Washington 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 parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of,

Washington County, Kansas Washington County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is Washington, Kansas, Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county population was 5,530. ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,071.

History

Washington was established in spring 1860, and in the same year was named the county seat. Until the end of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, it was protected by two stockaded buildings, the Washington Company House and Woolbert's Stockade Hotel. The first post office in Washington was established in November 1861.

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 , of which is land and is water.

Climate

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, Washington has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Washington was on July 12, 1954, while the coldest temperature recorded was on December 23, 1989 and February 16, 2021.

Demographics

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 1,131 people, 512 households, and 311 families living 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 582 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.8%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races.

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 were 2.3% of the population. There were 512 households, of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% 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, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.3% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.76. The median age in the city was 46.8 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.9% were from 25 to 44; 26.7% were from 45 to 64; and 25.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,223 people, 553 households, and 331 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 644 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.94%

, 0.08%

, 0.25% Native American, 0.25% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population. There were 553 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were

living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.81. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 28.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,529, and the median income for a family was $37,448. Males had a median income of $27,171 versus $17,938 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 $15,760. About 8.6% of families and 10.5% 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 ...

, including 13.1% of those under age 18 and 15.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community is served by

Washington County USD 108 Washington County USD 108 is a public unified school district headquartered in Washington, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Washington, Greenleaf, Haddam, Mahaska, Morrowville, and nearby rural areas. Schoo ...

public school district, which formed in 2006 by the consolidation of North Central USD 221 and Washington USD 222.

Notable people

* Charlie Becker (1887–1968), actor who portrayed the mayor of Munchkinland in 1939 The Wizard of Oz film * Bill Pannbacker, former 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 craftin ...

References

External links

City of Washington

Washington - Directory of Public Officials

Washington city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Washington County, Kansas Cities in Kansas County seats in Kansas 1860 establishments in Kansas Territory