Grant County, Kansas

Early Day Settlements

• "Old" Ulysses, subsequently moved to New Ulysses in 1909^[4]
• Surprise-Tilden^[4]
• Cincinnati-Appomattox^[4]
• Shockey (Shockeyville)^[4]
• Golden^[4]
• Zionville^[4]
• Lawson^[4]
• Waterford^[4]
• Gognac^[4]
• Spurgeon^[4]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 160
• Kansas Highway 25

Adjacent counties

• Kearny County (north)
• Finney County (northeast)
• Haskell County (east)
• Stevens County (south)
• Stanton County (west)
• Hamilton County (northwest)

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 7,352. The median age was 34.1 years; 29.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.4 males age 18 and over.^[11]

79.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 20.2% lived in rural areas.^[12]

The racial makeup of the county was 57.4% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 2.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 20.5% from some other race, and 19.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 52.5% of the population.^[13]

There were 2,621 households in the county, of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[11]

There were 2,930 housing units, of which 10.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.1% were owner-occupied and 27.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.6%.^[11]

2000 census

As of the 2000 census,^[14] there were 7,909 people, 2,742 households, and 2,097 families residing in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile (5.4 people/km²). There were 3,027 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (1.9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 77.00% White, 0.86% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.21% Black or African American, 19.46% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.67% of the population.

There were 2,742 households, out of which 43.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.40% were married couples living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.50% were non-families. 21.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 32.80% under the age of 18, 8.70% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 20.20% from 45 to 64, and 9.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 100.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,854, and the median income for a family was $44,914. Males had a median income of $34,464 versus $22,000 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,072. About 6.50% of families and 10.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.60% of those under age 18 and 7.50% of those age 65 or over.

Presidential elections

Grant County, in common with the rest of rural Kansas, votes predominantly Republican at the presidential level. In 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson was the last Democrat to win the county, and Jimmy Carter narrowly lost the county in 1976. Michael Dukakis (as of 2024) is the last Democrat to win more than a quarter of the county's vote.

Laws

Grant 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.^[16]

Unified school districts

• Ulysses USD 214

City

• Ulysses (county seat)

Unincorporated communities

• Hickok
• Ryus
• Stano
• Sullivans Tracks

Townships

Grant County is divided into three 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.