# Hodgeman County, Kansas

Hodgeman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Jetmore. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 1,723. It was named for Amos Hodgman, a member of the 7th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry.

## History

In 1867, Hodgeman County was established and named for Amos Hodgman, member of the 7th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry. The letter E was later added to the namesake's name. The county was not formally organized until 1879.
The Homestead Act of 1862 drew many settlers to the region beginning in the spring of 1877, with only a small amount of wheat sown that year due to hail damage. Crop yields improved in 1878. The county initially had several competing towns vying to become the county seat, including Buckner (present-day Jetmore), which eventually won out. While many small towns, such as Kidderville and Milroy, had sprung up in the early years of the county, only Jetmore and Hanston survived as permanent settlements.
By the late 1870s, Hodgeman County had a population of approximately 1,500 people.

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 860 square miles (2,200 km$^2$), of which 0.3 square miles (0.78 km$^2$) (0.04%) is covered by water.

### Adjacent counties

* Ness County (north)
* Pawnee County (east)
* Edwards County (southeast)
* Ford County (south)
* Gray County (southwest)
* Finney County (west)

## Demographics

As of the census of 2000, 2,085 people, 796 households, and 581 families were residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile (0.77 people/km$^2$). The 945 housing units had an average density of 1 per square mile (0.39/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 97.31% White, 0.91% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.48% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.69% of the population.
Of the 796 households, 34.7% had children under 18 living with them, 65.1% were married couples living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were not families. About 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county, the age distribution was 29.0% under 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,994 and for a family was $39,358. Males had a median income of $27,568 versus $21,534 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,599. About 10.70% of families and 11.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.9% of those under 18 and 7.7% of those 65 or over.

## Government
### Presidential elections

Hodgeman County is a Republican stronghold. Only six Republican presidential candidates have failed to win the county from 1888 to the present, and no Democrat has to managed to win even a quarter of the county's votes since Michael Dukakis in 1988. The last Democrat to carry the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976.
United States presidential election results for Hodgeman County, Kansas :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 817 | 84.58% | 136 | 14.08% | 13 | 1.35% |
| 2020 | 875 | 83.73% | 154 | 14.74% | 16 | 1.53% |
| 2016 | 855 | 84.07% | 124 | 12.19% | 38 | 3.74% |
| 2012 | 868 | 81.89% | 179 | 16.89% | 13 | 1.23% |
| 2008 | 865 | 78.92% | 211 | 19.25% | 20 | 1.82% |
| 2004 | 953 | 80.56% | 223 | 18.85% | 7 | 0.59% |
| 2000 | 835 | 76.75% | 217 | 19.94% | 36 | 3.31% |
| 1996 | 808 | 69.42% | 251 | 21.56% | 105 | 9.02% |
| 1992 | 625 | 50.85% | 258 | 20.99% | 346 | 28.15% |
| 1988 | 732 | 60.40% | 439 | 36.22% | 41 | 3.38% |
| 1984 | 939 | 74.17% | 306 | 24.17% | 21 | 1.66% |
| 1980 | 831 | 66.16% | 339 | 26.99% | 86 | 6.85% |
| 1976 | 576 | 43.80% | 697 | 53.00% | 42 | 3.19% |
| 1972 | 853 | 68.40% | 331 | 26.54% | 63 | 5.05% |
| 1968 | 756 | 59.20% | 387 | 30.31% | 134 | 10.49% |
| 1964 | 607 | 42.33% | 821 | 57.25% | 6 | 0.42% |
| 1960 | 926 | 61.45% | 570 | 37.82% | 11 | 0.73% |
| 1956 | 1,113 | 71.62% | 435 | 27.99% | 6 | 0.39% |
| 1952 | 1,330 | 76.44% | 392 | 22.53% | 18 | 1.03% |
| 1948 | 945 | 60.77% | 590 | 37.94% | 20 | 1.29% |
| 1944 | 982 | 66.31% | 490 | 33.09% | 9 | 0.61% |
| 1940 | 1,092 | 60.87% | 690 | 38.46% | 12 | 0.67% |
| 1936 | 781 | 40.13% | 1,162 | 59.71% | 3 | 0.15% |
| 1932 | 847 | 45.56% | 988 | 53.15% | 24 | 1.29% |
| 1928 | 1,122 | 67.55% | 528 | 31.79% | 11 | 0.66% |
| 1924 | 899 | 60.66% | 367 | 24.76% | 216 | 14.57% |
| 1920 | 945 | 73.31% | 306 | 23.74% | 38 | 2.95% |
| 1916 | 564 | 37.45% | 761 | 50.53% | 181 | 12.02% |
| 1912 | 136 | 17.17% | 302 | 38.13% | 354 | 44.70% |
| 1908 | 411 | 57.08% | 290 | 40.28% | 19 | 2.64% |
| 1904 | 449 | 67.52% | 192 | 28.87% | 24 | 3.61% |
| 1900 | 323 | 56.27% | 245 | 42.68% | 6 | 1.05% |
| 1896 | 262 | 53.69% | 224 | 45.90% | 2 | 0.41% |
| 1892 | 363 | 61.21% | 0 | 0.00% | 230 | 38.79% |
| 1888 | 563 | 63.98% | 220 | 25.00% | 97 | 11.02% |

### Laws

Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained an alcohol-free, or "dry", county until 2004, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic beverages by the individual drink with a 30% food sales requirement.

## Education
### Unified school districts

* Hodgeman County USD 227

## Communities

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

### Cities

* Hanston
* Jetmore (county seat)

### Townships

Hodgeman County is divided into nine townships. None of the cities within the county is 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

At the beginning of the 1992 film Unforgiven, the protagonist William Munny, played by Clint Eastwood, is living in Hodgeman County and working as a pig farmer, while attempting to hide evidence of his violent past from all those around him.