One Hundred and Twenty Years of Population Change in Kansas

Abstract

This paper explores the significant changes in the population geography of Kansas that have occurred since 1860. Attention is focused on population distribution and density, rural and urban shifts, migration, population characteristics and the quality of life in Kansas. Kansas became home to white settlers much later than many other parts of the United States thus the historical span of its recorded population geography is relatively short. Nonetheless, the history of its population change should be of interest to Kansans because it reflects and corresponds with significant social and economic changes which have occurred on the Kansas landscape and which continue even today. Kansas had a population of 107,206 in 1860, approximately one year before statehood on 29 January 1861. The next three decades saw an explosive population increase. By 1890 the population stood at 1,428,108; more than half the population of 2,363,679 in 1980 (U.S. Census of Population, 1860-1980). Rapid population growth in the nineteenth century was due mainly to immigration and the western migration movement which were facilitated by 1) the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed any American citizen of twenty-one years or older or the head of a household to gain title to 160 acres of land practically free; 2) land granted to railroads by the United States government which in turn was sold to settlers often on credit at a low price (Self, 1978, p. 16). Population increase since 1890 has been slow but steady each decade with the exception of the 1930's when the population declined by nearly 80,000 people. This loss can be attributed to the economic depression, drought, and dust storms that plagued the state for most of the ten year period (Self, 1978, p. 83). Currently, Kansas has the 32nd largest population among the fifty states, a drop from its 28th position in 1970. Since the turn of the century, the rate of population growth in Kansas has consistently been below that of the national average. The state gained only 5.1 percent in population from 1970 to 1980 while the nation gained approximately 11.0 percent. Kansas' This content downloaded from 207.46.13.158 on Tue, 15 Nov 2016 03:57:45 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms VOLUME 89, NUMBERS 1-2 11 portion of the national population in 1980 was only 1.05 percent (Kansas Statistical Abstract, 1981, p. 3). POPULATION DISTRIBUTION AND DENSITY The largest number of cities, rural towns and villages, as well as countryside dwellers and farmers are located in eastern Kansas (Fig. 1). Cities are concentrated along rivers in nearly all parts of the state. Most of the larger cities are distributed along the Kansas River and its tributaries and along the Arkansas River. These two rivers were major transportation corridors during the early settlement period. Beyond central Kansas, population becomes more sparse as one approaches the western border of the state. Population density amounted to 28.9 persons per square mile for Kansas in 1980, which was slightly below half that of the United States; 64 persons per square mile (Kansas Statistical Abstract, 1981, p. 10). Population density is considerably greater in eastern Kansas than it is statewide. Of the ten counties along the eastern border of the state, the median density was 208.3 persons per square mile in 1980 while for the seven counties extending north and south through central Kansas it amounted to 12.2 persons per square mile, and only 3.7 persons per square mile for the seven counties along the western boundary. POPULATION IN KANSAS, 1980