Decatur County, Kansas
Encyclopedia
Decatur County is a county located in Northwest Kansas
, in the Central
United States
. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,961. Its county seat
and most populous city is Oberlin
. The county is named in honor of Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr.
, who served during the Barbary Wars
and the War of 1812
. Oberlin was the site of the last Native American (specifically the Northern Cheyenne) Raid in Kansas.
, county until 2002, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.
, there were 3,472 people, 1,494 households, and 981 families residing in the county. The population density
was 4 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 1,821 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup
of the county was 97.87% White
, 0.52% Black or African American
, 0.09% Native American
, 0.14% Asian
, 0.12% Pacific Islander
, 0.37% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races
. Hispanic
or Latino
of any race were 0.98% of the population.
There were 1,494 household
s out of which 25.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples
living together, 5.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.30% were non-families. 32.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.60% under the age of 18, 4.70% from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 26.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.
The median income for a household
in the county was $30,257, and the median income for a family was $34,982. Males had a median income of $25,139 versus $17,368 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $16,348. About 8.00% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.
. The city of Oberlin
is considered governmentally 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.
Maps
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, in the Central
Central United States
The Central United States is sometimes conceived as between the Eastern United States and Western United States as part of a three-region model, roughly coincident with the Midwestern United States plus the western and central portions of the Southern United States; the term is also sometimes used...
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,961. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
and most populous city is Oberlin
Oberlin, Kansas
Oberlin is a city in and the county seat of Decatur County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,788.-History:...
. The county is named in honor of Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr.
Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur, Jr. , was an American naval officer notable for his many naval victories in the early 19th century. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, Worcester county, the son of a U.S. Naval Officer who served during the American Revolution. Shortly after attending college Decatur...
History
The county was established March 20, 1873 and organized on December 15, 1879. It is named for the Navy war hero Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr.Stephen Decatur
Stephen Decatur, Jr. , was an American naval officer notable for his many naval victories in the early 19th century. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland, Worcester county, the son of a U.S. Naval Officer who served during the American Revolution. Shortly after attending college Decatur...
, who served during the Barbary Wars
Barbary Wars
The Barbary Wars were a series of wars between the United States of America and the Barbary States of North Africa in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. At issue was the Barbary pirates' demand of tribute from American merchant vessels in the Mediterranean Sea. If ships failed to pay, pirates...
and the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. Oberlin was the site of the last Native American (specifically the Northern Cheyenne) Raid in Kansas.
Law and government
Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry"Dry county
A dry county is a county in the United States whose government forbids the sale of alcoholic beverages. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Hundreds of dry counties exist across the United States, almost all of them in the South...
, county until 2002, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 894.18 square miles (2,315.9 km²), of which 893.55 square miles (2,314.3 km²) (or 99.93%) is land and 0.63 square miles (1.6 km²) (or 0.07%) is water.Adjacent counties
- Red Willow CountyRed Willow County, Nebraska-History:Red Willow County was formed in 1873. It was named after the Red Willow Creek.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,448 people, 4,710 households, and 3,188 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile . There were 5,278 housing...
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
(north) - Furnas CountyFurnas County, Nebraska-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 5,324 people, 2,278 households, and 1,489 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile . There were 2,730 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
, NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
(northeast) - Norton CountyNorton County, KansasNorton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 5,671...
(east) - Sheridan CountySheridan County, KansasSheridan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,556. Its county seat is Hoxie. The county was named in honor of Phillip H...
(south) - Thomas CountyThomas County, KansasThomas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 7,900...
(southwest) - Rawlins CountyRawlins County, KansasRawlins County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,519. The largest city and county seat is Atwood...
(west)
Demographics
As of the U.S. Census in 2000United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, there were 3,472 people, 1,494 households, and 981 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 4 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 1,821 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of the county was 97.87% White
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
, 0.52% Black or African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.09% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 0.14% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.12% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 0.37% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races
Multiracial
The terms multiracial and mixed-race describe people whose ancestries come from multiple races. Unlike the term biracial, which often is only used to refer to having parents or grandparents of two different races, the term multiracial may encompass biracial people but can also include people with...
. Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race were 0.98% of the population.
There were 1,494 household
Household
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
s out of which 25.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 5.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.30% were non-families. 32.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.60% under the age of 18, 4.70% from 18 to 24, 22.90% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 26.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 97.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.
The median income for a household
Median household income
The median household income is commonly used to generate data about geographic areas and divides households into two equal segments with the first half of households earning less than the median household income and the other half earning more...
in the county was $30,257, and the median income for a family was $34,982. Males had a median income of $25,139 versus $17,368 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $16,348. About 8.00% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.20% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.
Incorporated cities
Name and population (2004 estimate):- OberlinOberlin, KansasOberlin is a city in and the county seat of Decatur County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,788.-History:...
, 1,862 (county seat) - NorcaturNorcatur, KansasNorcatur is a city in Decatur County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 151.-Geography:Norcatur is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 169...
, 162 - JenningsJennings, KansasJennings is a city in Decatur County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 96.-Geography:Jennings is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 146...
, 134 - ClaytonClayton, KansasClayton is a city in Decatur and Norton counties in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 59.-Geography:Clayton is located at...
, 65 - DresdenDresden, KansasDresden is a city in Decatur County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 41.-Geography:Dresden is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 51...
, 49
Townships
Decatur County is divided into twenty-five townshipsCivil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
. The city of Oberlin
Oberlin, Kansas
Oberlin is a city in and the county seat of Decatur County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,788.-History:...
is considered governmentally 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.
| Township | FIPS | Population center |
Population | Population density /km² (/sq mi) |
Land area km² (sq mi) | Water area km² (sq mi) | Water % | Geographic coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allison | 01300 | 39 | 0 (1) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.01% | 39°35′36"N 100°12′24"W | |
| Altory | 01650 | 16 | 0 (0) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0 % | 39°47′22"N 100°21′15"W | |
| Bassettville | 04475 | 26 | 0 (1) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0 % | 39°41′12"N 100°40′38"W | |
| Beaver | 05050 | 86 | 1 (2) | 92 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.11% | 39°58′42"N 100°34′2"W | |
| Center | 11650 | 60 | 1 (2) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.03% | 39°47′5"N 100°27′38"W | |
| Cook | 15375 | 44 | 0 (1) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.08% | 39°36′16"N 100°40′32"W | |
| Custer | 16850 | 27 | 0 (1) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.04% | 39°41′17"N 100°26′59"W | |
| Dresden | 18625 | 141 | 2 (4) | 92 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.01% | 39°36′39"N 100°27′5"W | |
| Finley | 23425 | 39 | 0 (1) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0 % | 39°57′42"N 100°41′20"W | |
| Garfield | 25525 | 41 | 0 (1) | 92 (36) | 0 (0) | 0 % | 39°46′38"N 100°14′44"W | |
| Grant | 27600 | 31 | 0 (1) | 92 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.07% | 39°57′36"N 100°14′11"W | |
| Harlan | 30050 | 51 | 1 (1) | 92 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.05% | 39°56′50"N 100°20′56"W | |
| Jennings | 35400 | 173 | 2 (5) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.34% | 39°40′35"N 100°18′56"W | |
| Liberty | 39975 | 48 | 1 (1) | 91 (35) | 0 (0) | 0.03% | 39°53′2"N 100°33′31"W | |
| Lincoln | 40600 | 203 | 2 (6) | 92 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.02% | 39°50′58"N 100°12′21"W | |
| Logan | 41825 | 52 | 1 (1) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0 % | 39°52′38"N 100°42′42"W | |
| Lyon | 43450 | 24 | 0 (1) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0 % | 39°36′52"N 100°21′8"W | |
| Oberlin | 52025 | 91 | 1 (3) | 89 (34) | 0 (0) | 0.08% | 39°47′32"N 100°34′20"W | |
| Olive | 52675 | 68 | 1 (2) | 92 (35) | 1 (0) | 0.65% | 39°51′43"N 100°28′18"W | |
| Pleasant Valley | 56525 | 46 | 0 (1) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.05% | 39°41′53"N 100°13′59"W | |
| Prairie Dog | 57475 | 50 | 1 (1) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.01% | 39°36′33"N 100°33′49"W | |
| Roosevelt | 61025 | 32 | 0 (1) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.07% | 39°53′1"N 100°21′43"W | |
| Sappa | 63050 | 43 | 0 (1) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.04% | 39°45′57"N 100°41′48"W | |
| Sherman | 64900 | 25 | 0 (1) | 92 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.01% | 39°57′5"N 100°28′7"W | |
| Summit | 69075 | 22 | 0 (1) | 93 (36) | 0 (0) | 0.09% | 39°41′27"N 100°34′37"W | |
| Sources: | ||||||||
Unified school districts
- Oberlin USD 294
- Prairie Heights USD 295, dissolved as of July 1, 2006; absorbed by USD 294.
Further reading
- History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook)
- Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook), (Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook)
External links
- Decatur County, Blue Skyways
- Kansas Statistical Abstract
Maps
- Decatur County Map, KDOT
- Kansas Highway Map, KDOT
- Kansas Railroad Map, KDOT
- Kansas School District Boundary Map, KSDE