Dakota County, Nebraska

Dakota County, Nebraska
County
The Dakota County Courthouse in Dakota City
Flag
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska
Coordinates: 42°23′30″N 96°33′41″W / 42.391624°N 96.561327°W / 42.391624; -96.561327
Country United States
State Nebraska
FoundedMarch 16, 1855
Named afterDakota people
SeatDakota City
Largest citySouth Sioux City
Area
 • Total
267.421 sq mi (692.62 km2)
 • Land264.431 sq mi (684.87 km2)
 • Water2.990 sq mi (7.74 km2)  1.12%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
21,582
 • Estimate 
(2024)
21,335
 • Density81.617/sq mi (31.512/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code402 and 531
Congressional district3rd
Websitedakotacounty.ne.gov
• Nebraska county number 22[1]
• Nebraska license plate prefix 70[2]

Dakota County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,582,[3] and was estimated to be 21,335 in 2024.[4] The county seat is Dakota City and the largest city is South Sioux City.[5]

Dakota County is part of the Sioux City metropolitan area.

In the Nebraska license plate system, Dakota County was represented by the prefix "70" (as it had the 70th-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922). In August 2009, the Dakota County Board of Commissioners reversed a decision to abandon this system for alphanumeric plates upon introduction of new license plates in 2011.[6] Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy Counties remain the only counties with alphanumeric plates in the state.[7]

History

Succeeding cultures of indigenous peoples lived along the Missouri River for millennia. By 1775, the Omaha people had migrated west of the Missouri, where they established a major settlement, Ton-wa-tonga, (the Big Village). It had some 1100 residents. From here, the Omaha controlled fur trading on the upper Missouri River with other tribes and with French-Canadian traders, often called voyageurs. The Omaha were the first of the Northern Plains tribes to have adopted an equestrian culture.[8]

Dakota County was formed by European-American settlers in 1855.[9] They named it after the Dakota Sioux tribe, who were powerful in the area of Nebraska and South Dakota at the time.[10] By this time, the Omaha were concentrated further south in what became the state of Nebraska.

In 1885, the county went to the United States Supreme Court in Dakota County v. Glidden over a dispute with issuing bonds.

As of May 2020, the county had the second-highest per capita COVID-19 infection rate of any American county. About one of every 14 residents has tested positive, mostly at Tyson's large meat packing plant in Dakota City. There were 1452 cases reported as of May 11, 2020.[11] This had increased by July 4, 2020, to 1634 cases, and 38 deaths, giving Dakota County the highest per capita death rate to that date.[12]

Geography

Dakota County lies on the northeast line of the Nebraska state line. Its northeast boundary line abuts the southwest boundary lines of the states of South Dakota and Iowa, across the Missouri River. The county terrain consists of rolling prairies and bottom lands.[13]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 267.421 square miles (692.62 km2), of which 264.431 square miles (684.87 km2) is land and 2.990 square miles (7.74 km2) (1.12%) is water.[14] It is the second-smallest county in Nebraska by total area.[15]

Major highways

Transit

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860819—
18702,040149.1%
18803,21357.5%
18905,38667.6%
19006,28616.7%
19106,5644.4%
19207,69417.2%
19309,50523.5%
19409,8363.5%
195010,4015.7%
196012,16817.0%
197013,1378.0%
198016,57326.2%
199016,7421.0%
200020,25321.0%
201021,0063.7%
202021,5822.7%
2024 (est.)21,335[17]−1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[18]
1790–1960[19] 1900–1990[20]
1990–2000[21] 2010–2020[4]

As of the third quarter of 2025, the median home value in Dakota County was $184,986.[22]

As of the 2024 American Community Survey, there are 7,459 estimated households in Dakota County with an average of 2.84 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $70,329. Approximately 11.5% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Dakota County has an estimated 67.9% employment rate, with 14.6% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 78.7% holding a high school diploma.[4] There were 7,808 housing units at an average density of 29.53 per square mile (11.4/km2).

The top five reported languages (people were allowed to report up to two languages, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (59.4%), Spanish (31.4%), Indo-European (0.2%), Asian and Pacific Islander (3.1%), and Other (5.8%).

The median age in the county was 32.5 years.

Dakota County, Nebraska – racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) Pop. 1980[23] Pop. 1990[24] Pop. 2000[25] Pop. 2010[26] Pop. 2020[27]
White alone (NH) 15,814
(95.42%)		 14,996
(89.57%)		 14,368
(70.94%)		 11,596
(55.20%)		 9,347
(43.31%)
Black or African American alone (NH) 51
(0.31%)		 74
(0.44%)		 111
(0.55%)		 641
(3.05%)		 1,603
(7.43%)
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 177
(1.07%)		 294
(1.76%)		 339
(1.67%)		 466
(2.22%)		 526
(2.44%)
Asian alone (NH) 46
(0.28%)		 336
(2.01%)		 619
(3.06%)		 621
(2.96%)		 602
(2.79%)
Pacific Islander alone (NH) — — 8
(0.04%)		 43
(0.20%)		 154
(0.71%)
Other race alone (NH) 0
(0.00%)		 26
(0.16%)		 7
(0.03%)		 4
(0.02%)		 33
(0.15%)
Mixed race or multiracial (NH) — — 220
(1.09%)		 216
(1.03%)		 506
(2.34%)
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 485
(2.93%)		 1,016
(6.07%)		 4,581
(22.62%)		 7,419
(35.32%)		 8,811
(40.83%)
Total 16,573
(100.00%)		 16,742
(100.00%)		 20,253
(100.00%)		 21,006
(100.00%)		 21,582
(100.00%)

2024 estimate

As of the 2024 estimate, there were 21,335 people, 7,459 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was 80.68 inhabitants per square mile (31.2/km2). There were 7,808 housing units at an average density of 29.53 per square mile (11.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 79.4% White (40.5% NH White), 9.3% African American, 4.4% Native American, 3.4% Asian, 0.9% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 42.7% of the population.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 21,582 people, 7,400 households, and 5,203 families residing in the county.[28] The population density was 81.62 inhabitants per square mile (31.5/km2). There were 7,765 housing units at an average density of 29.36 per square mile (11.3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 51.10% White, 7.47% African American, 3.29% Native American, 2.82% Asian, 0.71% Pacific Islander, 19.35% from some other races and 15.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 40.83% of the population.[29]

The median age was 33.4 years. 29.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.2 males age 18 and over.[30][31]

79.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 20.6% lived in rural areas.[32]

There were 7,400 households in the county, of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[30]

There were 7,765 housing units, of which 4.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 64.5% were owner-occupied and 35.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%.[30]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 21,006 people, 7,218 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was 79.44 inhabitants per square mile (30.7/km2). There were 7,631 housing units at an average density of 28.86 per square mile (11.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 70.50% White, 3.14% African American, 2.69% Native American, 3.00% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 18.15% from some other races and 2.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 35.32% of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 20,253 people, 7,095 households, and 5,087 families residing in the county. The population density was 76.59 inhabitants per square mile (29.6/km2). There were 7,528 housing units at an average density of 28.47 per square mile (11.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 78.84% White, 0.62% African American, 1.86% Native American, 3.08% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 12.91% from some other races and 2.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 22.62% of the population. 28.0% were of German and 10.5% Irish ancestry.

There were 7,095 households, out of which 39.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.30.

The county population contained 30.50% under the age of 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 29.40% from 25 to 44, 20.10% from 45 to 64, and 9.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $38,834, and the median income for a family was $43,702. Males had a median income of $28,341 versus $22,035 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,125. About 9.20% of families and 11.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.60% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Villages

Unincorporated communities

Politics

Dakota County voters have leaned Republican for several decades. From 1952, the county has selected the Republican Party candidate in over 80% of national elections, but the significant Hispanic population has led to the margins of victory not being as wide as those in most rural counties in the state.

United States presidential election results for Dakota County, Nebraska[33]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1900 692 46.35% 777 52.04% 24 1.61%
1904 855 63.52% 399 29.64% 92 6.84%
1908 729 48.96% 716 48.09% 44 2.96%
1912 408 28.53% 612 42.80% 410 28.67%
1916 612 36.45% 1,032 61.47% 35 2.08%
1920 1,525 62.58% 873 35.82% 39 1.60%
1924 1,235 39.38% 964 30.74% 937 29.88%
1928 1,709 49.35% 1,754 50.65% 0 0.00%
1932 863 21.92% 3,044 77.32% 30 0.76%
1936 1,264 29.52% 2,741 64.01% 277 6.47%
1940 2,140 46.91% 2,422 53.09% 0 0.00%
1944 1,703 46.13% 1,989 53.87% 0 0.00%
1948 1,379 36.76% 2,372 63.24% 0 0.00%
1952 2,643 57.38% 1,963 42.62% 0 0.00%
1956 2,516 53.08% 2,224 46.92% 0 0.00%
1960 2,977 56.13% 2,327 43.87% 0 0.00%
1964 1,906 41.80% 2,654 58.20% 0 0.00%
1968 2,383 56.60% 1,541 36.60% 286 6.79%
1972 2,879 62.22% 1,748 37.78% 0 0.00%
1976 2,631 52.67% 2,292 45.89% 72 1.44%
1980 3,165 57.67% 1,930 35.17% 393 7.16%
1984 3,467 57.76% 2,510 41.82% 25 0.42%
1988 2,744 48.17% 2,942 51.64% 11 0.19%
1992 2,793 43.21% 2,335 36.12% 1,336 20.67%
1996 2,592 43.31% 2,632 43.98% 761 12.72%
2000 3,119 51.46% 2,695 44.46% 247 4.08%
2004 3,526 53.30% 3,027 45.76% 62 0.94%
2008 3,292 51.47% 2,994 46.81% 110 1.72%
2012 3,094 50.42% 2,922 47.62% 120 1.96%
2016 3,616 57.59% 2,314 36.85% 349 5.56%
2020 3,926 57.59% 2,744 40.25% 147 2.16%
2024 3,934 64.09% 2,109 34.36% 95 1.55%

Education

School districts include:[34]

  • Emerson-Hubbard Public Schools, Emerson
  • Allen Consolidated Schools, Allen
  • Homer Community Schools, Homer
  • Ponca Public Schools, Ponca
  • South Sioux City Community Schools, South Sioux City

See also

References

  1. ^ "Nebraska County Names and Numbers" (PDF). Nebraska Department of Revenue. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  2. ^ "Nebraska County Codes". 15 Q Net. November 17, 2002. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  3. ^ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  4. ^ a b c "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Dakota County, Nebraska". www.census.gov. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  5. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  6. ^ Dakota County license plates to keep No.70 Sioux City Journal August 18, 2009
  7. ^ Plate math: 70 follows 1, 2, 59 Deprecated link archived July 12, 2012, at archive.today Omaha World-Herald June 8, 2009
  8. ^ Paulette W. Campbell, "Ancestral Bones: Reinterpreting the Past of the Omaha" Archived June 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, Humanities, November/December 2002, Vol. 23/No. 6, accessed August 26, 2011
  9. ^ "Nebraska: Individual County Chronologies". publications.newberry.org. The Newberry Library. 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  10. ^ "Dakota County, Nebraska" Archived July 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, National Association of County Executives, Retrieved on March 14, 2008.
  11. ^ See "Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count" The New York Times May 15, 2020.
  12. ^ Fox, Joe; Mayes, Brittany Renee; Schaul, Kevin; Shapiro, Leslie; Berkowitz, Bonnie (July 5, 2020). "At least 127,000 people have died from coronavirus in the U.S." washingtonpost.com. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 5, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  13. ^ Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Dakota. II. A N. E. county of Nebraska" . The American Cyclopædia.
  14. ^ "2025 County Gazetteer Files – Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  15. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Dakota County, Nebraska". www.census.gov. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  16. ^ Poposki, Valentin (January 19, 2008). "Dakota County, Nebraska (U.S.)".
  17. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  18. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  19. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. 2007. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  20. ^ Forstall, Richard L. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 19, 1999. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  21. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  22. ^ "County Median Home Price". National Association of Realtors. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  23. ^ "Dakota County, Nebraska — Population by Race". CensusScope. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  24. ^ "1990 Census of Population: General Population Characteristics Nebraska" (PDF). www.census.gov. October 6, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  25. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Dakota County, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  26. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Dakota County, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  27. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Dakota County, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  28. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  29. ^ "How many people live in Dakota County, Nebraska". USA Today. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  30. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  31. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  32. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  33. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
  34. ^ 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Dakota County, NE (PDF) (Map). United States Census Bureau. January 15, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2026. - Text list
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