Moving to Hillsboro, Kansas

Hillsboro, Kansas is a city located in Marion County. It is situated in an area of rolling hills and grasslands, with the Chikaskia River serving as a major water source for the area. The climate in Hillsboro is generally mild and temperate, with occasional extremes of heat and cold due to its location in the midwest.

The earliest settlers arrived in Hillsboro in 1871, when it was still part of the unorganized territory of Kansas. The town was officially incorporated in 1887 and has seen steady growth ever since. The city has a strong agricultural economy, with corn and soybeans being two of its main crops. Businesses such as manufacturing, retail stores, restaurants, medical centers, and banks are also present within the city limits.

In terms of politics, Hillsboro is part of the Republican Party-controlled state government. It has elected representatives to both chambers of the state legislature as well as to Congress since its incorporation over 130 years ago.

Hillsboro is served by several schools within Marion County that provide education for students from preschool through college level courses. These include public elementary schools such as Hillsboro Elementary School and Hillsboro Middle School; private schools such as St Catherine’s Catholic School; and higher educational institutions like Tabor College and Kansas State University at Manhattan which offer degree programs for local residents seeking further education opportunities beyond high school graduation.

The city is filled with numerous landmarks that are worth visiting on any trip to Hillsboro including the Old Stone Barn Museum which showcases local history; the Chikaskia River Bridge which provides magnificent views; and Chautauqua Park which offers recreational activities for all ages including fishing, camping, swimming, boating, picnicking and hiking trails throughout its grounds.

Population: 2,854. Estimated population in July 2024: 2,731 (-4.3% change)
Males: 1,370 (48.0%), Females: 1,484 (52.0%)

Marion County

Zip code: 67063

Demographics

Median resident age: 38.2 years
Median household income: $32,736
Median house value: $62,100

Population by Race

Races in Hillsboro:

• White Non-Hispanic (96.7%)
• Hispanic (1.5%)
• Two or more races (0.9%)
• American Indian (0.7%)
• Other race (0.6%)

Ancestries: German (48.7%), English (6.7%), Irish (6.0%), United States (5.3%), Dutch (5.1%), Russian (4.9%).

Elevation: 1454 feet

Land area: 2.0 square miles

Population by Education

Hillsboro, Kansas, is a small rural town located in Marion County. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,834. This is down from 2,063 in 2010. The majority of residents are white (83%), followed by Hispanic (10%), African American (3%) and Asian (2%). The median age is 45 years old and the median household income is $44,464. The town has a mixed economy with a focus on agriculture, manufacturing and retail trade. Agriculture remains an important part of the local economy with major crops including corn, wheat and soybeans. Manufacturing includes the production of plastic products, paper products and metal products. Retail trade includes automotive parts stores, clothing stores and general merchandise stores. Education is also an important part of Hillsboro’s economy with two public schools serving grades K-12 and several private schools in the area as well as a college campus for Hutchinson Community College located in nearby Hutchinson. The city also has several parks and recreational facilities for residents to enjoy year-round.

For population 25 years and over in Hillsboro

• High school or higher: 84.7%
• Bachelor’s degree or higher: 26.9%
• Graduate or professional degree: 12.3%
• Unemployed: 4.0%
• Mean travel time to work: 12.8 minutes

For population 15 years and over in Hillsboro city

• Never married: 29.4%
• Now married: 53.6%
• Separated: 0.6%
• Widowed: 9.6%
• Divorced: 6.8%

1.8% Foreign born

Population change in the 1990s: +128 (+4.7%).

Hospitals

Hospital/medical center in Hillsboro:

• HILLSBORO COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTER (701 S MAIN ST)

Other hospitals/medical centers near Hillsboro:

• ST LUKE HOSPITAL (about 13 miles; MARION, KS)
• NEWTON MEDICAL CENTER (about 23 miles; NEWTON, KS)
• PRAIRIE VIEW INC (about 23 miles; NEWTON, KS)

Airports

Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to Hillsboro:

• SALINA MUNI (about 43 miles; SALINA, KS; Abbreviation: SLN)
• HUTCHINSON MUNI (about 50 miles; HUTCHINSON, KS; Abbreviation: HUT)
• MC CONNELL AFB (about 51 miles; WICHITA, KS; Abbreviation: IAB)

Other public-use airports nearest to Hillsboro:

• ALFRED SCHROEDER FIELD (about 2 miles; HILLSBORO, KS; Abbreviation: M66)
• MARION MUNI (about 16 miles; MARION, KS; Abbreviation: 43K)
• NEWTON-CITY-COUNTY (about 22 miles; NEWTON, KS; Abbreviation: EWK)

Colleges and Universities

College/University in Hillsboro:

• TABOR COLLEGE (Full-time enrollment: 486; Location: 400 S JEFFERSON; Private, not-for-profit; Website: www.tabor.edu; Offers Master’s degree)

Colleges and Universities

Colleges/universities with over 2000 students nearest to Hillsboro:

• BUTLER COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 44 miles; EL DORADO, KS; Full-time enrollment: 4,250)
• FRIENDS UNIVERSITY (about 49 miles; WICHITA, KS; Full-time enrollment: 2,983)
• WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY (about 50 miles; WICHITA, KS; Full-time enrollment: 10,403)
• HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 55 miles; HUTCHINSON, KS; Full-time enrollment: 2,268)
• EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY (about 70 miles; EMPORIA, KS; Full-time enrollment: 4,528)
• KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY (about 73 miles; MANHATTAN, KS; Full-time enrollment: 19,210)
• COWLEY COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 90 miles; ARKANSAS CITY, KS; Full-time enrollment: 2,392)

Schools

Public high school in Hillsboro:

• HILLSBORO HIGH (Students: 242; Location: 500 E GRAND; Grades: 09 – 12)

Public primary/middle schools in Hillsboro:

• HILLSBORO ELEM (Students: 267; Location: 812 EAST A; Grades: KG – 05)
• HILLSBORO MIDDLE SCHOOL (Students: 174; Location: 400 E GRAND; Grades: 06 – 08)

Libraries

Library in Hillsboro:

• HILLSBORO PUBLIC LIBRARY (Operating income: $63,966; Location: 120 E. GRAND; 19,515 books; 209 audio materials; 792 video materials; 91 serial subscriptions)