Gosper County, Nebraska

Gosper County
County
Gosper County Courthouse in Elwood
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
Nebraska's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°30′N99°49′W / 40.5°N 99.82°W / 40.5; -99.82
Country	United States
State	Nebraska
Founded	1873 (authorized) 1881 (organized)
Named after	John J. Gosper
Seat	Elwood
Largest village	Elwood
Area
• Total	462.73 sq mi (1,198.5 km2)
• Land	458.16 sq mi (1,186.6 km2)
• Water	4.57 sq mi (11.8 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,893
• Density	4.13/sq mi (1.59/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.co.gosper.ne.us

Gosper County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,893. ^[1] Its county seat is Elwood. ^[2] The county was formed in 1873, and was organized in 1881. ^{[3] [4] [5]} It was named for John J. Gosper, a Nebraska Secretary of State. ^[6]

Gosper County is part of the Lexington, NE Micropolitan Statistical Area.

In the Nebraska license plate system, Gosper County is represented by the prefix 73 (it had the seventy-third-largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).

Geography

The Platte River flows easterly through the top part of Gosper County.

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 463 square miles (1,200 km²), of which 458 square miles (1,190 km²) is land and 4.6 square miles (12 km²) (1.0%) is water. ^[7]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 283
• Nebraska Highway 18
• Nebraska Highway 23

Adjacent counties

• Phelps County (east)
• Furnas County (south)
• Frontier County (west)
• Dawson County (north)

Protected areas

• Gosper National Wildlife Management Area ^[8]
• Johnson Lake State Recreation Area ^[9]
• Phillips Lake State Recreation Area ^[10]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	1,673		—
1890	4,816		187.9%
1900	5,301		10.1%
1910	4,933		−6.9%
1920	4,669		−5.4%
1930	4,287		−8.2%
1940	3,687		−14.0%
1950	2,734		−25.8%
1960	2,489		−9.0%
1970	2,178		−12.5%
1980	2,140		−1.7%
1990	1,928		−9.9%
2000	2,143		11.2%
2010	2,044		−4.6%
2020	1,893		−7.4%
US Decennial Census [11] 1790–1960 [12] 1900–1990 [13] 1990–2000 [14] 2010–2020 [1]

As of the 2000 United States Census, ^[15] there were 2,143 people, 863 households, and 655 families in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile (1.9 people/km²). There were 1,281 housing units at an average density of 3 units per square mile (1.2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.79% White, 0.14% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.42% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. 1.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 863 households, out of which 29.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.10% were married couples living together, 3.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.10% were non-families. 22.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.83.

The county population contained 23.80% under the age of 18, 5.40% from 18 to 24, 24.00% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 20.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,827, and the median income for a family was $42,702. Males had a median income of $28,836 versus $21,204 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,957. About 4.80% of families and 7.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.10% of those under age 18 and 5.00% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Gosper County, NE

Villages

• Elwood (county seat)
• Smithfield

Unincorporated community

• Johnson Lake ^[16]

Politics

Gosper County voters are reliably Republican. In no national election since 1936 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024).

United States presidential election results for Gosper County, Nebraska ^[17]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
1900	494	45.24%	570	52.20%	28	2.56%
1904	548	57.87%	154	16.26%	245	25.87%
1908	499	42.72%	634	54.28%	35	3.00%
1912	129	13.44%	524	54.58%	307	31.98%
1916	434	40.00%	617	56.87%	34	3.13%
1920	794	58.04%	486	35.53%	88	6.43%
1924	540	36.31%	394	26.50%	553	37.19%
1928	975	66.55%	480	32.76%	10	0.68%
1932	477	27.13%	1,263	71.84%	18	1.02%
1936	647	36.29%	1,118	62.70%	18	1.01%
1940	1,001	61.45%	628	38.55%	0	0.00%
1944	935	65.89%	484	34.11%	0	0.00%
1948	621	52.05%	572	47.95%	0	0.00%
1952	1,017	77.63%	293	22.37%	0	0.00%
1956	814	71.47%	325	28.53%	0	0.00%
1960	854	71.58%	339	28.42%	0	0.00%
1964	547	51.65%	512	48.35%	0	0.00%
1968	701	71.02%	229	23.20%	57	5.78%
1972	829	77.40%	242	22.60%	0	0.00%
1976	654	64.82%	332	32.90%	23	2.28%
1980	783	76.09%	181	17.59%	65	6.32%
1984	802	79.33%	201	19.88%	8	0.79%
1988	694	67.12%	331	32.01%	9	0.87%
1992	492	46.95%	254	24.24%	302	28.82%
1996	609	58.78%	275	26.54%	152	14.67%
2000	757	74.65%	228	22.49%	29	2.86%
2004	890	79.54%	222	19.84%	7	0.63%
2008	776	74.05%	260	24.81%	12	1.15%
2012	734	75.05%	230	23.52%	14	1.43%
2016	794	78.61%	166	16.44%	50	4.95%
2020	893	79.66%	215	19.18%	13	1.16%
2024	907	80.77%	203	18.08%	13	1.16%

References

1. "QuickFacts: Gosper County, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Fitzpatrick, Lilian Linder (1925). Nebraska Place-Names. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Studies in Language, Literature, and Criticism. p. 67. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
4. "Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey Reconnaissance Survey Final Report of Gosper County, Nebraska" (PDF). Nebraska State Historical Society. March 1, 1991. Archived from the original on November 16, 2006. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
5. "Gosper County". Nebraska Association of County Officials. Archived from the original on November 22, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
6. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p.  140.
7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
8. Gosper National Wildlife Management Area, Bertrand NE Google Maps (accessed 21 January 2019)
9. Johnson Lake State Recreation Area Google Maps (accessed 21 January 2019)
10. Phillips Lake State Recreation Area, Smithfield NE Google Maps (accessed 21 January 2019)
11. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
12. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
13. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
14. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
15. "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
16. Johnson Lake, Gosper County NE Google Maps (accessed 21 January 2019)
17. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".

40°30′N99°49′W / 40.50°N 99.82°W / 40.50; -99.82