Ness City is a city in and the county seat of Ness County, Kansas, United States.[1] As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,329.[3] Ness City is famous for its four-story Old Ness County Bank Building located downtown, and nicknamed Skyscraper of the Plains.

Ness City, Kansas
City and county seat
Ness County Bank building (2013)
Location within Ness County and Kansas
KDOT map of Ness County (legend)
Coordinates: 38°27′8″N 99°54′22″W[1]
Country	United States
State	Kansas
County	Ness
Founded	1878
Incorporated	1886
Named for	Corporal Noah Ness
Area [2]
• Total	1.46 sq mi (3.77 km2)
• Land	1.46 sq mi (3.77 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [1]	2,251 ft (686 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Total	1,329
• Density	910/sq mi (350/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	67560
Area code	785
FIPS code	20-49925 [1]
GNIS ID	475581 [1]
Website	City Website

History

Ness City was founded in 1878.[4] The town experienced growth with the arrival of the railroad in 1886.[5]

Geography

Ness City is located at 38°27′8″N 99°54′22″W (38.452250, -99.905989).[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.02 square miles (2.64 km²), all land.[7]

Climate

Ness City has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa), with hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. On average, January is the coldest month, and July is both the hottest month and the wettest month.[8]

Rainfall, although sometimes scarce, is high enough to avoid an semi-arid steppe climate. Ness City receives 22.29 inches (566 mm) of precipitation during an average year.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census[9] of 2010, there were 1,449 people, 635 households, and 392 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,420.6 inhabitants per square mile (548.5/km²). There were 739 housing units at an average density of 724.5 per square mile (279.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.0% White, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.9% of the population.

There were 635 households, of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.3% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.85.

The median age in the city was 47.5 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.7% were from 45 to 64; and 25.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

2000 census

As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 1,534 people, 684 households, and 424 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,495.7 people per square mile (575.0/km²). There were 800 housing units at an average density of 780.0 per square mile (299.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.72% White, 0.07% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.59% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.28% of the population.

There were 684 households, out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.0% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.4% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 25.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,068, and the median income for a family was $42,500. Males had a median income of $28,992 versus $18,553 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,481. About 5.1% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

References

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ness City, Kansas.

• City of Ness City
• Ness City - Directory of Public Officials
• USD 303, local school district
• Sacred Heart Catholic School, local Catholic school, grades PreK-8
• Ness city map, KDOT