Barber County, Kansas

**Barber County** (county code **BA**) is a county in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Kansas. In 2020, 4,228 people lived there. The county seat is Medicine Lodge. Medicine Lodge is also the biggest city in Barber County.  Barber County was named after Thomas W. Barber (born 22 February 1814), an abolitionist martyr who was killed in Douglas County on 6 December 1855, during the Wakarusa War.

## Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that the county has a total area of . Of that,  is land and  (0.2%) is water.

### Major highways

Sources: National Atlas, U.S. Census Bureau
- U.S. Route 160
- U.S. Route 281
- Kansas Highway 2

## Government

This county has generally voted Republican in recent elections. The last time a democratic candidate has carried this county was in 1964.

### Presidential elections

|Year|Republican|Democratic|Third Parties|||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|**2024**|style="text-align:center;"|**85.4%** _1,854_|style="text-align:center;"|13.3% _288_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.3% _28_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2020**|style="text-align:center;"|**86.0%** _2,014_|style="text-align:center;"|12.4% _291_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.6% _37_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2016**|style="text-align:center;"|**81.8%** _1,850_|style="text-align:center;"|12.7% _286_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.5% _125_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2012**|style="text-align:center;"|**76.6%** _1,772_|style="text-align:center;"|20.8% _482_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.6% _60_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2008**|style="text-align:center;"|**74.5%** _1,833_|style="text-align:center;"|24.3% _598_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.3% _31_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2004**|style="text-align:center;"|**74.2%** _1,782_|style="text-align:center;"|24.5% _588_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% _33_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**2000**|style="text-align:center;"|**70.3%** _1,755_|style="text-align:center;"|25.5% _637_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.2% _106_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1996**|style="text-align:center;"|**62.2%** _1,696_|style="text-align:center;"|26.8% _730_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|11.1% _303_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1992**|style="text-align:center;"|**42.5%** _1,225_|style="text-align:center;"|26.4% _759_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|31.1% _897_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1988**|style="text-align:center;"|**56.9%** _1,539_|style="text-align:center;"|41.3% _1,118_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.8% _49_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1984**|style="text-align:center;"|**71.8%** _2,112_|style="text-align:center;"|27.4% _806_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.8% _22_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1980**|style="text-align:center;"|**62.5%** _1,872_|style="text-align:center;"|30.5% _914_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.0% _208_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1976**|style="text-align:center;"|**50.4%** _1,568_|style="text-align:center;"|48.1% _1,494_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.5% _47_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1972**|style="text-align:center;"|**74.3%** _2,308_|style="text-align:center;"|23.4% _727_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.4% _73_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1968**|style="text-align:center;"|**60.6%** _2,023_|style="text-align:center;"|30.7% _1,027_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.7% _291_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1964**|style="text-align:center;"|48.5% _1,758_|style="text-align:center;"|**50.9%** _1,845_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.6% _21_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1960**|style="text-align:center;"|**66.5%** _2,703_|style="text-align:center;"|33.1% _1,347_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.4% _16_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1956**|style="text-align:center;"|**68.3%** _2,698_|style="text-align:center;"|31.4% _1,241_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.3% _10_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1952**|style="text-align:center;"|**74.1%** _3,071_|style="text-align:center;"|24.8% _1,028_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.1% _46_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1948**|style="text-align:center;"|**50.9%** _2,013_|style="text-align:center;"|47.8% _1,891_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.2% _49_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1944**|style="text-align:center;"|**58.3%** _2,140_|style="text-align:center;"|40.9% _1,501_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.8% _31_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1940**|style="text-align:center;"|**52.8%** _2,389_|style="text-align:center;"|45.9% _2,074_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.3% _58_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1936**|style="text-align:center;"|39.4% _1,816_|style="text-align:center;"|**60.2%** _2,774_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.4% _18_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1932**|style="text-align:center;"|40.9% _1,671_|style="text-align:center;"|**56.8%** _2,321_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.4% _96_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1928**|style="text-align:center;"|**76.4%** _2,984_|style="text-align:center;"|22.3% _871_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.3% _49_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1924**|style="text-align:center;"|**58.3%** _2,218_|style="text-align:center;"|23.9% _909_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|17.9% _681_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1920**|style="text-align:center;"|**66.5%** _2,400_|style="text-align:center;"|30.4% _1,098_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.2% _114_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1916**|style="text-align:center;"|41.0% _1,632_|style="text-align:center;"|**51.7%** _2,061_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.3% _290_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1912**|style="text-align:center;"|12.7% _295_|style="text-align:center;"|38.1% _883_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|**49.2%** _1,139_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1908**|style="text-align:center;"|**53.7%** _1,097_|style="text-align:center;"|42.3% _864_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.0% _81_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1904**|style="text-align:center;"|**58.3%** _967_|style="text-align:center;"|34.1% _566_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.6% _126_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1900**|style="text-align:center;"|**51.2%** _862_|style="text-align:center;"|46.5% _783_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.4% _40_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1896**|style="text-align:center;"|44.5% _597_|style="text-align:center;"|**54.3%** _729_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.3% _17_|
|style="text-align:center;"|**1892**|style="text-align:center;"|37.8% _883_||style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|**62.2%** _1,456_||
|style="text-align:center;"|**1888**|style="text-align:center;"|**48.8%** _977_|style="text-align:center;"|35.5% _710_|style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|15.7% _315_|

### Unified school districts

- Barber County North USD 254
- South Barber County USD 255

### Cities

- Hardtner
- Hazelton
- Isabel
- Kiowa
- Medicine Lodge
- Sharon
- Sun City

## More reading

- _Chosen Land: A History of Barber County, Kansas_; The Barber County History Committee; Taylor Printing; 1980.
- _Standard Atlas of Barber County, Kansas_; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 76 pages; 1923.
- _Standard Atlas of Barber County, Kansas_; Geo. A. Ogle & Co; 64 pages; 1905.

## Other websites

- County
- Barber County - Development
- Grave of abolitionist martyr Thomas W. Barber, for whom Barber County is named  at FindAGrave.com
- Maps
- Barber County Maps: Current , Historic , KDOT
- Kansas Highway Maps: Current , Historic , KDOT
- Kansas Railroad Maps: Current , 1996, 1915, KDOT and Kansas Historical Society

## Infobox (u.s. county)

- **county**: Barber County
- **state**: Kansas
- **type**: County (United States), County
- **ex image**: Carry Nation house and Stockade Museum from N 1.jpg
- **ex image size**: 250px
- **ex image cap**: Medicine Lodge Stockade Museum (left) and Carry A. Nation house (right) in Medicine Lodge, Kansas, Medicine Lodge
- **founded**: February 26, 1867
- **named for**: Thomas W. Barber
- **seat wl**: Medicine Lodge
- **largest city wl**: Medicine Lodge
- **area total sq mi**: 1136
- **area land sq mi**: 1134
- **area water sq mi**: 2.1
- **area percentage**: 0.2%
- **population as of**: 2020
- **population total**: 4228
- **population density sq mi**: 3.7
- **area codes**: Area code 620, 620
- **district**: 4th
- **time zone**: Central