Greensburg, Kansas

For millennia, the Great Plains of North America were inhabited by nomadic Native Americans.

The first settlement was made at Greensburg in 1885.[10] Greensburg was named for D.R. "Cannonball" Green, who owned a stagecoach company and who helped to form the city.[11] In 1887, construction began on the Big Well, the largest hand-dug well in the world.[12] In 1888, Greensburg was advertised as the "liveliest town in the state." In the same year, the Big Well finished construction.[13][14]

The Big Well stopped being a source of the city's water in 1932. The largest pallasite meteorite ever discovered was found near Greensburg in 1949, weighing over 1,000 pounds. In 1972, the Big Well was declared a national museum.[12]

City center, twelve days after the tornado struck (2007)

At 9:45 p.m. CDT on May 4, 2007, during a deadly tornado outbreak,[15] Greensburg was hit by an EF5 tornado. The tornado was estimated to be 1.7 miles (2.7 km) in width — wider than the city itself — and traveled for nearly 22 miles (35 km). Ninety-five percent of the city was confirmed to be destroyed, with the other five percent being severely damaged. The National Weather Service estimated winds of the tornado to reach 205 mph (330 km/h). This was the first tornado to be rated EF5 since the implementation of the Enhanced Fujita scale earlier that year and the first F5 or EF5 classification since May 3, 1999, when an F5 tornado ripped through Moore, Oklahoma, as part of the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak. Tornado sirens sounded in the city twenty minutes before the tornado struck, and a tornado emergency was issued, which undoubtedly saved many lives.[16][17] The tornado lasted for a total of one hour and five minutes and caused $250 million dollars in damages.[18] Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and President George W. Bush both declared Kiowa County a disaster area,[19] which opened up the affected areas for national and international aid. The tornado took 10 lives in Greensburg and two more in neighboring towns.[20] While some rebuilding was done, the population by 2010 was about 50% of what it was in 2000, as the 2000 census found 1,574 residents, while only 777 were recorded in the 2010 census.[21]

After the tornado, the city council passed a resolution stating that all city buildings would be built to LEED — platinum standards, making it the first city in the nation to do so. Greensburg is rebuilding as a "green" town, with the help of Greensburg GreenTown, a non-profit organization created to help the residents learn about and implement the green living initiative.[22][23] With extra help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Greensburg residents developed a long-term plan for Greensburg. The city's power is supplied by ten 1.25 MW wind-turbines. Carbon offsets generated from the turbines are being managed by NativeEnergy, and have been purchased by charter supporters including Ben & Jerry's, Clif Bar, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and Stonyfield Farm.[24] Greensburg now boasts numerous electric vehicle charging stations and offers complimentary bikes to anyone. Supporters of Greensburg's efforts to change its sustainability model see it as a city of the future- a template for other towns to follow suit.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. Under the Köppen Climate Classification system, Greensburg has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "CFA" on climate maps.[26]

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 1,574 people, 730 households, and 453 families in the city.[27] The population density was 1,055.9 people per square mile (407.9/km²). There were 887 housing units at an average density of 595.0 per square mile (229.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.01% White, 0.83% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 1.02% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.59% of the population.

There were 730 households, out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.76.

The city population contained 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 20.5% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 26.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,438, and the median income for a family was $39,188. Males had a median income of $28,426 versus $20,875 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,054. About 8.4% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2010 United States Census,[28] there were 777 people, 355 households, and 212 families in the city. The population density was 525.0 inhabitants per square mile (202.7/km²). There were 431 housing units at an average density of 291.2 per square mile (112.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.5% White, 0.4% African American, 1.0% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 1.4% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.9% of the population.[21]

There were 355 households, of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.2% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.3% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.83.

The median age in the city was 45.2 years. The city population contained 22% of residents under the age of 18; 5.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 27.9% were from 45 to 64; and 22.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.4% male and 52.6% female.

As of the 2020 United States Census,[28] there were 740 people, and 365 households. The population density was 411.1 inhabitants per square mile (158.7/km²). There were 403 housing units at an average density of 223.9 per square mile (86.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.6% White, 2.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 6.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.6% of the population.

There were 365 households. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 3.09.

The median age in the city was 45.6 years. The city population contained 25.3% of residents under the age of 18; 74.7% were between the ages of 18 and 64; and 24.0% were 65 years of age or older.

The median household income was $40,729.