Kimball County, Nebraska

Kimball County
County
Kimball County Courthouse in Kimball
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
Nebraska's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°12′N103°43′W / 41.2°N 103.71°W / 41.2; -103.71
Country	United States
State	Nebraska
Founded	1888
Seat	Kimball
Largest city	Kimball
Area
• Total	952 sq mi (2,470 km2)
• Land	952 sq mi (2,470 km2)
• Water	0.6 sq mi (2 km2)  0.06%
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,434
• Estimate  (2022)	3,315
• Density	3.6/sq mi (1.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.co.kimball.ne.us

Kimball County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 3,434. ^[1] Its county seat is Kimball. ^[2] The county was formed in 1888 and named after railroad pioneer Thomas Lord Kimball. ^[3] In the Nebraska license plate system, Kimball County is represented by the prefix 71 (it was the county having the seventy-first-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922).

Geography

The terrain of Kimball County consists of rolling hills sloping to the east. The flatter portions are mainly used for agriculture, mostly dry farming with a modest amount of center pivot irrigation. A small drainage, Lodgepole Creek, feeds into the Oliver Reservoir, in the western central part of the county. ^[4] The county has a total area of 952 square miles (2,470 km²), of which 952 square miles (2,470 km²) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) (0.06%) is water. ^[5] The highest natural point in Nebraska, Panorama Point at 5,424 feet (1,653 m), is located in Kimball County.

The FIPS code of Kimball county is 31105. ^[6]

Major highways

• Interstate 80
• U.S. Highway 30
• Nebraska Highway 71

Adjacent counties

• Banner County – north
• Cheyenne County – east
• Logan County, Colorado – southeast
• Weld County, Colorado – southwest
• Laramie County, Wyoming – west

Protected areas

• Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area ^[7]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	959		—
1900	758		−21.0%
1910	1,942		156.2%
1920	4,498		131.6%
1930	4,675		3.9%
1940	3,913		−16.3%
1950	4,283		9.5%
1960	7,975		86.2%
1970	6,009		−24.7%
1980	4,882		−18.8%
1990	4,108		−15.9%
2000	4,089		−0.5%
2010	3,821		−6.6%
2020	3,434		−10.1%
2022 (est.)	3,315		−3.5%
US Decennial Census [8] 1790-1960 [9] 1900-1990 [10] 1990-2000 [11] 2010 [12] 2020 [13] 2022 [14]

As of the 2000 United States Census, ^[15] there were 4,089 people, 1,727 households, and 1,136 families in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (1.5 people/km²). There were 1,972 housing units at an average density of 2 units per square mile (0.77/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.99% White, 0.22% Black or African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. 3.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 34.3% were of German, 12.2% English, 7.9% Irish, 6.1% American and 5.5% Swedish ancestry.

There were 1,727 households, out of which 26.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.10% were married couples living together, 6.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.20% were non-families. 30.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.89.

The county population contained 24.70% under the age of 18, 5.90% from 18 to 24, 23.00% from 25 to 44, 25.30% from 45 to 64, and 21.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,586, and the median income for a family was $35,880. Males had a median income of $28,300 versus $16,863 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,525. About 9.10% of families and 11.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.30% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

City

• Kimball (county seat)

Villages

• Bushnell
• Dix

Unincorporated communities

• Jacinto
• Oliver
• Owasco

Politics

Kimball County voters are reliably Republican. In only three national elections has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate, most recently in 1936.

United States presidential election results for Kimball County, Nebraska ^[16]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	1,424	82.69%	272	15.80%	26	1.51%
2020	1,563	83.27%	268	14.28%	46	2.45%
2016	1,330	79.31%	230	13.71%	117	6.98%
2012	1,235	73.21%	395	23.41%	57	3.38%
2008	1,346	74.32%	439	24.24%	26	1.44%
2004	1,491	79.44%	366	19.50%	20	1.07%
2000	1,379	75.77%	379	20.82%	62	3.41%
1996	1,011	56.67%	527	29.54%	246	13.79%
1992	931	52.04%	408	22.81%	450	25.15%
1988	1,321	69.89%	540	28.57%	29	1.53%
1984	1,734	83.09%	339	16.24%	14	0.67%
1980	1,615	75.61%	385	18.02%	136	6.37%
1976	1,257	62.82%	696	34.78%	48	2.40%
1972	1,650	79.06%	437	20.94%	0	0.00%
1968	1,423	68.61%	414	19.96%	237	11.43%
1964	1,573	55.88%	1,242	44.12%	0	0.00%
1960	2,152	67.93%	1,016	32.07%	0	0.00%
1956	1,590	70.79%	656	29.21%	0	0.00%
1952	1,646	77.60%	475	22.40%	0	0.00%
1948	1,024	60.38%	672	39.62%	0	0.00%
1944	1,169	66.99%	576	33.01%	0	0.00%
1940	1,190	61.82%	735	38.18%	0	0.00%
1936	842	41.44%	1,137	55.95%	53	2.61%
1932	793	37.58%	1,268	60.09%	49	2.32%
1928	1,296	74.01%	438	25.01%	17	0.97%
1924	750	51.23%	253	17.28%	461	31.49%
1920	910	70.05%	339	26.10%	50	3.85%
1916	223	34.36%	388	59.78%	38	5.86%
1912	73	17.85%	109	26.65%	227	55.50%
1908	216	60.50%	124	34.73%	17	4.76%
1904	143	80.34%	20	11.24%	15	8.43%
1900	137	72.11%	48	25.26%	5	2.63%

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Kimball County, Nebraska

References

1. "Kimball County, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved June 19, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Kimball County". Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
4. Kimball County NE Google Maps (accessed 23 January 2019)
5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
6. Archived March 12, 2016, at the Wayback Machine US Census Bureau
7. Oliver State Recreation Area, Kimball NE Google Maps (accessed 23 January 2019)
8. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
11. "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 8, 2014.
12. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/kimballcountynebraska/PST045222.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
13. "Kimball County, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved June 19, 2023.
14. "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
15. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
16. Election Results

41°12′N103°43′W / 41.20°N 103.71°W / 41.20; -103.71