Half of Kechi Township’s homes were built after 1990
More historic than 9% of U.S. towns · #147 of 151 in Kansas. What drives it
Most of Kechi Township was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1990. Below: maps from 1941 on and the census since 1960.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Kechi Township is more historic than 9% of U.S. towns, #147 of 151 in Kansas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Kechi Township’s overall grade.
Kansas towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Kansas town has 5.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Kechi Township’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (19% of Kansas towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±1.4 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Kechi Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington through Kechi to Caldwell. It foreclosed in 1891 and was taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which shut down in 1980 and reorganized as Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad, merged in 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad, merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Rock Island".
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Kechi Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1941Valley Center sheet · 1:31,680
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Kechi Township.
People over time
Kechi Township, census by census
Grew from 245 people in 1960 to 2,217 in 2020, 9 times over.
7 censuses, 1960–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Kechi Township’s Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Kechi Township
Nobody well known was born in Kechi Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Kechi Township is more historic than 9% of U.S. towns, #147 of 151 in Kansas. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Kechi Township?
2% of Kechi Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.4 points), against a typical 10% for a Kansas town; the median home was built in 1990.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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