Morton County is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 3,233. The largest city and county seat is Elkhart.
In the 1930s, the prosperity of the area was severely affected by its location within the Dust Bowl. This catastrophe intensified the economic impact of the Great Depression in the region. In 1961, the county seat was moved from Richfield to Elkhart.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The county is the location of the 8 Mile Cornertripoint, where Kansas borders Colorado and Oklahoma.
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,496 people, 1,306 households, and 961 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile. There were 1,519 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 88.39% White, 0.20% Black or African American, 1.14% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 7.52% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. 14.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 1,306 households out of which 36.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.20% were married couplesliving together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.40% were non-families. 24.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.15. In the county, the population was spread out with 29.30% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 27.20% from 25 to 44, 21.50% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $37,232, and the median income for a family was $43,494. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $19,474 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,076. About 8.50% of families and 10.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.00% of those under age 18 and 5.20% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Morton County is usually won by the Republican candidate for President. Jimmy Carter almost carried the county in 1976, but Gerald Ford eventually won by.2%. The last time a Democrat won Morton County was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.
Presidential elections
Laws
Although the Kansas Constitution was amended in 1986 to allow the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with the approval of voters, Morton County has remained a prohibition, or "dry", county.
Morton County is divided into six 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 included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.
