Jefferson County, Kansas

Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Oskaloosa.^[3] As of the 2020 census, the county population was 18,368.^[1] The county was named after Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd president of the United States.

For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France, but keeping title to about 7,500 square miles. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1855, Jefferson County was established, and was named for President Thomas Jefferson.^[4] Settlement of the county was slowed by events prior to and during the Civil War, but the present day unincorporated community of Thompsonville (3 miles northwest of Perry on the Delaware River) was the first established in 1851 by Mormon settlers who initially refused to accompany the main group led by Brigham Young to the Salt Lake Valley. The settlement was first abandoned due to the violence resulting from the border wars, but was re-established when the Civil War ended.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 557 square miles (1,440 km²), of which 533 square miles (1,380 km²) is land and 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) (4.3%) is water.^[5]

• Atchison County (north)
• Leavenworth County (east)
• Douglas County (south)
• Shawnee County (southwest)
• Jackson County (northwest)

Jefferson County is included in the Topeka, Kansas metropolitan area.

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 18,368, a median age of 43.7 years, 23.4% of residents under the age of 18, and 19.8% of residents 65 years of age or older.^[11]

For every 100 females there were 102.2 males and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.2 males age 18 and over.^[11] 0.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 99.1% lived in rural areas.^[12]

The racial makeup of the county was 91.4% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 6.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.1% of the population.^[13]

There were 7,209 households in the county, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 18.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[11]

There were 7,911 housing units, of which 8.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 83.1% were owner-occupied and 16.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.4%.^[11]

As of the 2000 census,^[14] there were 18,426 people, 6,830 households and 5,190 families residing in the county. The population density was 34 inhabitants per square mile (13/km²). There were 7,491 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (5.4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.70% White, 0.92% Native American, 0.37% Black or African American, 0.17% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population.

There were 6,830 households, of which 35.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.20% were married couples living together, 7.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.00% were non-families. 20.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.07.

27.40% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 24.90% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.90 males.

The median household income was $45,535 and the median family income was $50,557. Males had a median income of $36,174 compared with $25,468 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,373. About 5.30% of families and 6.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.90% of those under age 18 and 7.70% of those age 65 or over.

Like all of Kansas outside the eastern cities, Jefferson County is a Republican stronghold, having not been won by a Democrat since Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 landslide – although it was one of three Kansas counties to give a plurality to Ross Perot in 1992.

Jefferson County was a prohibition, or "dry", county until the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 and voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.^[16]

The county voted "No" on the 2022 Kansas abortion referendum, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 55% to 45% despite backing Donald Trump with 65% of the vote to Joe Biden's 33% in the 2020 presidential election.^[17]

Jefferson County has two newspapers which are still in operation, The Oskaloosa Independent and The Valley Falls Vindicator. Both of which are owned by Davis Publications.^[18] Together, the two papers cover the happenings of Jefferson County and its townships. The editor for both papers is Holly Allen.

School districts include:^[19]

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Jefferson County.^[20]

† means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

Jefferson County is divided into twelve townships. None of the cities within the county are considered governmentally independent, and all figures for the townships include those of the cities. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.

• Roger Barker (1903–1990), American environmental psychologist
• John Curry (1897–1946), painter
• Mary Lowman (1842–1912), first woman in Kansas to be elected mayor with a city council composed entirely of women.
• Charles Roberts (1936-), American politician

Community information for Kansas

• Kansas locations by per capita income
• List of counties in Kansas
• List of townships in Kansas
• List of cities in Kansas
• List of unincorporated communities in Kansas
• List of ghost towns in Kansas

Notes

• Standard Atlas of Jefferson County, Kansas; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 69 pages; 1916.
• Descriptive Atlas of Jefferson County, Kansas; Acme Publishing Co; 44 pages; 1899.

County

• Jefferson County - Official
• Jefferson County - Directory of Public Officials

Maps

• Jefferson County Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
• Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
• Kansas Railroad Maps: Current, 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society