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Geary County
Geary County
County
	Geary County Courthouse in Junction City (1979)
	Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
	Kansas's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 38°54′31″N 96°45′08″W / 38.9086°N 96.7522°W
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	1855
Named for	John W. Geary
Seat	Junction City
Largest city	Junction City
Area
• Total	404 sq mi (1,050 km2)
• Land	385 sq mi (1,000 km2)
• Water	20 sq mi (50 km2) 4.9%
Population (2020)
• Total	36,739
• Estimate (2023)	35,047
• Density	95.4/sq mi (36.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	gearycounty.org

Geary County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Junction City.^[4] As of the 2020 census, the county population was 36,739.^[2] The county is named in honor of John Geary, the first mayor of San Francisco, a governor of the Kansas Territory, and the 16th governor of Pennsylvania.

History

Early history

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.

19th century

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. Geary County was formed on August 30, 1855, as an original county from open, free territory. It was among the first 33 counties established by the territory government.^[5]

Geary County was originally named Davis County in 1855 after Jefferson Davis (then the United States Secretary of War). During the American Civil War, when Davis became president of the Confederacy, attempts were made to change the county's name, but both failed. Federal and state census records show it as Davis County from 1860 through 1885. In 1888 the county was renamed in honor of John W. Geary, an early Governor of the Kansas Territory.^[6]^[7]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 404 square miles (1,050 km²), of which 385 square miles (1,000 km²) is land and 20 square miles (52 km²) (4.9%) is water.^[8] It is the second-smallest county in Kansas by land area and third-smallest by total area.

Adjacent counties

Riley County (north)
Wabaunsee County (east)
Morris County (south)
Dickinson County (west)
Clay County (northwest)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	1,163		—
1870	5,526		375.2%
1880	6,994		26.6%
1890	10,428		49.1%
1900	10,744		3.0%
1910	12,681		18.0%
1920	13,452		6.1%
1930	14,366		6.8%
1940	15,222		6.0%
1950	21,671		42.4%
1960	28,779		32.8%
1970	28,111		−2.3%
1980	29,852		6.2%
1990	30,453		2.0%
2000	27,947		−8.2%
2010	34,362		23.0%
2020	36,739		6.9%
2023 (est.)	35,047	^[9]	−4.6%
U.S. Decennial Census^[10] 1790–1960^[11] 1900–1990^[12] 1990–2000^[13] 2010–2020^[2]

Geary County is part of the Manhattan, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.^[14]

As of the 2000 census,^[15] there were 27,947 people, 10,458 households, and 7,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 73 inhabitants per square mile (28/km²). There were 11,959 housing units at an average density of 31 per square mile (12/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 64.13% White, 22.03% Black or African American, 0.75% Native American, 3.16% Asian, 0.41% Pacific Islander, 4.10% from other races, and 5.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.45% of the population.

There were 10,458 households, out of which 39.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.90% were married couples living together, 12.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 29.60% under the age of 18, 13.60% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 17.40% from 45 to 64, and 9.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,917, and the median income for a family was $36,372. Males had a median income of $25,942 versus $21,389 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,199. About 9.70% of families and 12.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.80% of those under age 18 and 9.90% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential elections

For most of its history, Geary County has been dominated by the Republican Party. The party's presidential candidates have failed to win the county only seven times from 1880 to the present day, the last of these occurring in 1964.

Presidential election results

United States presidential election results for Geary County, Kansas^[16]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	5,099	57.81%	3,529	40.01%	193	2.19%
2020	5,323	55.43%	3,983	41.48%	297	3.09%
2016	4,274	56.33%	2,722	35.87%	592	7.80%
2012	4,372	55.73%	3,332	42.47%	141	1.80%
2008	4,492	55.50%	3,491	43.13%	111	1.37%
2004	4,703	64.18%	2,531	34.54%	94	1.28%
2000	3,977	57.92%	2,660	38.74%	229	3.34%
1996	3,686	54.29%	2,444	35.99%	660	9.72%
1992	2,928	38.75%	2,559	33.87%	2,069	27.38%
1988	3,782	57.54%	2,721	41.40%	70	1.06%
1984	4,464	65.44%	2,296	33.66%	61	0.89%
1980	3,534	56.06%	2,357	37.39%	413	6.55%
1976	3,230	52.13%	2,843	45.88%	123	1.99%
1972	4,299	70.02%	1,708	27.82%	133	2.17%
1968	2,954	50.70%	2,228	38.24%	645	11.07%
1964	2,259	39.32%	3,419	59.51%	67	1.17%
1960	3,789	61.28%	2,365	38.25%	29	0.47%
1956	4,013	65.54%	2,078	33.94%	32	0.52%
1952	4,314	70.54%	1,750	28.61%	52	0.85%
1948	2,864	49.72%	2,810	48.78%	86	1.49%
1944	2,833	56.97%	2,107	42.37%	33	0.66%
1940	2,840	52.65%	2,504	46.42%	50	0.93%
1936	2,382	44.38%	2,973	55.39%	12	0.22%
1932	1,957	40.92%	2,705	56.55%	121	2.53%
1928	2,746	69.15%	1,203	30.29%	22	0.55%
1924	2,678	66.34%	723	17.91%	636	15.75%
1920	2,404	69.56%	962	27.84%	90	2.60%
1916	1,731	48.20%	1,740	48.45%	120	3.34%
1912	387	17.39%	800	35.94%	1,039	46.68%
1908	1,257	53.38%	1,033	43.86%	65	2.76%
1904	1,431	67.88%	591	28.04%	86	4.08%
1900	1,240	54.55%	1,009	44.39%	24	1.06%
1896	1,051	46.75%	1,171	52.09%	26	1.16%
1892	863	42.72%	0	0.00%	1,157	57.28%
1888	1,027	54.34%	756	40.00%	107	5.66%

Laws

Geary 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. The food sales requirement was removed with voter approval in 1990.^[17]

The county voted "No" on the 2022 Kansas abortion referendum, an anti-abortion ballot measure, by 61% to 39% despite backing Donald Trump with 55% of the vote to Joe Biden's 41% in the 2020 presidential election.^[18]

Education

Unified school districts

Geary County USD 475

Communities

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Geary County.^[19]

Cities

Unincorporated community

‡ means a community has portions in an adjacent county. † means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

Fort Riley†‡ (formerly Fort Riley North)
Wreford

Ghost towns

Alida, razed when Milford Lake was built
Pawnee

Fort Riley

Located north of the junction of the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers, the Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres (407 km²) in Geary and Riley counties. The fort has a daytime population of nearly 25,000 and includes one census-designated place.

Townships

Geary County is divided into eight townships. The city of Junction City is considered governmentally independent and is excluded from the census figures for the townships. 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.

Township	FIPS	Population center	Population	Population density /km² (/sq mi)	Land area km² (sq mi)	Water area km² (sq mi)	Water %	Geographic coordinates
Blakely	07275		113	1 (3)	93 (36)	0 (0)	0.01%	38°54′32″N 96°45′9″W / 38.90889°N 96.75250°W / 38.90889; -96.75250
Jackson	34775		78	1 (2)	104 (40)	0 (0)	0%	39°1′25″N 96°33′42″W / 39.02361°N 96.56167°W / 39.02361; -96.56167
Jefferson	35200	Grandview Plaza	1,651	13 (35)	124 (48)	2 (1)	1.55%	39°1′53″N 96°46′53″W / 39.03139°N 96.78139°W / 39.03139; -96.78139
Liberty	40050		225	1 (3)	171 (66)	0 (0)	0.03%	38°54′53″N 96°36′8″W / 38.91472°N 96.60222°W / 38.91472; -96.60222
Lyon	43500		298	3 (7)	113 (43)	1 (1)	1.20%	38°55′17″N 96°52′3″W / 38.92139°N 96.86750°W / 38.92139; -96.86750
Milford	46550		1,583	16 (41)	101 (39)	28 (11)	21.49%	39°8′59″N 96°54′22″W / 39.14972°N 96.90611°W / 39.14972; -96.90611
Smoky Hill	66000		4,974	33 (86)	149 (58)	20 (8)	11.84%	39°2′14″N 96°53′58″W / 39.03722°N 96.89944°W / 39.03722; -96.89944
Wingfield	80025		139	1 (3)	123 (48)	0 (0)	0%	38°59′38″N 96°38′37″W / 38.99389°N 96.64361°W / 38.99389; -96.64361
Sources: "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files". U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. Archived from the original on August 2, 2002.