Belleville is a city in and the county seat of Republic County, Kansas, United States.

History

Belleville was founded in 1869, and incorporated as a city in 1878. It was named for Arabelle Tutton, the wife of a member of the town company.

The first post office in Belleville was established in February 1870.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Belleville had a population of 2,007, with 919 households and 490 families. The population density was 976.2 per square mile (376.9/km). There were 1,157 housing units at an average density of 562.7 per square mile (217.3/km).

The median age was 46.8 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18, 6.3% were from 18 to 24, 20.7% were from 25 to 44, 23.6% were from 45 to 64, and 27.2% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.2 males age 18 and over.

There were 919 households, of which 22.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.2% were married-couple households, 21.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 42.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 23.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 16.5% of the population.

Income and poverty

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $40,238 (with a margin of error of +/- $8,612) and the median family income was $62,813 (+/- $8,702). Males had a median income of $34,273 (+/- $1,482) versus $25,293 (+/- $7,452) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $31,806 (+/- $6,989). Approximately, 4.8% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under the age of 18 and 3.8% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,991 people, 949 households, and 533 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,162 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.5% White, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 949 households, of which 19.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.8% were non-families. 41.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.99 and the average family size was 2.67.

The median age in the city was 51.6 years. 18.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18% were from 25 to 44; 26.5% were from 45 to 64; and 32.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.3% male and 53.7% female.

Media

The city is served by The Belleville Telescope newspaper, established in 1870 and published continuously since 1873.

Education

The community is served by Republic County USD 109 public school district. It was formed in 2006 by the consolidation of Belleville USD 427 and Hillcrest USD 455.

Area attractions

  • Blair Theatre
  • Boyer Gallery
  • Republic County Historical Society Museum
  • Belleville High Banks, Named "The fastest dirt track in the world"

Notable people

  • Larry Cheney (1886–1969), Major League Baseball player
  • Nick Hague (born 1975), NASA astronaut, Colonel in United States Air Force, born in Belleville
  • Brian A. Larkins (1946–2025), molecular biologist
  • Dean Nesmith, professional football player and noted athletic trainer
  • A.Q. Miller, namesake of the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Kansas State University.

References

Further reading

  • City of Belleville
  • Belleville - Directory of Public Officials
  • Belleville History