Centralia is a city in Nemaha County,

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 485.

History

Centralia was founded in 1859, one mile north of the present town. When a railroad was built through the territory in 1867, Centralia was moved to the site. Centralia was incorporated in 1882. One of the early residents of Centralia was

Floyd Perry Baker Floyd Perry Baker (November 16, 1820 – May 27, 1909) was an American lawyer, land speculator, politician, government official, farmer, blacksmith, teacher, and newspaper editor well known for his activities as an early resident and community ...

, a Kansas politician and newspaper editor, who moved there with his family from

Andrew County, Missouri Andrew County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 18,135. Its county seat is Savannah. The county was organized January 29, 1841, and named for Andre ...

''circa'' 1860. In 1901, Centralia was the scene of violent conflicts between whites and African Americans. By this time, Centralia had a

sundown town Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, were all-white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States. They were towns that practiced a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combinati ...

policy forbidding blacks from living in the area.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

Climate

This

climatic Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorolog ...

region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Centralia has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 485 people, 193 households, and 122 families in Centralia. The population density was 1,068.3 per square mile (412.5/km). There were 221 housing units at an average density of 486.8 per square mile (187.9/km). The racial makeup was 92.16% (447)

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

(90.52%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 0.0% (0)

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, 0.82% (4) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 0.0% (0) Asian, 0.0% (0)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

, 0.82% (4) from other races, and 6.19% (30) from

two or more races Multiracial Americans, also known as mixed-race Americans, are Americans who have mixed ancestry of two or more races. The term may also include Americans of mixed-race ancestry who self-identify with just one group culturally and socially (cf. t ...

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race was 4.33% (21) of the population. Of the 193 households, 31.6% had children under the age of 18; 50.8% were married couples living together; 20.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 33.7% of households consisted of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 2.6. The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 36.1% of the population. 24.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 108.0 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $68,750 (with a margin of error of +/- $21,394) and the median family income was $76,786 (+/- $32,008). Males had a median income of $24,792 (+/- $17,172) versus $26,818 (+/- $6,844) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $26,250 (+/- $7,915). Approximately, 4.9% of families and 8.9% 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 12.1% of those under the age of 18 and 4.5% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 512 people, 201 households, and 123 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 238 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.5%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.2%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.8% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.5% of the population. There were 201 households, of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.8% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age in the city was 40.1 years. 25% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; 22.8% were from 45 to 64; and 21.1% 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 534 people, 216 households, and 127 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 235 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.82%

, 0.19%

, 0.94% Native American, 0.37%

, 0.19% from other races, and 1.50% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.81% of the population. There were 216 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were

living together, 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.2% were non-families. 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 28.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.13. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 30.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $22,240, and the median income for a family was $32,625. Males had a median income of $22,500 versus $16,591 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $14,813. About 8.0% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the

, including 19.3% of those under age 18 and 16.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community and nearby rural areas are served by

Vermillion USD 380 Vermillion USD 380 is a public unified school district headquartered in Vermillion, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Centralia, Corning, Frankfort, Vermillion, Lillis, Vliets, and nearby rural areas. Schoo ...

public school district.

Notable people

* Floyd Baker, Kansas politician, lawyer, newspaper editor *

John Riggins Robert John Riggins (born August 4, 1949), nicknamed "Riggo" and "Diesel", is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. He played c ...

, NFL running back

References

External links

*
Centralia - Directory of Public Officials

Centralia city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Nemaha County, Kansas Sundown towns in Kansas 1859 establishments in Kansas Territory