Ford County, Kansas

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,099 square miles (2,850 km²), of which 1,098 square miles (2,840 km²) is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) (0.07%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics

The Dodge City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Ford County.

As of the U.S. Census in 2000, there were 32,458 people, 10,852 households, and 7,856 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile (11/km²). There were 11,650 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile (4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.85% White, 1.62% Black or African American, 0.63% Native American, 2.05% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 18.17% from other races, and 2.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 37.68% of the population.

There were 10,852 households out of which 40.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.60% were non-families. 22.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.42.

In the county, the population was spread out with 31.10% under the age of 18, 11.20% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 17.30% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 107.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $37,860, and the median income for a family was $42,734. Males had a median income of $27,189 versus $22,165 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,721. About 9.90% of families and 12.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.40% of those under age 18 and 8.40% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

Ford 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.

Unified school districts

Colleges

Cities

Census-designated places

Townships

Ford County is divided into fourteen townships. The city of Dodge 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.

Notable people

Numerous figures of the American Old West lived in Dodge City during its period as a frontier cowtown. These included, most notably, lawmen Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson as well as gunfighter Doc Holliday.