Harper is a city in Harper County,

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,313.

History

Harper was founded in 1877 by a colony from Iowa. The city of Harper, like Harper County, is named for Sergeant Marion Harper of the 2nd Kansas Cavalry, who fell in the (American) Civil War. Harper was incorporated as a city in 1880. The first post office in Harper was established in May 1877 as Cora City, but in June of that year, the post office was renamed Harper.

Geography

Harper is located at (37.285252, -98.026615). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , all of it land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 1,473 people, 624 households, and 385 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 742 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.3% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.5%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 4.8% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 10.0% of the population. There were 624 households, of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.3% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age in the city was 40.3 years. 25.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.1% were from 45 to 64; and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.2% male and 49.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,567 people, 675 households, and 417 families living in the city. The

was 1,219.0 people per square mile (469.0/km²). There were 787 housing units at an average density of 612.2 per square mile (235.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.57%

, 0.13%

, 0.64% Native American, 0.57% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population. There were 675 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were

living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.98. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,272, and the median income for a family was $40,761. Males had a median income of $29,583 versus $19,779 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $16,543. About 6.9% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 11.0% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The community is served by

Chaparral USD 361 Chaparral USD 361 is a public unified school district headquartered in Anthony, Kansas, United States. The district includes the communities of Anthony, Harper, Bluff City, Danville, Waldron, Crystal Springs, Duquoin, Freeport, Runnyme ...

public school district. USD 361 was created through school unification that consolidated Anthony and Harper schools. Both Anthony and Harper have elementary schools. The district high school, Chaparral High School, is located halfway between the two towns. The Chaparral High School mascot is Roadrunners. Harper High School was closed through school unification. The Harper High School mascot was Bearcats."Bucklin and Harper Are Both Victorious", Great Bend Tribune, 3 March 1965, p.13.

Cultural references

An episode on the NBC

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

'' Veronica's Closet'' which aired from 1997 to 2000 called ''Veronica's Big Homecoming'' was about Harpe

References

External links

City of Harper

Harper - Directory of Public Officials

Harper city map
KDOT {{Authority control Cities in Kansas Cities in Harper County, Kansas