Gray County, Kansas
Gray County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Cimarron. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 5,653. The county was named after Alfred Gray, a 19th-century Kansas politician.
History
For millennia, the Great Plains of North America were inhabited by nomadic Native Americans in [the United States|Native Americans].In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state.
Gray County was founded in 1881 and named for Alfred Gray. Between 1887 and 1893, a county seat war took place in Gray County that involved several notable Old West figures, such as Bat Masterson, Bill Tilghman, and Ben Daniels. As a result of the dispute, Cimarron became the permanent county seat of Gray County.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water.Since 2001, NextEra Energy Resources has operated the largest wind farm in Kansas—170 turbines with a generating capacity of 110 megawatts—on a site near Montezuma.
Adjacent counties
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 5,653. The median age was 37.7 years, 28.4% of residents were under the age of 18, and 17.8% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.9 males. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.The racial makeup of the county was 86.3% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 4.9% from some other race, and 7.9% from two or more races. Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino] residents of any race comprised 14.8% of the population.
There were 2,092 households in the county, of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 16.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 2,327 housing units, of which 10.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.7% were owner-occupied and 25.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.8%.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 5,904 people, 2,045 households, and 1,556 families residing in the county. The population density was. There were 2,181 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 92.31% White, 0.46% Native American, 0.19% Black or African American, 0.10% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 5.42% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.81% of the population.There were 2,045 households, out of which 42.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.70% were married couples living together, 5.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.90% were non-families. 21.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 31.60% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 20.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,000, and the median income for a family was $45,299. Males had a median income of $31,519 versus $21,563 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,632. About 6.50% of families and 9.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.80% of those under age 18 and 8.00% of those age 65 or over.