Bel Aire 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 th ...

, United States, and a suburb of Wichita. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,262.

History

Bel Aire was founded in January 1955 when a group of local residents petitioned the county government to create it as an improvement district for water. On November 26, 1980, Bel Aire formally incorporated as a city. This was despite a two-year legal dispute with the Wichita city government over whether or not it had the right to do so. The case ultimately went to the

Kansas Supreme Court The Kansas Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the state of Kansas. Composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Marla Luckert, the court supervises the legal profession, administers the judicial branch, and serves as the st ...

which ruled in Bel Aire's favor.

Geography

Bel Aire is located at (37.763758, −97.266177) at an elevation of 1,394 feet (425 m). It lies on the north side of the East Fork of Chisholm Creek roughly northeast 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. Located on the south side of K-254 in south-central Kansas, Bel Aire is within the Wichita metropolitan area, bordered by Wichita to the south and west and bordered by Kechi to the north. 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.

Demographics

Bel Aire 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 in ...

of 2010, there were 6,769 people, 2,465 households, and 1,854 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 2,554 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.1%

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 ...

, 8.6%

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 ...

, 0.9% Native American, 4.5% Asian, 1.4% 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 3.5% 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 4.8% of the population. There were 2,465 households, of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.3% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 24.8% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.21. The median age in the city was 36 years. 28.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 26.9% were from 45 to 64; and 11.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 5,836 people, 1,976 households, and 1,618 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,024 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.47%

, 7.32%

, 0.45% Native American, 3.68% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.10% from

, and 1.97% from two or more races.

of any race were 3.02% of the population. There were 1,976 households, out of which 47.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.4% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.1% were non-families. 15.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.30. In the city, the population was spread out, with 32.9% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $66,937, and the median income for a family was $72,091. Males had a median income of $50,236 versus $35,298 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 $23,202. About 3.7% of families and 4.8% 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 8.9% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The city is served by Wichita USD 259 and Circle USD 375 public school districts. Bel Aire has two private schools as well: Sunrise Christian Academy (Pre-K to 12) and Resurrection Catholic School (Pre-K to 5).

References

External links

City of Bel Aire

Bel Aire - Directory of Public Officials

Bel Aire city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Sedgwick County, Kansas Wichita, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area Populated places established in 1955 1955 establishments in Kansas