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| Buffalo County, Nebraska | |
 Buffalo County Courthouse in Kearney
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 Location in the state of Nebraska | |
 Nebraska's location in the U.S. | |
| Founded | 1855 (authorized) 1870 (organized) |
|---|---|
| Named for | American bison |
| Seat | Kearney |
| Largest city | Kearney |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
975 sq mi (2,525 km²) 968 sq mi (2,507 km²) 7.3 sq mi (19 km²), 0.7% |
| Population - (2020) - Density |
50,084 51.4/sq mi (20/km²) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website | www.buffalogov.org |
Buffalo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 50,084,[1] making it Nebraska's fifth-most populous of the 93 counties. Its county seat is Kearney.[2] The county was created in 1855[3] and was organized in 1870.[4][5] It was named after the once-prevalent buffalo herds of the Great Plains.[6]
Buffalo County is part of the Kearney, NE Micropolitan Statistical Area.
In the Nebraska license plate system, Buffalo County is represented by the prefix 9; when the license plate system was established in 1922, the county ranked ninth in number of registered vehicles.
History[]
The Union Pacific Railroad came to the area in 1866;[7] with additional settlers, the need to establish government was realized. Patrick Walsh, Martin Slattery, and a Sergeant Cody petitioned the governor to organize Buffalo County in 1869.[7] Wood River Centre (Shelton) was selected through election as county seat. Within a year, the seat was moved to Gibbon.[8] In 1874, voters selected Kearney as the seat.[9]
During the late 19th century and early 20th century, the Watson Ranch, existed in the county. The 8,000 acre ranch extended from the Platte River Valley on the south, to Nebraska's rolling hills on the north, to a point five miles west of downtown Kearney.[10][11]
Geography[]
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has an area of 975 square miles (2,530 km2), of which 968 square miles (2,510 km2) is land and 7.3 square miles (19 km2) (0.7%) is water.[12]
Major highways[]
Interstate 80- U.S. Highway 30
- U.S. Highway 183
- Nebraska Highway 2
- Nebraska Highway 10
- Nebraska Highway 40
- Nebraska Highway 44
- Nebraska Highway 68
Protected area[]
- Fort Kearny State Historical Park
Adjacent counties[]
- Hall County – east
- Adams County – southeast
- Kearney County – south
- Phelps County – southwest
- Dawson County – west
- Custer County – northwest
- Sherman County –north
- Howard County – northeast
Demographics[]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 114 | ||
| 1870 | 193 | 69.3% | |
| 1880 | 7,531 | 3,802.1% | |
| 1890 | 22,162 | 194.3% | |
| 1900 | 20,254 | −8.6% | |
| 1910 | 21,907 | 8.2% | |
| 1920 | 23,787 | 8.6% | |
| 1930 | 24,338 | 2.3% | |
| 1940 | 23,655 | −2.8% | |
| 1950 | 25,134 | 6.3% | |
| 1960 | 26,236 | 4.4% | |
| 1970 | 31,222 | 19.0% | |
| 1980 | 34,797 | 11.5% | |
| 1990 | 37,447 | 7.6% | |
| 2000 | 42,259 | 12.9% | |
| 2010 | 46,102 | 9.1% | |
| US Decennial Census[13] 1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15] 1990-2000[16] 2010-2020[1] | |||
As of the 2000 United States Census,[17] there were 42,259 people, 15,930 households, and 10,227 families in the county. The population density was 44 people per square mile (17/km2). There were 16,830 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile (7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.18% White, 0.55% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.20% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. 4.66% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 42.5% were of German, 8.1% Irish, 7.8% English, 6.8% American and 5.3% Swedish ancestry.
There were 15,930 households, out of which 32.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.90% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.80% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.60% 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 3.02.
The county population contained 25.00% under the age of 18, 17.80% from 18 to 24, 26.60% from 25 to 44, 19.00% from 45 to 64, and 11.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,782, and the median income for a family was $46,247. Males had a median income of $30,182 versus $21,977 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,510. About 6.30% of families and 11.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.50% of those under age 18 and 8.50% of those age 65 or over.
Communities[]
Map of Buffalo County
Cities[]
- Gibbon
- Kearney (county seat)
- Ravenna
Villages[]
- Amherst
- Elm Creek
- Miller
- Pleasanton
- Riverdale
- Shelton
Census-designated places[]
- Glenwood
- Odessa
- Poole
Unincorporated communities[]
- Buda
- Denman
- Prairie Center
- Saint Michael
- Sartoria
- Sweetwater
Townships[]
- Armada
- Beaver
- Cedar
- Center
- Cherry Creek
- Collins
- Divide
- Elm Creek
- Gardner
- Garfield
- Gibbon
- Grant
- Harrison
- Logan
- Loup
- Odessa
- Platte
- Riverdale
- Rusco
- Sartoria
- Schneider
- Scott
- Sharon
- Shelton
- Thornton
- Valley
Politics[]
Buffalo County voters have been strongly Republican for decades. Only seven Democratic Party presidential candidates have won the county from 1880 to the present day, the most recent of which being Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 16,640 | 70.18% | 6,350 | 26.78% | 721 | 3.04% |
| 2016 | 14,569 | 68.95% | 4,763 | 22.54% | 1,797 | 8.50% |
| 2012 | 13,570 | 69.76% | 5,365 | 27.58% | 518 | 2.66% |
| 2008 | 13,097 | 67.88% | 5,867 | 30.41% | 329 | 1.71% |
| 2004 | 14,222 | 76.43% | 4,100 | 22.03% | 286 | 1.54% |
| 2000 | 11,931 | 72.48% | 3,927 | 23.86% | 603 | 3.66% |
| 1996 | 10,004 | 63.09% | 4,277 | 26.97% | 1,575 | 9.93% |
| 1992 | 9,726 | 55.11% | 3,747 | 21.23% | 4,176 | 23.66% |
| 1988 | 9,981 | 67.31% | 4,702 | 31.71% | 145 | 0.98% |
| 1984 | 11,365 | 78.11% | 3,086 | 21.21% | 99 | 0.68% |
| 1980 | 9,769 | 68.59% | 3,167 | 22.24% | 1,307 | 9.18% |
| 1976 | 8,095 | 63.36% | 4,308 | 33.72% | 374 | 2.93% |
| 1972 | 8,587 | 74.19% | 2,988 | 25.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 6,786 | 65.29% | 2,875 | 27.66% | 733 | 7.05% |
| 1964 | 5,425 | 49.95% | 5,436 | 50.05% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 7,595 | 66.12% | 3,891 | 33.88% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 7,342 | 70.31% | 3,100 | 29.69% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 8,467 | 77.20% | 2,501 | 22.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 4,862 | 56.68% | 3,716 | 43.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 6,073 | 61.19% | 3,852 | 38.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 6,387 | 61.14% | 4,060 | 38.86% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 4,595 | 41.88% | 6,002 | 54.70% | 375 | 3.42% |
| 1932 | 3,773 | 38.02% | 5,872 | 59.18% | 278 | 2.80% |
| 1928 | 7,460 | 72.22% | 2,801 | 27.12% | 68 | 0.66% |
| 1924 | 4,746 | 54.11% | 2,337 | 26.64% | 1,688 | 19.25% |
| 1920 | 4,954 | 65.56% | 2,258 | 29.88% | 345 | 4.57% |
| 1916 | 2,216 | 41.79% | 2,877 | 54.25% | 210 | 3.96% |
| 1912 | 1,081 | 22.93% | 2,061 | 43.72% | 1,572 | 33.35% |
| 1908 | 2,526 | 48.60% | 2,520 | 48.49% | 151 | 2.91% |
| 1904 | 2,554 | 62.07% | 731 | 17.76% | 830 | 20.17% |
| 1900 | 1,916 | 46.45% | 2,056 | 49.84% | 153 | 3.71% |
| 1896 | 1,835 | 41.93% | 2,433 | 55.60% | 108 | 2.47% |
| 1892 | 1,864 | 42.80% | 377 | 8.66% | 2,114 | 48.54% |
| 1888 | 2,324 | 59.20% | 1,375 | 35.02% | 227 | 5.78% |
| 1884 | 1,612 | 57.86% | 1,147 | 41.17% | 27 | 0.97% |
| 1880 | 1,195 | 73.63% | 390 | 24.03% | 38 | 2.34% |
See also[]
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Buffalo County, Nebraska
References[]
- ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/31/31019.html.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx.
- ^ (March 10, 2009) Buffalo County says 1855 was the date, Kearney Hub, Retrieved November 10, 2010
- ^ Andreas, A. T. (1882). "Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska". http://www.kancoll.org/books/andreas_ne/buffalo/buffalo-p1.html.
- ^ "Buffalo County Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey". Nebraska State Historical Society. August 1, 1993. http://www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/reports/buffalo_county.pdf.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Lillian L. (1960). Nebraska Place-Names. University of Nebraska Press. p. 24. ISBN 0803250606. https://books.google.com/books?id=Dlas_EPVGFEC.
- ^ a b Bassett, Samuel Clay (1916). Buffalo County, Nebraska, and its people: a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. 1. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.. pp. 145–161. OCLC 3358457.
- ^ Duncan, Douglas. "Shelton - Buffalo County". Virtual Nebraska. Consortium for the Application of Space Data to Education (CASDE). http://casde.unl.edu/history/counties/buffalo/shelton/.
- ^ Bowman, J. R. (1882). Shearer, Frederick E.. ed. The Pacific tourist. J.R. Bowman's illustrated transcontinental guide of travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. New York: J.R. Bowman. p. 33. OCLC 752667534. https://books.google.com/books?id=nbsUAAAAYAAJ&q=The%20Pacific%20tourist.%20J.R.%20Bowman's%20illustrated%20transcontinental%20guide%20of%20travel%20from%20the%20Atlantic%20to%20the%20Pacific%20Ocean&pg=PA33v.
- ^ Holmgren, Philip S. (October 1979). "THE WATSON RANCH - Part I". http://www.bchs.us/BTales_197910.htm.
- ^ "Watson, H. D., and the Watson Ranch". https://history.nebraska.gov/publications/watson-h-d-and-watson-ranch.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_31.txt.
- ^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ne190090.txt.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". US Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov.
- ^ Election Results
External links[]
- "Buffalo. II. A S. W. county of Nebraska". The American Cyclopædia. 1879.
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Custer County | Sherman County | Howard County |
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| Dawson County | 
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Hall County | ||
   Buffalo County, Nebraska | ||||
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| Phelps County | Kearney County | Adams County |
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| This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Buffalo County, Nebraska. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. |