Ness County was established on February 26, 1867.[4] It was the site of an 1867 confrontation between the Cheyenne and Sioux tribes and General Winfield Scott Hancock at the Indian Village on Pawnee Fork, where the fighting helped inform George A. Custer's tactics throughout his career.[4]
The county was first organized in 1873 but disestablished a year later. It was reorganized on April 14, 1880.[4] The founding of Ness City, the county seat, followed closely after the county's organization in 1867.[5] Ross Calhoun, the "Father of Ness City," arrived in 1877 or 1878, opened the first general store, and formally laid out the town in October 1878, inviting settlers to join him.[5] A bitter county seat fight ensued among Ness City, Sidney, and Clarinda, lasting from 1880 to 1883, with accusations of bribery and fraud, before Ness City was confirmed as the county seat.[5]
Ness County's population peaked in the 1930 census at 8,358 and has steadily declined since then, reaching 2,687 in the 2020 census. From 2010 to 2020, the county's population dropped by 13.5%, the third largest percentage drop in the state.[6]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,075 square miles (2,780km2), of which 1,075 square miles (2,780km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78km2) (0.02%) is water.[7]
U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11] 1990-2000[12] 2010-2020[1]
As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 3,454 people, 1,516 households, and 977 families residing in the county. The population density was 3 peopleper square mile (1.2 people/km2). There were 1,835 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (0.77/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.23% White, 0.06% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.49% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. 1.51% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,516 households, out of which 26.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.10% were married couples living together, 4.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.50% were non-families. 33.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.90% under the age of 18, 4.60% from 18 to 24, 24.00% from 25 to 44, 24.20% from 45 to 64, and 24.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,340, and the median income for a family was $39,775. Males had a median income of $27,892 versus $20,037 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,787. About 6.50% of families and 8.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.50% of those under age 18 and 10.20% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Presidential elections
Presidential election results
United States presidential election results for Ness County, Kansas[14]
Ness County is presently overwhelmingly Republican, although it was won by Jimmy Carter for the Democratic Party as recently as 1976. However, apart from Carter and Lyndon Johnson in 1964, no Democrat since 1940 has reached forty percent of the county's ballots. Since Carter's win, however, Michael Dukakis in 1988 which was during a major drought in the Great Plains, had reached so much as 26 percent of the county's vote. In 2016, Hillary Clinton received less than half even this modest figure. This county was Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's third strongest in the state in 2024, after Wallace and Sheridan counties, the former of which gave Trump over 90% of the vote.[15]
Laws
Following amendment to the Kansas Constitution in 1986, the county remained a prohibition, or "dry", county until 2004, when voters approved the sale of alcoholic liquor by the individual drink with a 30 percent food sales requirement.[16]
Ness County is divided into ten townships. None of the cities within the county are considered governmentally independent, and all figures for the townships include those of the cities. In the following table, the population center is the largest city (or cities) included in that township's population total, if it is of a significant size.
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United States
Kansas 
