 | 2,758 | −9.3% | |
| 2000 | 2,531 | −8.2% | |
| 2010 | 2,234 | −11.7% | |
| 2020 | 2,152 | −3.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 2,082 | [4] | −3.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[5] 1790-1960[6] 1900-1990[7] 1990-2000[8] 2010-2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 2,152. The median age was 38.5 years. 26.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 109.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 108.2 males age 18 and over.[9][10]
The racial makeup of the county was 71.9% White, 0.1%Black or African American, 1.1%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 12.7% from some other race, and 14.0% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 29.6% of the population.[10]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[11]
There were 846 households in the county, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 18.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[9]
There were 999 housing units, of which 15.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.6% were owner-occupied and 25.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.3%.[9]
As of thecensus[12] of 2000, there were 2,531 people, 967 households, and 723 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 4 people per square mile (1.5 people/km2). There were 1,119 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (0.77/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 86.25%White, 0.08%Black orAfrican American, 0.71%Native American, 0.08%Asian, 10.51% fromother races, and 2.37% from two or more races. 18.41% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 967 households, out of which 35.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.30% weremarried couples living together, 5.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.20% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.70% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 25.70% from 25 to 44, 22.30% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 104.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,462, and the median income for a family was $41,034. Males had a median income of $27,523 versus $18,807 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $16,720. About 11.20% of families and 14.80% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 23.20% of those under age 18 and 4.70% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1888 | 438 | 59.35% | 207 | 28.05% | 93 | 12.60% |
| 1892 | 245 | 53.26% | 0 | 0.00% | 215 | 46.74% |
| 1896 | 214 | 52.32% | 192 | 46.94% | 3 | 0.73% |
| 1900 | 201 | 60.36% | 128 | 38.44% | 4 | 1.20% |
| 1904 | 245 | 67.31% | 91 | 25.00% | 28 | 7.69% |
| 1908 | 233 | 54.31% | 173 | 40.33% | 23 | 5.36% |
| 1912 | 82 | 22.10% | 135 | 36.39% | 154 | 41.51% |
| 1916 | 318 | 44.04% | 333 | 46.12% | 71 | 9.83% |
| 1920 | 422 | 73.91% | 127 | 22.24% | 22 | 3.85% |
| 1924 | 482 | 62.68% | 147 | 19.12% | 140 | 18.21% |
| 1928 | 464 | 54.91% | 370 | 43.79% | 11 | 1.30% |
| 1932 | 375 | 32.92% | 732 | 64.27% | 32 | 2.81% |
| 1936 | 448 | 41.06% | 637 | 58.39% | 6 | 0.55% |
| 1940 | 644 | 59.08% | 433 | 39.72% | 13 | 1.19% |
| 1944 | 604 | 64.32% | 329 | 35.04% | 6 | 0.64% |
| 1948 | 606 | 56.27% | 443 | 41.13% | 28 | 2.60% |
| 1952 | 910 | 75.90% | 276 | 23.02% | 13 | 1.08% |
| 1956 | 747 | 70.41% | 312 | 29.41% | 2 | 0.19% |
| 1960 | 702 | 55.63% | 554 | 43.90% | 6 | 0.48% |
| 1964 | 529 | 44.19% | 662 | 55.30% | 6 | 0.50% |
| 1968 | 757 | 60.37% | 364 | 29.03% | 133 | 10.61% |
| 1972 | 794 | 69.89% | 288 | 25.35% | 54 | 4.75% |
| 1976 | 593 | 47.90% | 614 | 49.60% | 31 | 2.50% |
| 1980 | 880 | 69.95% | 303 | 24.09% | 75 | 5.96% |
| 1984 | 916 | 78.90% | 232 | 19.98% | 13 | 1.12% |
| 1988 | 721 | 62.80% | 399 | 34.76% | 28 | 2.44% |
| 1992 | 681 | 55.37% | 241 | 19.59% | 308 | 25.04% |
| 1996 | 796 | 71.13% | 239 | 21.36% | 84 | 7.51% |
| 2000 | 859 | 78.81% | 207 | 18.99% | 24 | 2.20% |
| 2004 | 869 | 81.83% | 183 | 17.23% | 10 | 0.94% |
| 2008 | 840 | 82.43% | 163 | 16.00% | 16 | 1.57% |
| 2012 | 821 | 83.18% | 157 | 15.91% | 9 | 0.91% |
| 2016 | 769 | 80.44% | 140 | 14.64% | 47 | 4.92% |
| 2020 | 808 | 83.47% | 149 | 15.39% | 11 | 1.14% |
| 2024 | 740 | 86.05% | 107 | 12.44% | 13 | 1.51% |
Wichita County is overwhelmingly Republican. It was last carried for the Democratic Party byJimmy Carter in 1976, but since then the only Democrat to win over a quarter of the county's vote has beenMichael Dukakis during the 1988 election when the Democratic vote was boosted by reaction againsta major Great Plains drought. In the past seven elections no Democrat has topped twenty percent of Wichita County's vote – a situation now almost general in the High Plains.
Although theKansas Constitution was amended in 1986 to allow the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with the approval of voters, Wichita County has remained a prohibition, or"dry", county.[14] The latest county alcohol control map indicates the county now allows liquor sales.[15]
List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Wichita County.[16]
† means a community is designated aCensus-Designated Place (CDP) by theUnited States Census Bureau.
Wichita County has a singletownship. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leoti | 39575 | Leoti | 2,531 | 1 (4) | 1,861 (719) | 0 (0) | 0% | 38°29′54″N101°21′50″W / 38.49833°N 101.36389°W /38.49833; -101.36389 |
Places adjacent to Wichita County, Kansas | |
|---|---|
Municipalities and communities ofWichita County, Kansas,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDP | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Township | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
