Kearny County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Lakin.^[2] As of the 2020 census, the county population was 3,983.^[1] The county is named in honor of Philip Kearny, a general during the American Civil War that died during the Battle of Chantilly.

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Kearny County
County
Kearny County Courthouse in Lakin (2015)
Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
Kansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°00′29″N 101°08′54″W
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	March 20, 1873
Named for	Philip Kearny
Seat	Lakin
Largest city	Lakin
Area
• Total	871 sq mi (2,260 km2)
• Land	871 sq mi (2,260 km2)
• Water	0.4 sq mi (1 km2)  0.05%
Population  (2020)[1]
• Total	3,983
• Density	4.6/sq mi (1.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	KearnyCountyKansas.com

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The original Kearney County was established on March 6, 1873, and was dissolved in 1883, with the land area being split between Hamilton and Finney counties. It was reestablished with its original borders in 1887, and organized on March 27, 1888. The county is named in honor of Philip Kearny,^[3] a U.S. Army officer in the Mexican–American War and a Union army general in the American Civil War. In 1889, the name was corrected to Kearny County.^[4]

Prior to settlement, Kearny County was unorganized territory that was entirely "cow country," undeveloped and with no agricultural activity except for cattlemen grazing their herds. The region was part of the vast open range found in the American West at that time.^[5]

In the mid-1880s, homesteaders began pouring into the area, initiating conflicts with the existing cattle ranching industry as they claimed land and fenced off the open range.^[5][6] Towns like Leeser, established in 1885, and Pierceville, est. 1886, were built to service the cattle industry, but disappeared as homesteading displaced the great cattle herds.^[6]

The arrival of homesteaders was seen as both an opportunity for development but also a threat to the cattle industry's way of life, with numerous allegations of ranchers trying to drive settlers out by destroying crops and setting prairie fires appearing in local newspapers.^[5]

In the 1930s, the prosperity of the area was severely affected by its location within the Dust Bowl. This catastrophe intensified the economic impact of the Great Depression in the region.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 871 square miles (2,260 km²), of which 871 square miles (2,260 km²) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) (0.05%) is water.^[7]

Kearny County is included in the Garden City, KS Micropolitan Statistical Area.

As of the 2000 census,^[14] there were 4,531 people, 1,542 households, and 1,199 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile (1.9 people/km²). There were 1,657 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (0.77/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 80.34% White, 0.55% Black or African American, 0.86% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 15.71% from other races, and 2.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.55% of the population.

There were 1,542 households, out of which 43.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.10% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.20% were non-families. 20.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.35.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 34.30% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 27.10% from 25 to 44, 19.20% from 45 to 64, and 11.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 104.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,149, and the median income for a family was $43,703. Males had a median income of $30,117 versus $20,179 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,708. About 8.40% of families and 11.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.90% of those under age 18 and 4.80% of those age 65 or over.

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Kearny County.^[17]

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