| Pratt, Kansas | |
| Settlement Type: | City and county seat |
| Image Map1: | Map of Pratt Co, Ks, USA.png |
| Map Caption1: | KDOT map of Pratt County (legend) |
| Coordinates: | 37.6503°N -98.7381°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Kansas |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Pratt |
| Subdivision Type3: | Township |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1884 |
| Established Title1: | Platted |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | 1884 |
| Named For: | Caleb Pratt |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Zach Deeds |
| Leader Title1: | City Manager |
| Leader Name1: | Bruce Pinkall |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 7.83 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 7.71 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.12 |
| Area Total Km2: | 20.29 |
| Area Land Km2: | 19.97 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.32 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Elevation Ft: | 1952 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 6603 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | CST |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 67124 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
| Area Code: | 620 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 20-57625 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 485645 |
Pratt is a city in and the county seat of Pratt County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,603.[2] [3] It is home to Pratt Community College.
Pratt was founded in 1884 and named after Caleb S. Pratt, a young Civil War officer from the Kansas Infantry, who was killed in the Battle of Wilson's Creek near Springfield, Missouri[4] The first post office in Pratt was established in June 1884.[5]
In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a main line from Herington to Pratt.[6] In 1888, this line was extended to Liberal. Later, it was extended to Tucumcari, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas. It foreclosed in 1891 and was taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as St. Louis and Southwestern "Cotton Belt" Railroad, a subsidiary of Southern Pacific Railroad which merged in 1996 with Union Pacific. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".
Built in 1930, Hotel Roberts is the largest and most highly styled historic hotel in Pratt. Construction of the hotel was initiated by the Pratt Chamber of Commerce, which formed a committee in the late 1920s specifically to facilitate the construction of a large new hotel. Seen as a potentially valuable asset for the community, the hotel was financed in part through a public subscription campaign, and constructed on land provided by the Chamber. The Pratt Hotel Company owned and operated the hotel and hired Wichita architect Samuel S. Voigt and Kansas City contractor Webster L. Elson to design and build the building. Elson not only supervised the rapid construction of the "fire-proof" building, he was a founding member of the Pratt Hotel Company, and he retained an ownership interest in the property for many years. The community hospital was established on the eighth floor of the building in 1932, complete with an operating room and an x-ray machine. Architecturally, the building is significant as an early and sophisticated example of the Art Deco style in central Kansas. The hotel opened as the Hotel Roberts in 1930, and continued under that name until 1959, when it was purchased by Monte Parrish and renamed the Hotel Parrish. In January 2015 it was listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places for its local significance in the areas of architecture and community planning and development.[7]
During World War II, the nearby Pratt Army Airfield was the first base used for training Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber crews and also served as a staging area for getting early aircraft combat-ready, in what became known as the Battle of Kansas.
The Miss Kansas Parade and Pageant are held here.[8]
The state headquarters of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks was constructed southeast of the town.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.49sqmi, of which 7.37sqmi is land and 0.12sqmi is water.[9] Pratt is located approximately eighty miles west of Wichita.
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Pratt has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Pratt was 115F on June 25, 1911, July 18, 1936, and August 12–13, 1936, while the coldest temperature recorded was -25F on February 12, 1899.
The 2020 United States census counted 6,603 people, 2,646 households, and 1,545 families in Pratt.[10] The population density was 856.2 per square mile (330.6/km). There were 3,132 housing units at an average density of 406.1 per square mile (156.8/km).[11] [12] The racial makeup was 86.28% (5,697) white or European American (83.23% non-Hispanic white), 1.59% (105) black or African-American, 0.85% (56) Native American or Alaska Native, 0.67% (44) Asian, 0.11% (7) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 4.41% (291) from other races, and 6.1% (403) from two or more races.[13] Hispanic or Latino of any race was 9.57% (632) of the population.[14]
Of the 2,646 households, 28.6% had children under the age of 18; 42.9% were married couples living together; 29.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 37.6% of households consisted of individuals and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 3.0.[15] The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 17.4% of the population.[16]
23.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 105.2 males.
The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $52,243 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,294) and the median family income was $61,210 (+/- $8,138).[17] Males had a median income of $30,817 (+/- $3,087) versus $17,577 (+/- $4,284) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $26,487 (+/- $1,386).[18] Approximately, 6.6% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.0% of those under the age of 18 and 12.1% of those ages 65 or over.[19] [20]
As of the census[21] of 2010, there were 6,835 people, 2,837 households, and 1,713 families living in the city.[22] The population density was 927.4PD/sqmi. There were 3,201 housing units at an average density of 434.3/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 93.3% White, 1.5% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 2.3% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.2% of the population.
There were 2,837 households, of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.6% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.93.
The median age in the city was 39 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 12% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21% were from 25 to 44; 25.2% were from 45 to 64; and 19.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.
As of the census[23] of 2000, there were 6,570 people, 2,839 households, and 1,780 families living in the city. The population density was 886sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 3,312 housing units at an average density of 446.6sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 94.87% White, 1.00% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.95% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.46% of the population.
There were 2,839 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,646, and the median income for a family was $42,412. Males had a median income of $31,186 versus $20,640 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,486. About 7.1% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
The community is served by Pratt USD 382 and Skyline USD 438 public school districts.[24]
Pratt is served by U.S. Route 54, U.S. Route 400, and U.S. Route 281. It is also served by K-61.
Bus service is provided daily eastward to Wichita and westward to Pueblo, Colorado by BeeLine Express (subcontractor of Greyhound Lines).[31] [32]