Jefferson County, Nebraska
Jefferson County, Nebraska | |
|---|---|
Jefferson County Courthouse in Fairbury | |
Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska | |
| Coordinates: 40°10′N 97°09′W / 40.17°N 97.15°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Nebraska |
| Founded | January 26, 1856 (founded) 1864 (organized) |
| Named after | Thomas Jefferson |
| Seat | Fairbury |
| Largest city | Fairbury |
| Area | |
• Total | 576 sq mi (1,490 km2) |
| • Land | 570 sq mi (1,500 km2) |
| • Water | 5.5 sq mi (14 km2) 1.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 7,240 |
• Estimate (2021) | 7,176 |
| • Density | 13/sq mi (4.9/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | jeffersoncounty |
Jefferson County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 7,240.[1] Its county seat is Fairbury.[2] The county was named for Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States of America. In the Nebraska license plate system, Jefferson County is represented by the prefix 33 (it had the thirty-third-largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).
History
Jefferson County was founded on January 26, 1856, and its governing structure was organized in 1864.[3][4] It was named for Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States.[5]
In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was constructed south out of Jefferson County.
Geography
Jefferson County lies on the south line of Nebraska. Its south boundary line abuts the north boundary line of the state of Kansas. The terrain of Jefferson County consists of low rolling hills, whose leveled tops are largely used for agriculture. The Little Blue River flows southeastward through the southwestern-middle of the county. The county has a total area of 576 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 570 square miles (1,500 km2) is land and 5.5 square miles (14 km2) (1.0%) is water.[6]
The county has the distinction of being the most “landlocked” county (or county equivalent) in the United States. A person must travel through 21 administrative divisions before reaching any ocean or the Great Lakes.
Major highways
Protected areas
- Alexandria State Recreation Area[7]
- Buckley State Recreation Area[8]
- Rock Creek Station State Historical Park
- Rock Glen State Wildlife Management Area[9]
Adjacent counties
- Saline County - north
- Gage County - east
- Washington County, Kansas - south
- Republic County, Kansas - southwest
- Thayer County - west
- Fillmore County - northwest
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 2,440 | — | |
| 1880 | 8,096 | 231.8% | |
| 1890 | 14,850 | 83.4% | |
| 1900 | 15,196 | 2.3% | |
| 1910 | 16,852 | 10.9% | |
| 1920 | 16,140 | −4.2% | |
| 1930 | 16,409 | 1.7% | |
| 1940 | 15,532 | −5.3% | |
| 1950 | 13,623 | −12.3% | |
| 1960 | 11,620 | −14.7% | |
| 1970 | 10,436 | −10.2% | |
| 1980 | 9,817 | −5.9% | |
| 1990 | 8,759 | −10.8% | |
| 2000 | 8,333 | −4.9% | |
| 2010 | 7,547 | −9.4% | |
| 2020 | 7,240 | −4.1% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 7,054 | [10] | −2.6% |
| US Decennial Census[11] 1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13] 1990-2000[14] 2010-2013[15] | |||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 7,240. The median age was 45.4 years. 22.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.3 males age 18 and over.[16][17]
The racial makeup of the county was 92.1% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.5% from some other race, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.0% of the population.[17]
55.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 44.6% lived in rural areas.[18]
There were 3,179 households in the county, of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[16]
There were 3,665 housing units, of which 13.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.7% were owner-occupied and 26.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.4%.[16]
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census,[19] there were 8,333 people, 3,527 households, and 2,352 families in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile (5.4 people/km2). There were 3,942 housing units at an average density of 7 units per square mile (2.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.42% White, 0.07% Black or African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. 1.31% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 3,527 households, out of which 28.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% were married couples living together, 5.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.30% were non-families. 29.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.85.
The county population contained 23.30% under the age of 18, 6.10% from 18 to 24, 23.70% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 22.70% 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 91.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,629, and the median income for a family was $40,747. Males had a median income of $26,929 versus $18,594 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,380. About 8.00% of families and 8.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.20% of those under age 18 and 8.70% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
City
- Fairbury (county seat)
Villages
Unincorporated communities
Politics
Jefferson County is strongly Republican, having only backed the Democratic Party presidential candidate five times since 1900.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1900 | 1,862 | 53.09% | 1,587 | 45.25% | 58 | 1.65% |
| 1904 | 2,067 | 66.63% | 659 | 21.24% | 376 | 12.12% |
| 1908 | 1,941 | 50.49% | 1,787 | 46.49% | 116 | 3.02% |
| 1912 | 655 | 18.58% | 1,396 | 39.60% | 1,474 | 41.82% |
| 1916 | 1,813 | 46.85% | 1,841 | 47.57% | 216 | 5.58% |
| 1920 | 3,488 | 67.94% | 1,408 | 27.43% | 238 | 4.64% |
| 1924 | 2,752 | 48.12% | 1,824 | 31.89% | 1,143 | 19.99% |
| 1928 | 4,359 | 65.96% | 2,193 | 33.18% | 57 | 0.86% |
| 1932 | 2,453 | 33.14% | 4,819 | 65.10% | 130 | 1.76% |
| 1936 | 3,048 | 39.98% | 4,526 | 59.37% | 50 | 0.66% |
| 1940 | 4,980 | 64.35% | 2,759 | 35.65% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 4,257 | 66.06% | 2,187 | 33.94% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 3,352 | 60.29% | 2,208 | 39.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 4,941 | 76.12% | 1,550 | 23.88% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 4,267 | 71.25% | 1,722 | 28.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 4,047 | 68.11% | 1,895 | 31.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 2,275 | 44.79% | 2,804 | 55.21% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 2,793 | 60.23% | 1,572 | 33.90% | 272 | 5.87% |
| 1972 | 3,008 | 67.08% | 1,476 | 32.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 2,628 | 54.88% | 2,068 | 43.18% | 93 | 1.94% |
| 1980 | 3,090 | 67.59% | 1,125 | 24.61% | 357 | 7.81% |
| 1984 | 3,116 | 68.89% | 1,367 | 30.22% | 40 | 0.88% |
| 1988 | 2,471 | 57.16% | 1,819 | 42.08% | 33 | 0.76% |
| 1992 | 1,783 | 39.70% | 1,506 | 33.53% | 1,202 | 26.76% |
| 1996 | 1,979 | 49.17% | 1,520 | 37.76% | 526 | 13.07% |
| 2000 | 2,351 | 61.11% | 1,361 | 35.38% | 135 | 3.51% |
| 2004 | 2,600 | 64.82% | 1,352 | 33.71% | 59 | 1.47% |
| 2008 | 2,103 | 56.88% | 1,520 | 41.11% | 74 | 2.00% |
| 2012 | 2,166 | 62.86% | 1,195 | 34.68% | 85 | 2.47% |
| 2016 | 2,399 | 68.66% | 837 | 23.96% | 258 | 7.38% |
| 2020 | 2,616 | 70.13% | 1,016 | 27.24% | 98 | 2.63% |
| 2024 | 2,614 | 71.83% | 968 | 26.60% | 57 | 1.57% |
See also
References
- ^ "County Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Lilian Linder (1925). Nebraska Place-Names. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Studies in Language, Literature, and Criticism. p. 81. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ Andreas, A. T. (1882). "Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska". The Kansas Collection. Archived from the original on March 24, 2003. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ^ History of Nebraska
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
- ^ Alexandria State Recreation Area, Alexandria NE Google Maps (accessed 23 January 2019)
- ^ Buckley State Recreation Area Google Maps (accessed 23 January 2019)
- ^ Rock Glen SWMA, Jefferson County NE Google Maps (accessed 23 January 2019)
- ^ "2023 Population Estimates (PEP)". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
- ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ Election Results
- ^ The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 1,205 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 226 votes and Prohibition Eugene Chafin received 43 votes.