Maize is a city in Sedgwick County,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, United States, and a

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

of Wichita. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 5,735. The name Maize, derived from a Native American word for "corn", was named because it is located within the

Corn Belt The Corn Belt is a region of the Midwestern United States that, since the 1850s, has dominated corn production in the United States. In the United States, ''corn'' is the common word for maize. More generally, the concept of the Corn Belt con ...

History

The Maize Town Company, led by N. F. Neiderlander, founded Maize in 1886 at the first stop outside of Wichita on the Wichita and Colorado Railway. The post office opened that same year as did the town's first church, having relocated from nearby. Maize's first school opened in 1887; its first newspaper opened in 1895. Maize State Bank, the town's first financial institution, opened in 1901, and, by 1908, a business community had emerged. In 1915, the Maize Town Company dissolved, and Maize was incorporated as a city. Several natural disasters struck Maize in the 1930s and 1940s, including the

Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The phenomenon was caused by a combination of both natural factors (severe drought) an ...

in 1934–35, a plague of

grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is possibly the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grasshopp ...

s in 1936, and a flood in 1944. Maize began to grow rapidly in 1950, more than doubling in size by 1956. This growth has continued, accelerating in recent years as Wichita has expanded to the northwest, and transformed Maize into a suburb.

Geography

Maize is located at (37.779178, -97.467267) at an elevation of 1,348 feet (411 m). It lies on the west side of Big Slough Creek roughly southwest of the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...

in the Wellington-McPherson Lowlands region of the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

. Located in south-central Kansas, Maize is on

K-96 K96 or K-96 may refer to: *K-96 (Kansas highway) K-96 is a state highway in central and southern Kansas. Its western terminus is at the Colorado state line east of Towner, Colorado, where it continues as Colorado State Highway 96; its east ...

immediately northwest of Wichita. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all of it land.

Demographics

Maize is part of the

Wichita, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area The Wichita, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, is an area consisting of four counties in south central Kansas, anchored by the city of Wichita. As of the 2013 American Community Su ...

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 3,420 people, 1,172 households, and 942 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 1,284 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1.5%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.1% Native American, 1.1%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 1.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 3.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 7.4% of the population. There were 1,172 households, of which 49.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 19.6% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.28. The median age in the city was 30.7 years. 34.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.7% were from 25 to 44; 21.8% were from 45 to 64; and 8.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,868 people, 632 households, and 523 families living in the city. The

was 2,274.9 people per square mile (879.6/km). There were 668 housing units at an average density of 813.5 per square mile (314.5/km). The racial makeup of the city was 93.47%

, 0.96%

, 1.23% Native American, 0.32%

, 0.91% from

, and 3.10% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.62% of the population. There were 632 households, out of which 49.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.6% were

living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.2% were non-families. 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.28. In the city, the population was spread out, with 34.4% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $51,845, and the median income for a family was $53,365. Males had a median income of $41,653 versus $25,817 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $18,803. About 1.9% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Maize has a mayor-council-administrator form of government. The

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

consists of the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

and five members who serve part-time. The mayor is elected to a four-year term while terms for council members are staggered such that two members are up for election every two years.

Education

Primary and secondary education

Maize USD 266 Maize USD 266 is a public unified school district headquartered in Maize, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Maize, some of northwest Wichita, and nearby rural areas. Schools It operates the following schools and ...

public school district operates fourteen schools in and around the city: *

Maize High School Maize High School is a public high school located in Maize, Kansas, United States. It is operated by Maize USD 266 school district, and serves students in grades 9-12. The current principal is Chris Botts. Maize High School is one of two high scho ...

(9-12) *

Maize South High School Maize South High School is a fully accredited public high school in Wichita, Kansas, operated by Maize USD 266 school district, and serves students in grades 9–12. Maize South High School is one of two high schools in the Maize School District ...

(9-12) * Complete High School Maize (9-12),

alternative school An alternative school is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional. Such schools offer a wide range of philosophies and teaching methods; some have strong political, scholarly, or philosophical orientati ...

* Maize Career Academy (9-12) * Maize South Middle School (7-8) * Maize Middle School (7-8) * Maize South Intermediate School (5-6) * Maize Intermediate School (5-6) * Pray-Woodman Elementary School (2-5) * Maize South Elementary School (2-5) * Maize Central Elementary School (K-5) * Maize Elementary School (K-1) * Vermillion Elementary School * Early Childhood Center (PreK)

Infrastructure

Transportation

runs northwest-southeast through the middle of the city, but remains outside of the official city limits. Questions of jurisdictional responsibility relating to highway and infrastructure as well as law enforcement authority have long been an issue of misunderstanding amongst city leaders. City police have no police authority on K-96 unless operating under a deputy sheriff commission granted under the authority of the Sedgwick County Sheriff. Currently, sheriff’s deputies and members of the Kansas Highway Patrol are tasked with all law enforcement and investigative responsibility. The Hutchinson line of the

Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad The Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad is a shortline railroad operating in the Midwestern United States. It is primarily located in Kansas and extends into Colorado, but despite its name, not into Oklahoma. Overview The KO is a subsidiary of Watco, w ...

runs southeast–northwest through Maize. Maize Airport is a privately owned, public-use

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...

located two

nautical mile A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude. Today ...

s (2.3 mi, 3.7 km) southeast of the

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

of Maize.

Notable people

Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Maize include: *

Nancy Kassebaum Nancy Jo Kassebaum Baker (née Landon; born July 29, 1932) is an American politician who represented the State of Kansas in the United States Senate from 1978 to 1997. She is the daughter of Alf Landon, who was Governor of Kansas from 1933 to 19 ...

(1932- ),

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from Kansas *

Richard Kassebaum Richard Kassebaum (November 15, 1960 – August 27, 2008) was an American documentary filmmaker. He is best remembered for producing television documentaries, including the 2002 award-winning Limited Series '' Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of the ...

(1960-2008), documentary filmmaker * Miles Ukaoma (1992-), Olympian

References

External links

City of Maize

Maize - Directory of Public Officials

Maize city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Sedgwick County, Kansas Wichita, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area Populated places established in 1886 1886 establishments in Kansas