Lakin 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 ...

of Kearny County,

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,205.

History

Lakin was founded in 1874. It was named for David Long Lakin, former treasurer of the

Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often referred to as the Santa Fe or AT&SF, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The railroad was chartered in February 1859 to serve the cities of Atchison and Topeka, Kansas, and ...

.''Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway : Annual Meetings, and Directors and Officers : Volumes 7''; AT&SF Railway; 1902. (12MB PDF)
/ref> A post office has been in operation in Lakin since March 1874. Lakin was designated county seat in 1888.

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 th ...

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

Climate

Demographics

Kearny County Courthouse (2010)

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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 2,216 people, 781 households, and 573 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 RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 851 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.7%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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, 8.7% 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 2.4% 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 for ...

or Latino of any race were 28.9% of the population. There were 781 households, of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% 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 ...

living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 26.6% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.23. The median age in the city was 34.5 years. 30.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 23.6% were from 45 to 64; and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,316 people, 823 households, and 604 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 883 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.56%

, 0.82%

, 1.34% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 14.16% from

, and 1.77% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 24.96% of the population. There were 823 households, out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were

living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.32. In the city, the population was spread out, with 34.2% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $38,875, and the median income for a family was $44,688. Males had a median income of $31,086 versus $20,433 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 $15,531. About 6.9% of families and 10.4% 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 ...

, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community is served by Lakin USD 215 public school district.

Gallery

Image:Lakin, KS, welcome sign IMG_5849.JPG, Lakin welcome sign Image:O'Laughlin Windmill, Lakin, KS IMG_5853.JPG, O'Loughlin Windmill in Lakin Image:KS Highway 25 in Lakin IMG_5844.JPG, Kansas Highway 25 runs through Lakin

Notable people

Frank Luther Frank Luther (born Francis Luther Crow, August 4, 1899 – November 16, 1980) was an American country music singer, dance band vocalist, playwright, songwriter and pianist. Early life Born on a farm near Lakin, Kansas, 40 miles from the Colora ...

(1899–1980), country music singer *

Russ Jennings Russ is a masculine given name, often a short form of Russell, and also a surname. People Given name or nickname * Russ Abbot (born 1947), British musician, comedian and actor * Russ Adams (born 1980), American retired baseball player * Russ Ba ...

, member of the

Kansas House of Representatives The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for craft ...

References

External links

City of Lakin

Lakin - Directory of Public Officials

USD 215
local school district
Lakin city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas County seats in Kansas Cities in Kearny County, Kansas 1874 establishments in Kansas Populated places established in 1874