Dixon County, Nebraska

Dixon County
County
Dixon County courthouse in Ponca
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
Nebraska's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 42°30′N96°52′W / 42.5°N 96.87°W / 42.5; -96.87
Country	United States
State	Nebraska
Founded	1856 (authorized) 1858 (organized)
Seat	Ponca
Largest city	Wakefield
Area
• Total	483 sq mi (1,250 km2)
• Land	476 sq mi (1,230 km2)
• Water	6.7 sq mi (17 km2)  1.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,606
• Density	12/sq mi (4.5/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	www.co.dixon.ne.us

Dixon County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 5,606. ^[1] Its county seat is Ponca. ^[2] The county was created in 1856 and attached to Dakota County. It was organized in 1858. ^{[3] [4]}

Dixon County is part of the Sioux City, IA –NE– SD Metropolitan Statistical Area.

In the Nebraska license plate system, Dixon County is represented by the prefix 35 (it had the 35th-largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).

History

Dixon County was formed in 1856. ^[5] Dixon was named for an early settler. ^[6]

Geography

Dixon County lies at the northeast edge of the state. Its northern boundary line abuts the southern boundary line of the state of South Dakota, across the Missouri River. According to the US Census Bureau, the county has an area of 483 square miles (1,250 km²), of which 476 square miles (1,230 km²) is land and 6.7 square miles (17 km²) (1.4%) is water. ^[7]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 20
• Nebraska Highway 9
• Nebraska Highway 12
• Nebraska Highway 15
• Nebraska Highway 35
• Nebraska Highway 116

National protected area

View of the Missouri River from Mulberry Bend Overlook in northwestern Dixon County, near Maskell (Missouri National Recreational River)

• Missouri National Recreational River (part)

State protected area

• Buckskin Hills State Wildlife Management Area ^[8]
• Ponca State Park
• Tarbox Hollow Living Prairie ^[9]

Adjacent counties

• Union County, South Dakota - northeast
• Dakota County - east
• Thurston County - southeast
• Wayne County - southwest
• Cedar County - west
• Clay County, South Dakota - northwest

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	274		—
1870	1,345		390.9%
1880	4,177		210.6%
1890	8,084		93.5%
1900	10,535		30.3%
1910	11,477		8.9%
1920	11,815		2.9%
1930	11,586		−1.9%
1940	10,413		−10.1%
1950	9,129		−12.3%
1960	8,106		−11.2%
1970	7,453		−8.1%
1980	7,137		−4.2%
1990	6,143		−13.9%
2000	6,339		3.2%
2010	6,000		−5.3%
2020	5,606		−6.6%
2022 (est.)	5,464		−2.5%
US Decennial Census [10] 1790-1960 [11] 1900-1990 [12] 1990-2000 [13] 2010 [14] 2020 2022 [15]

As of the 2000 United States Census, ^[16] there were 6,339 people, 2,413 households, and 1,705 families in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile (5.0 people/km²). There were 2,673 housing units at an average density of 6 units per square mile (2.3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.64% White, 0.03% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 3.79% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 5.49% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 45.5% were of German, 10.4% Irish, 8.5% Swedish, 5.9% American, 5.9% Norwegian and 5.1% English.

There were 2,413 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.50% were married couples living together, 6.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. 25.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.12.

The county population contained 27.50% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 24.90% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 18.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,201, and the median income for a family was $41,122. Males had a median income of $27,784 versus $20,573 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,350. About 7.50% of families and 10.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.40% of those under age 18 and 9.00% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Ponca (county seat)
• Wakefield

Villages

• Allen
• Concord
• Dixon
• Emerson
• Martinsburg
• Maskell
• Newcastle
• Waterbury

Unincorporated community

• Lime Grove

Townships

• Clark
• Concord
• Daily
• Emerson
• Galena
• Hooker
• Logan
• Newcastle
• Ottercreek
• Ponca
• Silvercreek
• Springbank
• Wakefield

Politics

Dixon County voters have been reliably Republican for decades. In only one national election since 1936 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate, and that was the election of 1964, during Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide victory. However, he narrowly won the county then.

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

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	2,335	75.47%	651	21.04%	108	3.49%
2016	2,041	73.36%	556	19.99%	185	6.65%
2012	1,745	64.97%	870	32.39%	71	2.64%
2008	1,785	63.89%	946	33.86%	63	2.25%
2004	2,028	67.40%	938	31.17%	43	1.43%
2000	1,834	65.69%	820	29.37%	138	4.94%
1996	1,478	51.95%	931	32.72%	436	15.33%
1992	1,484	48.59%	830	27.18%	740	24.23%
1988	1,802	60.53%	1,166	39.17%	9	0.30%
1984	2,155	68.11%	986	31.16%	23	0.73%
1980	2,328	68.77%	822	24.28%	235	6.94%
1976	1,981	59.35%	1,286	38.53%	71	2.13%
1972	2,299	70.96%	941	29.04%	0	0.00%
1968	2,051	65.65%	890	28.49%	183	5.86%
1964	1,845	49.11%	1,912	50.89%	0	0.00%
1960	2,713	66.22%	1,384	33.78%	0	0.00%
1956	2,493	59.09%	1,726	40.91%	0	0.00%
1952	2,977	70.44%	1,249	29.56%	0	0.00%
1948	1,899	52.44%	1,722	47.56%	0	0.00%
1944	2,382	61.95%	1,463	38.05%	0	0.00%
1940	3,038	61.37%	1,912	38.63%	0	0.00%
1936	2,108	43.29%	2,640	54.21%	122	2.51%
1932	1,620	34.82%	2,953	63.46%	80	1.72%
1928	2,982	64.81%	1,607	34.93%	12	0.26%
1924	2,153	50.98%	1,090	25.81%	980	23.21%
1920	2,435	71.43%	911	26.72%	63	1.85%
1916	1,208	46.20%	1,350	51.63%	57	2.18%
1912	582	24.04%	823	33.99%	1,016	41.97%
1908	1,257	51.69%	1,100	45.23%	75	3.08%
1904	1,524	64.80%	571	24.28%	257	10.93%
1900	1,285	52.45%	1,101	44.94%	64	2.61%

See also

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

References

1. "Dixon County, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved June 17, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey Reconnaissance Survey Final Report of Dixon and Dakota Counties, Nebraska" (PDF). Nebraska State Historical Society. June 1, 1987. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
4. Andreas, A. T. (1882). "Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska". The Kansas Collection. Archived from the original on May 8, 2003. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
5. "Dixon County". Archived from the original on July 4, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2008.
6. Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 160.
7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
8. Buckskin Hills State Wildlife Management Area, Newcastle NE Google Maps (accessed 19 January 2019)
9. Tarbox Hollow Living Prairie, Dixon NE Google Maps (accessed 19 January 2019)
10. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
11. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
12. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
13. "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 6, 2014.
14. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/dixoncountynebraska/PST045222.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
15. "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
16. "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
17. Election Results

42°30′N96°52′W / 42.50°N 96.87°W / 42.50; -96.87