Kansas Information and Facts

Official Website: http://www.accesskansas.org/

Income

The population of Kansas in 2002 was 2,711,769. Its rank was 32nd in the nation. (The District of Columbia is included for ranking purposes.)

Per Capita Personal Income

In 2002 Kansas had a per capita personal income of $28,905. This per capita personal income ranked 28th in the United States and was 94 percent of the national average, $30,906. The 2002 per capita personal income reflected an increase of 1.5 percent from 2001. The 2001-2002 national change was 1.2 percent. In 1992 the per capita personal income of Kansas was $19,692 and ranked 23rd in the United States. The 1992-2002 average annual growth rate of per capita personal income was 3.9 percent. The average annual growth rate for the nation was 4.0 percent.

Total Personal Income

In 2002 Kansas had a total personal income of $78,382,455. This total personal income ranked 31st in the United States. In 1992 the total personal income of Kansas was $49,867,423 and ranked 31st in the United States. The 2002 total personal income reflected an increase of 1.9 percent from 2001. The 2001-2002 national change was 2.3 percent. The 1992-2002 average annual growth rate of total personal income was 4.6 percent. The average annual growth rate for the nation was 5.2 percent.

Components of Personal Income

Total personal income includes net earnings by place of residence; dividends, interest, and rent; and total personal current transfer receipts received by the residents of Kansas. In 2002 net earnings accounted for 67.6 percent of total personal income (compared with 67.3 in 1992); dividends, interest, and rent were 18.1 percent (compared with 19.3 in 1992); and personal current transfer receipts were 14.4 percent (compared with 13.4 in 1992). From 2001 to 2002 net earnings increased 1.1 percent; dividends, interest, and rent increased 0.4 percent; and personal current transfer receipts increased 8.1 percent. From 1992 to 2002 net earnings increased on average 4.7 percent each year; dividends, interest, and rent increased on average 3.9 percent; and personal current transfer receipts increased on average 5.4 percent.

Employment Earnings

Earnings of persons employed in Kansas increased from $57,944,902 in 2001 to $58,729,222 in 2002, an increase of 1.4 percent. The 2001-2002 national change was 1.5 percent. The average annual growth rate from the 1992 estimate of $36,757,162 to the 2002 estimate was 4.8 percent. The average annual growth rate for the nation was 5.3 percent.

Area - Kansas ranks 15th among the states in size. It has a total area of 213,110 sq km (82,282 sq mi), including 1189 sq km (459 sq mi) of inland water. The state is rectangular in shape, except for a small section in the northeast where it is bounded by the Missouri River. It measures 661 km (411 mi) from east to west and 335 km (208 mi) from north to south. The surface of Kansas can, in a very broad sense, be described as a plain. However, it is neither entirely flat nor entirely level, and minor variations in relief are conspicuous. The state's surface elevation increases gradually from east to west, rising from a minimum elevation of 207 m (679 ft) above sea level in the Verdigris River valley to 1231 m (4039 ft) at Mount Sunflower, the highest point in the state. The approximate mean elevation is 610 m (2000 ft). Hills, ridges, and wooded river valleys abound in eastern and central Kansas. Farther west they give way to the flatter, generally treeless High Plains, which are frequently but inaccurately thought of as characteristic of the entire state.

Climate - The climate of Kansas is warm to hot during summer and cool to cold in winter. Although there is a large difference between summer and winter temperatures, during each season of the year temperatures do not vary greatly from place to place. In winter the prevailing winds are from the north. In summer they are from the south or southwest. Average January temperatures range from about 1° C (about 34° F) in the southeastern part of the state to between -3° and -2° C (26° and 28° F) in northern Kansas. The average January temperature at Topeka is about -2° C (about 28° F). Throughout the state, daytime lows in the lower -20°s C (below 0° F) sometimes occur in winter, and lows of -34° C (-30° F), although infrequent, have been recorded. Average July temperatures range from below 24° C (76° F) in northwestern Kansas to above 27° C (80° F) in sections of central and southern Kansas. The average July temperature at Topeka is about 26° C (about 78° F). Throughout the state, daytime highs are often in the lower 30°s C (lower 90°s F), and extreme summer temperatures in the lower 40°s C (upper 100°s F) have been recorded in most areas. Precipitation (rainfall and snowfall) diminishes from east to west, ranging from between 860 and 1020 mm (34 and 40 in) in the east to between 410 and 510 mm (16 and 20 in) in the west. The eastern third of Kansas, the wettest part of the state, usually receives more than 760 mm (30 in) of precipitation. However, precipitation is extremely variable from year to year and, to a lesser extent, from place to place. In each decade, cycles of comparatively wet years alternate with cycles of dry years. In dry years drought conditions vary in severity and extent, but they are more common in the western part of the state than elsewhere. During the most severe droughts the combination of hot rainless days and high winds create dust-bowl conditions in western Kansas and in other parts of the Great Plains. Most of the annual precipitation in Kansas falls as rain, occurring mainly during the period from April through August, when it is most needed for growing crops. However, it is often in the form of heavy thundershowers or hailstorms, which can damage crops. In winter, precipitation is generally light and usually in the form of snow. Blizzard conditions occur when the snow is accompanied by strong winds. Tornadoes, which are violent windstorms, occur with some regularity in Kansas, usually in the spring.

State Flag

State Flower - Sunflower

State Capitol - Topeka
The present constitution of Kansas was approved by the electorate in 1859, about 16 months before the state entered the Union. Proposed amendments to the constitution must be approved by two-thirds of the state legislature or by a constitutional convention. To become effective they must be approved by a majority of the electorate voting on the amendment in a general election.

Famous People

Amelia Earhart aviator, Atchison
Barry Sanders football player, Wichita
Bob Dole politician, Russell
Buster Keaton comedian, Piqua
Carl A. Hatch politician, Kirwin
Charles Buddy Rogers actor, Olathe
Clarence D. Batchelor political cartoonist, Osage City
Clark M. Clifford secretary of defense, Fort Scott
Damon Runyon journalist, Manhattan
Dennis Hopper actor, Dodge City
Edgar Lee Masters poet, Garnett
Emmett Kelly clown, Sedan
Eugene W. Smith photojournalist, Wichita
Gordon Parks film director, Fort Scott
Gwendolyn Brooks poet, Topeka
Harold Lloyd actor, Burchard
Hattie McDaniel actress, Wichita
John Cameron Swayze news commentator, Atchison
John Steuart Curry painter, Dunavant
Milton S. Eisenhower educator, Abilene
Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle actor, Smith Center
Stan Kenton jazz musician, Wichita
Walter Johnson baseball pitcher, Humboldt
Walter P. Chrysler auto manufacturer, Wamego
William C. Menninger psychiatrist, Topeka
William E. Stafford poet, Hutchinson
William Inge playwright, Independence
Zasu Pitts actress, Parsons
Vivan Vance actress, Cherryvale
William Allen White journalist, Emporia