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Rawlins County
Rawlins County
County
	Rawlins County Courthouse in Atwood (2010)
	Location within the U.S. state of Kansas
	Kansas's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 39°48′N 101°06′W / 39.800°N 101.100°W
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Founded	March 20, 1873
Named for	John Aaron Rawlins
Seat	Atwood
Largest city	Atwood
Area
• Total	1,070 sq mi (2,800 km2)
• Land	1,069 sq mi (2,770 km2)
• Water	0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2) 0.01%
Population (2020)
• Total	2,561
• Density	2.4/sq mi (0.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code	785
Congressional district	1st
Website	County Website

Rawlins County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and largest city is Atwood.^[2] As of the 2020 census, the county population was 2,561.^[1] It was named after John Rawlins, a general in the American Civil War.

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. In 1873, Rawlins County was established.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,070 square miles (2,800 km²), of which 1,069 square miles (2,770 km²) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km²) (0.1%) is water.^[3]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Hitchcock County, Nebraska (north)
Red Willow County, Nebraska (northeast)
Decatur County (east)
Thomas County (south)
Sherman County (southwest/Mountain Time border)
Cheyenne County (west)
Dundy County, Nebraska (northwest/Mountain Time border)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	1,623		—
1890	6,756		316.3%
1900	5,241		−22.4%
1910	6,380		21.7%
1920	6,799		6.6%
1930	7,362		8.3%
1940	6,618		−10.1%
1950	5,728		−13.4%
1960	5,279		−7.8%
1970	4,393		−16.8%
1980	4,105		−6.6%
1990	3,404		−17.1%
2000	2,966		−12.9%
2010	2,519		−15.1%
2020	2,561		1.7%
2023 (est.)	2,463	^[4]	−3.8%
U.S. Decennial Census^[5] 1790-1960^[6] 1900-1990^[7] 1990-2000^[8] 2010-2020^[1]

As of the census^[9] of 2000, there were 2,966 people, 1,269 households, and 846 families residing in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile (1.2 people/km²). There were 1,565 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (0.77/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.52% White, 0.30% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,269 households, out of which 27.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.50% were married couples living together, 4.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.30% were non-families. 31.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.00% under the age of 18, 3.80% from 18 to 24, 21.50% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 25.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 99.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $32,105, and the median income for a family was $40,074. Males had a median income of $26,719 versus $19,750 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,161. About 7.90% of families and 12.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.00% of those under age 18 and 8.90% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Presidential elections

Presidential election results

United States presidential election results for Rawlins County, Kansas^[10]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	1,186	84.77%	173	12.37%	40	2.86%
2020	1,261	83.84%	214	14.23%	29	1.93%
2016	1,220	82.88%	163	11.07%	89	6.05%
2012	1,223	84.70%	190	13.16%	31	2.15%
2008	1,247	80.50%	273	17.62%	29	1.87%
2004	1,414	82.21%	289	16.80%	17	0.99%
2000	1,349	77.53%	306	17.59%	85	4.89%
1996	1,393	73.78%	335	17.74%	160	8.47%
1992	1,023	52.87%	393	20.31%	519	26.82%
1988	1,318	66.46%	612	30.86%	53	2.67%
1984	1,625	78.05%	412	19.79%	45	2.16%
1980	1,524	73.41%	427	20.57%	125	6.02%
1976	1,148	53.87%	903	42.37%	80	3.75%
1972	1,553	70.46%	560	25.41%	91	4.13%
1968	1,438	65.90%	553	25.34%	191	8.75%
1964	1,292	57.14%	959	42.41%	10	0.44%
1960	1,560	61.73%	951	37.63%	16	0.63%
1956	1,668	69.88%	711	29.79%	8	0.34%
1952	2,120	75.82%	670	23.96%	6	0.21%
1948	1,389	55.08%	1,095	43.42%	38	1.51%
1944	1,569	61.72%	955	37.57%	18	0.71%
1940	1,758	58.02%	1,247	41.16%	25	0.83%
1936	1,364	40.07%	2,029	59.61%	11	0.32%
1932	1,064	31.08%	2,245	65.59%	114	3.33%
1928	1,668	57.78%	1,164	40.32%	55	1.91%
1924	1,213	45.79%	742	28.01%	694	26.20%
1920	1,236	64.81%	495	25.96%	176	9.23%
1916	803	35.05%	1,271	55.48%	217	9.47%
1912	220	16.63%	568	42.93%	535	40.44%
1908	719	47.36%	732	48.22%	67	4.41%
1904	749	61.14%	405	33.06%	71	5.80%
1900	577	45.90%	668	53.14%	12	0.95%
1896	439	41.77%	609	57.94%	3	0.29%
1892	592	43.79%	0	0.00%	760	56.21%
1888	1,023	57.31%	633	35.46%	129	7.23%

The county is part of the highly Republican Kansas's 1st congressional district. It has favored the Republican candidate for president in each of the last eighteen elections. The last Democrat to carry the county was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936, when the GOP standard bearer was Kansas Governor Alf Landon.^[11] As of 2024, Bill Clinton in 1992 remains the last Democratic nominee to exceed even 20% of the county's vote.

Law

Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 2002, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.^[12]

Education

Unified school districts

Rawlins County USD 105

Communities

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Rawlins County.^[13]
† means a community is designated a Census-Designated Place (CDP) by the United States Census Bureau.

Cities

Atwood (county seat)
Herndon
McDonald

Unincorporated communities

Blakeman
Ludell†

Ghost towns

Townships

Rawlins County is divided into ten 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.

Sources: 2000 U.S. Gazetteer from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Township	FIPS	Population	Population density /km² (/sq mi)	Land area km² (sq mi)	Water %	Geographic coordinates
Achilles	00175	83	1 (2)	132 (51)	0.02%	39°42′13″N 100°48′38″W / 39.70361°N 100.81056°W / 39.70361; -100.81056
Atwood	03175	1,330	74 (192)	18 (7)	0.88%	39°48′38″N 101°2′34″W / 39.81056°N 101.04278°W / 39.81056; -101.04278
Center	12037	363	1 (1)	690 (266)	0%	39°43′11″N 101°3′56″W / 39.71972°N 101.06556°W / 39.71972; -101.06556
Driftwood	18675	84	0 (1)	185 (72)	0%	39°57′56″N 101°4′59″W / 39.96556°N 101.08306°W / 39.96556; -101.08306
Herl	31462	386	1 (2)	491 (190)	0%	39°49′24″N 100°49′54″W / 39.82333°N 100.83167°W / 39.82333; -100.83167
Jefferson	35300	34	0 (1)	124 (48)	0.04%	39°36′42″N 100°48′31″W / 39.61167°N 100.80861°W / 39.61167; -100.80861
Ludell	43200	136	1 (4)	92 (35)	0.01%	39°51′30″N 100°57′1″W / 39.85833°N 100.95028°W / 39.85833; -100.95028
Mirage	47175	43	0 (1)	185 (71)	0%	39°38′53″N 101°14′2″W / 39.64806°N 101.23389°W / 39.64806; -101.23389
Rocewood	60362	448	1 (2)	742 (287)	0%	39°48′17″N 101°18′59″W / 39.80472°N 101.31639°W / 39.80472; -101.31639
Union	72275	59	1 (1)	111 (43)	0%	39°46′51″N 100°53′55″W / 39.78083°N 100.89861°W / 39.78083; -100.89861