An agricultural-based community, Wilsey was named after pioneer John D. Wilsey. In the early 1880s, the Missouri Pacific Railroad was built through the county, at which time Wilsey established the city. The community once supported a business district and schools. The post office in Wilsey was discontinued in 1997.
Geography
Wilsey is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all of it land.
As of the census of 2010, there were 153 people, 66 households, and 43 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 88 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 89.5% White, 2.6% African American, 1.3% Native American, 3.9% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.2% of the population. There were 66 households of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couplesliving together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 9.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.8% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age in the city was 41.8 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21% were from 25 to 44; 28.1% were from 45 to 64; and 19.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.9% male and 47.1% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 191 people, 77 households, and 51 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.6 people per square mile. There were 86 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 97.38% White and 2.62% Native American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.52% of the population. There were 77 households out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.15. In the city, the population was spread out with 31.4% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $29,688, and the median income for a family was $37,500. Males had a median income of $26,875 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $10,781. About 2.0% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 11.4% of those sixty five or over.
