# Greeley County, Kansas

Greeley County is a county located in western Kansas, in the Central United States. Its county seat and largest city is Tribune. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,284, making it the least populous county in Kansas. As of 2018, it is tied with Wallace County as the least densely populated county in the state. The county is named after Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, who encouraged western settlement with the motto "Go West, young man".

## History

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, and Kansas became the 34th U.S. state in 1861. In 1873, Greeley County was established. It was the last county in the state to be organized, which finally occurred in July 1888 after a lawsuit to stop organization on the basis of insufficient population was dismissed. Tribune was named the temporary county seat, defeating Horace in an election held that November.
Settlement in Greeley County was sparse until 1885, when the influx of settlers led to numerous town claims, with Horace, Tribune, and Reid among the settlements that boasted banks, newspapers, and basic amenities. The Missouri Pacific Railroad's arrival in 1887, with a depot at Tribune, facilitated further development. By 1910, the population had significantly increased, leading to the establishment of 13 school districts and a scattering of post offices including at Tribune, Horace, Hurt, Sidney, Thelma, and Youngville.

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 778 square miles (2,020 km$^2$), all of which is land. It is the largest of five United States counties and twelve (Virginia) independent cities that officially have no water area.
The county's landscape is predominantly prairie, with an elevation between 3,000 and 4,000 feet. White Woman Creek, the county's most notable watercourse, often runs dry.

### Adjacent counties

* Wallace County (north)
* Wichita County (east/Central Time border)
* Hamilton County (south)
* Prowers County, Colorado (southwest)
* Kiowa County, Colorado (west)
* Cheyenne County, Colorado (northwest)

## Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,534 people, 602 households, and 414 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile (0.77 people/km$^2$). There were 712 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile (0.39/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 93.09% White, 0.26% Native American, 0.20% Black or African American, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.07% Asian, 5.22% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.54% of the population.
There were 602 households, out of which 34.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.10% were married couples living together, 4.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 28.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.20% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 19.90% from 45 to 64, and 17.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,605, and the median income for a family was $45,625. Males had a median income of $29,018 versus $18,984 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,974. About 8.20% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.20% of those under age 18 and 6.80% of those age 65 or over.

## Government
### County

As of January 1, 2009, Greeley County and the City of Tribune have operated as a unified government. The resulting government consists of a five-member commission with two members elected by city residents, two by rural residents, and one at-large. Similar to Wyandotte County, the only other consolidated city-county in the state, part of the county was not included: Horace decided against consolidation.

### Presidential elections

This county is often carried by Republican candidates, as are most rural western Kansas counties. The last time a Democratic candidate won the county was in 1976, and a Democratic candidate has only won the county three times in its history: 1932 (Franklin D. Roosevelt), 1964 (Lyndon B. Johnson), and most recently in 1976 by Jimmy Carter.
United States presidential election results for Greeley County, Kansas :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 510 | 86.00% | 75 | 12.65% | 8 | 1.35% |
| 2020 | 549 | 85.65% | 78 | 12.17% | 14 | 2.18% |
| 2016 | 534 | 82.15% | 83 | 12.77% | 33 | 5.08% |
| 2012 | 543 | 81.04% | 113 | 16.87% | 14 | 2.09% |
| 2008 | 591 | 79.33% | 151 | 20.27% | 3 | 0.40% |
| 2004 | 584 | 79.46% | 138 | 18.78% | 13 | 1.77% |
| 2000 | 628 | 78.21% | 143 | 17.81% | 32 | 3.99% |
| 1996 | 567 | 71.95% | 161 | 20.43% | 60 | 7.61% |
| 1992 | 504 | 57.73% | 191 | 21.88% | 178 | 20.39% |
| 1988 | 506 | 59.32% | 317 | 37.16% | 30 | 3.52% |
| 1984 | 699 | 73.27% | 227 | 23.79% | 28 | 2.94% |
| 1980 | 600 | 63.36% | 235 | 24.82% | 112 | 11.83% |
| 1976 | 389 | 43.42% | 479 | 53.46% | 28 | 3.13% |
| 1972 | 639 | 68.49% | 212 | 22.72% | 82 | 8.79% |
| 1968 | 465 | 59.85% | 227 | 29.21% | 85 | 10.94% |
| 1964 | 388 | 44.80% | 469 | 54.16% | 9 | 1.04% |
| 1960 | 645 | 70.57% | 262 | 28.67% | 7 | 0.77% |
| 1956 | 599 | 77.09% | 174 | 22.39% | 4 | 0.51% |
| 1952 | 725 | 79.06% | 181 | 19.74% | 11 | 1.20% |
| 1948 | 391 | 53.34% | 326 | 44.47% | 16 | 2.18% |
| 1944 | 378 | 63.00% | 215 | 35.83% | 7 | 1.17% |
| 1940 | 497 | 64.55% | 268 | 34.81% | 5 | 0.65% |
| 1936 | 396 | 50.45% | 388 | 49.43% | 1 | 0.13% |
| 1932 | 359 | 42.64% | 440 | 52.26% | 43 | 5.11% |
| 1928 | 439 | 78.25% | 121 | 21.57% | 1 | 0.18% |
| 1924 | 357 | 64.21% | 75 | 13.49% | 124 | 22.30% |
| 1920 | 273 | 69.47% | 93 | 23.66% | 27 | 6.87% |
| 1916 | 210 | 43.57% | 168 | 34.85% | 104 | 21.58% |
| 1912 | 95 | 35.58% | 33 | 12.36% | 139 | 52.06% |
| 1908 | 206 | 64.58% | 89 | 27.90% | 24 | 7.52% |
| 1904 | 149 | 85.63% | 14 | 8.05% | 11 | 6.32% |
| 1900 | 118 | 75.64% | 36 | 23.08% | 2 | 1.28% |
| 1896 | 121 | 60.80% | 76 | 38.19% | 2 | 1.01% |
| 1892 | 241 | 67.89% | 0 | 0.00% | 114 | 32.11% |
| 1888 | 422 | 59.02% | 180 | 25.17% | 113 | 15.80% |

### Laws

The Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 to allow the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with the approval of voters. Greeley County remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 2008, when voters approved to allow sales of liquor by the drink.

## Education
### Unified school districts

* Greeley County USD 200

## Communities

List of townships / incorporated cities / unincorporated communities / extinct former communities within Greeley County.

### Cities

* Horace
* Tribune (county seat)

### Ghost Towns

* Astor
* Colokan
* Hector
* Walkinghood
* Whitelaw

### Townships

Greeley County was previously divided into three townships. However, in 1992, Colony Township and Harrison Township were merged into Tribune Township, leaving only one township for the county. This was not reported to the U.S. census until 2006, thus the 2000 census did not reflect the merger, but the 2010 census did.
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.

## In popular culture

Greeley County appears in several episodes of the television series Prison Break.