Anthony, Kansas

Anthony is a city in and the county seat of Harper County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,108. History The Anthony townsite was laid out in 1878. The city was named after the 7th governor of Kansas, George T. Anthony who was in office at the time. Following the reorganization of Harper County in 1878 following the original fraudulent organization in 1873, Anthony was designated the temporary county seat, as Bluff City, designated county seat of the fraudulent county organization, did not exist at the time. In 1879, a county seat election was held, and Anthony won over Harper City even though 2,960 ballots were cast with 800 legal voters in the county. Anthony existed at the intersection of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad and the Missouri Pacific Railway since at least 1891. Three additional railroads came through town by 1912: the Choctaw Northern Railroad (by then owned by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad), the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railroad and the Kansas Southwestern Railway (the latter two becoming part of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. However, rail abandonments began around 1986, leaving Anthony without any rail service by 2000. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.31 square miles (8.57 km2), of which 3.13 square miles (8.11 km2) is land and 0.18 square miles (0.47 km2) is water. Climate The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Anthony has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. Demographics 2020 census As of the 2020 census, Anthony had 2,108 people, 922 households, and 538 families. The population density was 654.3 per square mile (252.6/km2), and there were 1,217 housing units at an average density of 377.7 per square mile (145.8/km2). The median age was 41.7 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18, 7.4% were from 18 to 24, 22.6% were from 25 to 44, 24.3% were from 45 to 64, and 22.8% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males. Of those households, 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.1% were married-couple households, 20.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Of the housing units, 24.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 5.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 20.6%. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas. Demographic estimates The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.1. The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 11.7% of the population. Income and poverty The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $51,023 (with a margin of error of +/- $7,977) and the median family income was $54,779 (+/- $12,527). Males had a median income of $36,636 (+/- $3,235) versus $23,951 (+/- $2,661) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $31,958 (+/- $4,258). Approximately, 12.4% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.9% of those under the age of 18 and 15.9% of those ages 65 or over. 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 2,269 people, 977 households, and 631 families residing in the city. The population density was 724.9 inhabitants per square mile (279.9/km2). There were 1,217 housing units at an average density of 388.8 per square mile (150.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.0% White, 0.5% African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 1.5% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.0% of the population. There were 977 households, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.4% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.79. The median age in the city was 43.1 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 22.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female. Education The community is served by Chaparral USD 361 public school district. USD 361 was created through school unification that consolidated Anthony and Harper schools. Both Anthony and Harper have elementary schools. The district high school, Chaparral High School, is located halfway between the two towns. The Chaparral High School mascot is Roadrunners. Anthony High School was closed through school unification. The Anthony High School mascot was Pirates. Notable people Dennis Moore, Congressman, 3rd District Kansas 1999–2011, born in Anthony. Neal Patterson, American businessman who was CEO of Cerner Corporation (medical software company) Virgil A. Richard, United States Army general, was born in Anthony. Sidney Toler (1874–1947), actor, playwright, theatre director, comic actor in Broadway theatre, portrayed detective Charlie Chan in 22 films, appeared in supporting roles in 50 films References Further reading External links City of Anthony Attica - Directory of Public Officials Anthony Chamber of Commerce Archived October 24, 2019, at the Wayback Machine Anthony city map, KDOT