Kansas City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Overland Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Topeka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Wichita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Nickname: Sunflower State
Motto: Ad astra per aspera (To the stars through difficulties)
Flower: Native sunflower
Bird: Western meadowlark
Area: 82,276 square miles (2000; U.S. rank: 15th)
Elevation: Ranges from 680 feet to 4,039 feet above sea level
Climate: Temperate, but with seasonal extremes of temperature as well as blizzards, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms; semi-arid in the west
Admitted to Union: January 29, 1861
Capital: Topeka
Head Official: Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D) (until 2007)
Population
1980: 2,364,000
1990: 2,495,000
2000: 2,688,824
2004 estimate: 2,735,502
Percent change, 1990–2000: 8.5%
U.S. rank in 2004: 33rd
Percent of residents born in state: 59.5% (2000)
Density: 32.9 people per square mile (2000)
2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 110,997
Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)
White: 2,313,944
Black or African American: 154,198
American Indian and Alaska Native: 24,936
Asian: 46,806
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 1,313
Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 188,252
Other: 90,725
Age Characteristics (2000)
Population under 5 years old: 188,708
Population 5 to 19 years old: 609,710
Percent of population 65 years and over: 13.3%
Median age: 35.2 years (2000)
Vital Statistics
Total number of births (2003): 40,609
Total number of deaths (2003): 24,840 (infant deaths, 261)
AIDS cases reported through 2003: 1,123
Economy
Major industries: Agriculture, oil production, mining, manufacturing
Unemployment rate: 5.4% (March 2005)
Per capita income: $29,545 (2003; U.S. rank: 27th)
Median household income: $43,622 (3-year average, 2001-2003)
Percentage of persons below poverty level: 10.3% (3-year average, 2001-2003)
Income tax rate: Ranges from 3.5% to 6.45%
Sales tax rate: 5.3%