Wichita ( WITCH-ih-taw) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532, and the Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610. It is located in south-central Kansas along the Arkansas River.
Wichita began as a trading post on the Chisholm Trail in the 1860s and was incorporated as a city in 1870. It became a destination for cattle drives traveling north from Texas to Kansas railroads, earning it the nickname "Cowtown". In 1875, Wyatt Earp served as a police officer in Wichita for about one year before going to Dodge City.
In the 1920s...
| Ethnicity | Wichita | USA |
|---|---|---|
| White | 62.5% | 60.1% |
| African American | 10% | 12.2% |
| American Indian | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Asian | 4.8% | 5.6% |
| Hawaiian | 0% | 0.2% |
| Multiracial | 4.4% | 2.8% |
| Hispanic | 17.4% | 18.2% |
| Other | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| HOUSEHOLD INCOME | Wichita | USA |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $10,000 | 6.9% | 5.8% |
| $10,000 to $14,999 | 4.8% | 4.1% |
| $15,000 to $24,999 | 10% | 8.5% |
| $25,000 to $34,999 | 11% | 8.6% |
| $35,000 to $49,999 | 14.5% | 12.0% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 18.2% | 17.2% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 12.4% | 12.8% |
| $100,000 to $149,999 | 13.2% | 15.6% |
| $150,000 to $199,999 | 4.9% | 7.1% |
| Education | Wichita | USA |
|---|---|---|
| < 9th Grade | 5% | 5.0% |
| 9-12th Grade | 7% | 7.0% |
| High School or GED | 26% | 27.0% |
| Other College | 23% | 20.0% |
| Associate's Degree | 8% | 9% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 20% | 20.0% |
| Master's Degree | 8% | 9.0% |
| Professional Degree | 2% | 2.0% |
| Doctorate Degree | 1% | 1.0% |