Yates Center is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Woodson 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 th ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,352.

History

Yates Center was founded in August 1875. It was named for Abner Yates, the original owner of the town site, who donated an entire block around the courthouse, land for the churches, a city park, and a lot each for the first two children born in the town. Yates Center is the only town in Kansas to be selected as a county seat before there was a house or inhabitant within its boundaries. Over thirty buildings in downtown Yates Center, centering on Courthouse Square, are included in the Yates Center Courthouse Square Historic District.

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 t ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Yates Center has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

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 in ...

of 2010, there were 1,417 people, 664 households, and 347 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was . There were 821 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 o ...

, 0.4%

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, 0.1%

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 ...

, 0.5% 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 2.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 1.6% of the population. There were 664 households, of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.7% were non-families. 41.9% 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 2.08 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 45.1 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.9% were from 25 to 44; 28% were from 45 to 64; and 22.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,599 people, 716 households, and 435 families living in the city. The

was 553.9 people per square mile (213.6/km). There were 844 housing units at an average density of 292.3 per square mile (112.8/km). The racial makeup of the city was 98.37%

, 0.19%

, 0.69% Native American, and 0.75% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.50% of the population. There were 716 households, out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.86. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 28.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $23,920, and the median income for a family was $34,018. Males had a median income of $25,250 versus $17,054 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 $14,180. About 9.0% of families and 12.3% 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 11.2% of those under age 18 and 18.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community is served by Woodson USD 366 public school district.

Gallery

Carnegie Library, Yates Center, KS.jpg, 1912 Yates Center Carnegie Library (2017) Bandstand, Yates Center, KS.jpg, 1928 Bandstand (2017) Woody's Motel, Yates Center, Kansas (8734329185).jpg, Postcard featuring Woody's Motel (c. 1930–1945)

References

External links

City of Yates Center

Yates Center - Directory of Public Officials

Yates Center city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Woodson County, Kansas Cities in Kansas County seats in Kansas