Discovered and founded in the 1800s, situated in the midwestern region of the United States, and bounded by four other states, is the completely landlocked constituent state of Kansas.
There is a lot more to Kansas than just flatlands, farming, sunflowers, and the Wizard of Oz! Although these things helped Kansas build its name and reputation, there are some incredibly redeeming qualities that make the Sunflower State such an awesome place.
The Sunflower State boasts some of the most beautiful landscapes, lying amid the Great Plains of the North American continent, and boasting 5 incredible national parks, and 28 state parks. There is a lot more to Kansas than some people presume, so, let’s take a look at our 24 interesting facts about Kansas.
Let’s delve right into the facts – enjoy!
1. Despite popular belief, the real “Windy City” is not Chicago, it is, in fact, Dodge City in Kansas. With average wind speeds of 14 MPH, it is the windiest city in the U.S.
2. The largest and most famous city in Kansas is Wichita, with a metro population of over 537,000. However, the capital city is Topeka, which is the 5th largest city in the state, boasting a population of approximately 125,000.
3. Kansas nicknames have been prevalent for a number of years now, with the official nickname being the “Sunflower State”. There are a few honorable mentions, however, such as; Jayhawk State, the Midway State, and the Wheat State.
4. Bizarrely enough, the phrase “flatter than a pancake” could not be more relevant to Kansas. With the state already having a reputation for being extremely flat, scientists actually proved it was indeed “flatter than a pancake” when they compared the topography of Kansas against an IHOP pancake!
If you would like to see the economic facts about Kansas that could be crucial in your decision to start a business or franchise in the state, then scroll down a little further to see the business and economic facts.
5. The discovery of helium took place at the University of Kansas by two chemistry professors.
6. Ironically it is completely illegal to hunt Whales in Kansas. The irony stems from the fact that the state is completely landlocked, meaning access to the sea, and more importantly, Whales is non-existent.
7. Kansas is home to the tallest waterslide in the world, located in the Schlitterbahn Waterpark, Kansas City. The slide itself is taller than Niagara Falls, the Leaning Tower of Pizza, St Basil’s Cathedral, and the Arc De Triomphe to name just a few notoriously tall landmarks.
8. Wichita is not just the most populated city in the state, but it was the birthplace of some pretty well-known franchises, both Pizza Hut, and White Castle were founded in the city.
9. Here is a shortlist of some famous Kansas natives:
- Amelia Earhart
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Annette Bening
- Gale Sayers
- Erin Brockovich
10. Although Kansas is a flat state, the highest point in the state is Mount Sunflower, at approximately 4,000 feet above sea level.
11. Topeka was the birthplace of the American rock band, “Kansas”!
12. The maximum speed limit in Kansas is 75 MPH – this speed limit can only be reached on certain roads in Kansas.
Economic Facts About Kansas State
There is a lot to be said about the business climate and economic strength of Kansas, although not being a notably big state in size and population when compared with some of the other states, Kansas’ economy remains healthy and consistent.
If you would like to learn how to register a business in Kansas so you can start your entrepreneurial journey, we have created a checklist walking you through the process.
Kansas has been considered by many over the years as having one of the best environments for business growth and development. This is highlighted by the strides that Kansas’ economy has taken over the years, with a solid infrastructure, aided by the natural environment on offer, and limitless resources.
Let’s check out the economic facts about Kansas state
- Kansas’ GDP is approximately $176 billion.
- Kansas has a three-tier progressive income tax system, income tax rates vary between 3.1%, 5.25%, and 5.7%.
- The base sales tax rate in Kansas is 6.5%.
- Kansas has the 7th best infrastructure rank out of all 50 states (US News & World Report).
- Kansas ranked 8th for the best natural environment (US News & World Report).
- Kansas ranked 15th among U.S. states for its education system (US News & World Report).
- Kansas is the leading state for the agriculture industry!
- The median income in Kansas is $30,146.
- Over 43% of the state’s population is college-educated.
- Kanas has also ranked 9th for the affordability rating (US News & World Report).
- The average house price in Kansas is $164,336. This is frequently adjusted and you can see the latest on Zillow’s website.
- There are over 256,000 small businesses in Kansas.
- The minimum wage in Kansas is $7.25 per hour.
- Small businesses make up over 99% of all Kansas businesses.
- There are over 605,000 small business employees in Kansas.
- Small business employees count for a little over 50% of the Kansas state employees.
- There are over 20,000 self-employed minorities.
- Kansas has 0ver 2,770 small business exporters.
- Kansas’ corporate income tax rate ranges between 4%-7%.
Here are some cool fun facts about Kansas
13. Kansas’ name originated from the Native American tribe, “Kansa”, who occupied the land for over 12,000 years before the European settlers discovered it.
14. There have been more meteorites found in Kansas than in any other state west of the Mississippi River, barring Texas.
15. Kansas, like all other states has a state animal that is representative of the state. Kansas’ state animal is the American Bison.
16. In 1985, Kansas sued the neighboring state of Colorado for a water usage agreement violation, which resulted in Colorado awarding $14 million in damages.
17. We mentioned it at the beginning, but it is too difficult not to mention the world-famous award-winning book and movie, The Wizard of Oz, which was based in Kansas before Dorothy is taken to the magical land of Oz.
18. Barton County is the only county in the state that is named after a woman, the volunteer Civil War nurse, Clara Barton is considered a legend throughout the state for her brave and valiant efforts during the civil war.
19. The city of Hutchinson has adopted the nickname, “Salt City” due to it being built above incredibly rich salt deposits, considered to be some of the richest in the world. Hutchinson is still famous for its salt production.
20. Kansas is still home to many Native American tribes; these include the Wichita, Pawnee, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, Kiowa-Apache, Arikara, and Comanche.
21.The Sunflower State is incredibly Caucasian, with over 85% of the state’s population being white.
22. In 2007, a tornado destroyed over 95% of the city of Greensburg. It spanned over 26 miles long, and almost 2 miles wide. Causing $250 million worth of damage!
23. The first Europeans to explore the area of Kansas were the Spanish in 1541, bringing horses with them as the most efficient way of transportation at the time, which actually led to Kansas becoming such an agricultural powerhouse.
24. The two-letter postal abbreviation used to identify Kansas when sending post, or finding addresses is “KS”.
Thank you for checking out our list of 24 interesting facts about Kansas, and the economic and business highlights. If there is anything we missed or you would like to point out on this page, feel free to let us know by leaving a comment. Feel free to share with friends, family, and colleagues!
