Wabaunsee County

In 1848 Chief Wabaunsee relocated his tribe from Iowa to the plains of Kansas. The chiefs tribe settled on the Pottawatomie Reservation which is located in the northeast portion of what is now Wabaunsee County. In 1855 William Richardson of Illinois posed a bill to the House of Representatives for Kansas and Nebraska to be “slave free” territories. The land was later renamed after Chief Wabaunsee. In 1856 Charles B. Lines led a group of abolitionists from Connecticut. The group of abolitionists was named the “Beecher Rifle Company.” The company headed west to expand into the new frontier. In March of 1859 an election was held for commissioners. The commissioners then divided the county into four townships - Alma, Wabaunsee, Mission Creek, and Wilmington. In 1861 the “Underground Railroad” was successfully established in Wabaunsee County. The county contained two”stations”, one in Wabaunsee and one in Mission Creek. The Mission Creek provided safe passage to Fremont County, Iowa. Wabaunsee County contains one of the oldest cemeteries where sixty civil war veterans and abolitionists are buried.

Wabaunsee County contains many different communities. These communities include Alta Vista, Eskridge, Alma, Maple Hill, McFarland, Paxico and more.

The population in Wabaunsee County has fluctuated over the past century. From 1910 to 2010 Wabaunsee County saw an overall decrease in the population. There was an average decrease of 4.9 percent. Between 1980 to 2010 there was a 2.7 percent increase. 

In rural areas it is very common to see a large percent of the population to be over 60 years old. Between 2000 to 2015 there was a loss in population between the ages of 19 and under by 6 percent. The median age for Wabaunsee County is 42.1 which is 6 years above the Kansas average.

This is showing the age information from 2015. The chart here is taken from the Wabaunsee County Comprehensive Plan. The plan highlights information on age from 2015. The pie chart above shows information on age from 2019-2020

Per Capita Income: $27,876

Wabaunsee County had a 5.7 percent poverty rate in 2018.

Children Under 18 - Poverty: 6%

Children Under 18 - Non-Poverty: 94%

Between 2000 and 2015 the number of housing units increased by 208 units. Within the county there has been a decrease in the number of renter occupied units by 16 percent and an increase in vacant housing units by 43 percent in recent years. Wabaunsee's cost of living is 10.7% higher than the U.S. average.

Median Income: $80,625

Median Home Price: $327,900

Median Gross Rent: $699

Housing Units: 3,294

• Management: 0.97
• Professional: 0.92
• Healthcare: 0.72
• Protective Services: 0.71
• Food Preparation: 0.64
• Building & Grounds: 0.72
• Personal Care: 0.99
• Sales: 0.94
• Office: 1.15
• Farming, Fishing & Forestry: 1.43
• Construction: 1.69
• Production: 0.98
• Transportation: 0.93

County Name: Wabaunsee

State FIPS: 20

State Name: Kansas

Primary and Commercial Airports: 0

Non-Commercial -Civil Public Use Airports and Seaplane base: 0

Number of Bridges: 244

% of Poor Condition Bridges: 0.098360656

Number of business establishments: 133

Percent of resident workers who commute by transit: 0.004504505

Number of resident workers who work at home: 265

Number of workers from other counties who commute to work in the county: 2,280

Number of resident workers who commute to work in other counties: 2,208

Number of resident workers who commute within county: 1,055

Number of resident workers: 3,330

Number of residents: 6,960

Route miles of freight railroad: 36.7

% of Medium to Fair Condition Bridges: 0.901639344

• Drove alone: 75%
• Carpooled: 12%
• Walked: 4%
• Other: 1%
• Worked at Home: 8%



37,305 estimated daily vehicles in the county

Wabaunsee County contains multiple trails, parks, and recreational options.

Trails: Flint Hills Gravel Route & Echo Cliff Nature Trails

On the comprehensive plan Wabaunsee County contains 8 city parks. Examples include Alma City Park, Harveyville Park, and more.

AWabaunsee also houses 3 major parks. Those are Mount Mitchell Heritage Prairie, Echo Cliff Park, and Lake Wabaunsee.

Also stated on the Comprehensive plan Wabaunsee County contains a golf course, nature reserves, cultural features, museums, and multiple historic sites.

Wabaunsee County, Kansas gets 36 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Wabaunsee County averages 17 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 211 sunny days per year in Wabaunsee County. The US average is 205 sunny days.