Waterville, Kansas

Waterville, Kansas
City
Waterville Opera House, built in 1904
Location within Marshall County and Kansas
KDOT map of Marshall County (legend)
Coordinates: 39°41′31″N 96°44′54″W / 39.69194°N 96.74833°W / 39.69194; -96.74833[1]
Country	United States
State	Kansas
County	Marshall
Founded	1868
Incorporated	1870
Named for	Waterville, Maine
Area [2]
• Total	0.51 sq mi (1.31 km2)
• Land	0.49 sq mi (1.27 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation [1]	1,175 ft (358 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Total	658
• Density	1,300/sq mi (500/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	66548
Area code	785
FIPS code	20-75950
GNIS ID	2397214[1]
Website	cityofwatervilleks.org

Waterville is a city in Marshall County, Kansas, United States.^[1] As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 658.^[3]

Waterville was founded in 1868 by the railroad company.^[4] It was named after Waterville, Maine, the hometown of a railroad official.^[5]

The first post office in Waterville was established in February 1868.^[6] Waterville was incorporated as a village in 1870 and as a city the following year.^[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.50 square miles (1.29 km²), of which 0.49 square miles (1.27 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²) is water.^[7]

Waterville lies in the Blue River Valley, with the Little Blue River running just north of its city limits.

As of the census^[8] of 2010, there were 680 people, 294 households, and 192 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,387.8 inhabitants per square mile (535.8/km²). There were 331 housing units at an average density of 675.5 per square mile (260.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.4% White, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population.

There were 294 households, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.7% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.90.

The median age in the city was 41 years. 26.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.5% were from 25 to 44; 23.6% were from 45 to 64; and 22.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.

As of the census^[9] of 2000, there were 681 people, 292 households, and 190 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,351.1 inhabitants per square mile (521.7/km²). There were 328 housing units at an average density of 650.7 per square mile (251.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.50% White, 0.29% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 2.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.17% of the population.

There were 292 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 24.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,136, and the median income for a family was $38,472. Males had a median income of $29,107 versus $18,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,833. About 8.0% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.

The community is served by Valley Heights USD 498 public school district. Valley Heights Jr/Sr High School is located halfway between the towns of Blue Rapids and Waterville. The Valley Heights mascot is Mustangs.^[10]

Waterville High School was closed through school unification. The Waterville High School mascot was Waterville Yellow Jackets.^[11]

• Josephine Thorndike Berry (1871-1945), American educator, home economist
• Glen H. Thomas (1889-1962), Wichita architect

• Central Branch Union Pacific Railroad

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Waterville, Kansas.

• City of Waterville
• Waterville - Directory of Public Officials
• Waterville city map, KDOT