Protection is a city in Comanche 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. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 498.

History

Protection was founded in 1884. Popular support for a

protective tariff Protective tariffs are tariffs that are enacted with the aim of protecting a domestic industry. They aim to make imported goods cost more than equivalent goods produced domestically, thereby causing sales of domestically produced goods to rise, ...

in the 1884 presidential election caused the name to be selected. The first post office in Protection was established on August 27, 1884. The town became nationally and internationally known via radio and television in 1957, when the National Polio Foundation chose it as the center for the free distribution of Salk vaccine shots for

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

. It then became 100 percent protected.

Geography

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 land.

Demographics

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 514 people, 215 households, and 131 families residing 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 277 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.3%

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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.6%

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 ...

, 2.5% 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 1.2% 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 5.1% of the population. There were 215 households, of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% 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, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.1% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 46.6 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.1% were from 45 to 64; and 27.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 558 people, 241 households, and 152 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 297 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.95%

, 0.18%

, 1.79% from

, and 1.08% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.69% of the population. There were 241 households, out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were

living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.67. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.1% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 19.5% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 29.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,917, and the median income for a family was $36,705. Males had a median income of $26,071 versus $15,682 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 $16,973. About 8.2% of families and 13.5% 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 13.6% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over. Protection High School west entrance 2007

Education

The community is served by

Comanche County USD 300 Comanche County USD 300, previously known as South Central USD 300, is a public unified school district headquartered in Coldwater, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Coldwater, Protection, Wilmore, Buttermilk, and ...

public school district. South Central Elementary and South Central Middle School are in Protection, with the former Protection High School building on campus, while South Central High School is in Coldwater. The South Central High School mascot is Timberwolves. Prior to school unification, the Protection Panthers won the Kansas State High School 1A football championship in 1978 and the 8-Man DII football championship in 1983.

Notable people

* Stan Herd, crop artist * Nathan Leeper, Olympic high jumper

References

External links

Protection - Directory of Public Officials

* Maps
Protection city mapComanche County map
{{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Comanche County, Kansas