Box Butte County, Nebraska
County in Nebraska, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Box Butte County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,842,[3] and was estimated to be 10,703 in 2024.[4] The county seat and largest city is Alliance.[5]
Box Butte County, Nebraska | |
|---|---|
The Box Butte County Courthouse in Alliance Box Butte County, Nebraska | |
 Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Nebraska | |
| Coordinates: 42.210380°N 103.081779°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Nebraska |
| Founded | November 2, 1886 |
| Seat | Alliance |
| Largest city | Alliance |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,077.908 sq mi (2,791.77 km2) |
| • Land | 1,075.233 sq mi (2,784.84 km2) |
| • Water | 2.675 sq mi (6.93 km2) 0.25% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 10,842 |
• Estimate (2024) | 10,703  |
| • Density | 10.083/sq mi (3.8932/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Area code | 308 |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | boxbuttecountyne.gov |
| • Nebraska county number 07[1] • Nebraska license plate prefix 65[2] | |
In the Nebraska license plate system, Box Butte County was represented by the prefix "65" (as it had the 65th-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922).
History
Box Butte County was created on November 2, 1886,[6] it took its name from a large box-shaped butte north of Alliance.
Box Butte County was formed as part of a series of partitioning of the Nebraska Panhandle. In 1883, the Nebraska legislature divided the Panhandle into two counties, Sioux and Cheyenne. In 1885 the original Sioux County was divided into three counties: Sioux, Dawes, and Sheridan. Because of the distance to the county seat of Chadron, residents of southern Dawes County asked that it be split off; in 1886, the legislature created Box Butte County. The new county was named after a butte in the northern part of the county; before the county's formation, its name had been used in advertisements by railroad companies seeking to entice settlers to the area.[7][8]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,077.908 square miles (2,791.77 km2), of which 1,075.233 square miles (2,784.84 km2) is land and 2.675 square miles (6.93 km2) (0.25%) is water.[9] It is the 13th-largest county in Nebraska by total area.[10]
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Dawes County – north
- Sheridan County – east
- Morrill County – south
- Scotts Bluff County – southwest
- Sioux County – west
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 5,494 | — | |
| 1900 | 5,572 | 1.4% | |
| 1910 | 6,131 | 10.0% | |
| 1920 | 8,407 | 37.1% | |
| 1930 | 11,861 | 41.1% | |
| 1940 | 10,736 | −9.5% | |
| 1950 | 12,279 | 14.4% | |
| 1960 | 11,688 | −4.8% | |
| 1970 | 10,094 | −13.6% | |
| 1980 | 13,696 | 35.7% | |
| 1990 | 13,130 | −4.1% | |
| 2000 | 12,158 | −7.4% | |
| 2010 | 11,308 | −7.0% | |
| 2020 | 10,842 | −4.1% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 10,703 | [11] | −1.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790–1960[13] 1900–1990[14] 1990–2000[15] 2010–2020[4] | |||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 10,842. The median age was 40.7 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.4 males age 18 and over.[16]
The racial makeup of the county was 83.6% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 3.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.8% from some other race, and 7.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 11.5% of the population.[17]
74.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 25.1% lived in rural areas.[18]
There were 4,566 households in the county, of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 5,234 housing units, of which 12.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.4% were owner-occupied and 30.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 17.4%.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 12,158 people, 4,780 households, and 3,298 families in the county. The population density was 11 people per square mile (4.2 people/km2). There were 5,488 housing units at an average density of 5 units per square mile (1.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.84% White, 0.37% Black or African American, 2.74% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.55% from other races, and 1.96% from two or more races. 7.65% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 36.4% were of German, 8.4% English, 8.1% Irish and 5.3% American ancestry.
There were 4,780 households, out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.00% were non-families. 27.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.05.
The county population contained 28.10% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $39,366 and the median income for a family was $46,670. Males had a median income of $36,966 versus $21,762 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,407. About 9.70% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.70% of those under age 18 and 11.00% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Politics
Box Butte County voters have been reliably Republican for decades; since 1940, the county has selected the Republican Party presidential candidate in every national election (as of 2024).[19]
| Political Party | Number of registered voters (March 1, 2026)[20] | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 4,376 | 64.16% | |
| Independent | 1,309 | 19.19% | |
| Democratic | 1,010 | 14.81% | |
| Libertarian | 86 | 1.26% | |
| Legal Marijuana Now | 39 | 0.57% | |
| Total | 6,820 | 100.00% | |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1900 | 707 | 57.43% | 494 | 40.13% | 30 | 2.44% |
| 1904 | 668 | 66.73% | 217 | 21.68% | 116 | 11.59% |
| 1908 | 600 | 45.05% | 684 | 51.35% | 48 | 3.60% |
| 1912 | 227 | 17.68% | 518 | 40.34% | 539 | 41.98% |
| 1916 | 591 | 37.64% | 914 | 58.22% | 65 | 4.14% |
| 1920 | 1,630 | 65.12% | 756 | 30.20% | 117 | 4.67% |
| 1924 | 1,506 | 42.48% | 814 | 22.96% | 1,225 | 34.56% |
| 1928 | 3,028 | 70.71% | 1,238 | 28.91% | 16 | 0.37% |
| 1932 | 1,772 | 39.16% | 2,688 | 59.40% | 65 | 1.44% |
| 1936 | 1,711 | 36.69% | 2,900 | 62.19% | 52 | 1.12% |
| 1940 | 2,942 | 57.27% | 2,195 | 42.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 2,994 | 63.30% | 1,736 | 36.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 2,351 | 53.75% | 2,023 | 46.25% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 4,426 | 78.13% | 1,239 | 21.87% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 2,991 | 68.71% | 1,362 | 31.29% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 3,157 | 62.60% | 1,886 | 37.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 2,725 | 58.07% | 1,968 | 41.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 2,728 | 67.47% | 1,052 | 26.02% | 263 | 6.51% |
| 1972 | 3,431 | 78.14% | 960 | 21.86% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 2,956 | 64.56% | 1,516 | 33.11% | 107 | 2.34% |
| 1980 | 3,912 | 70.72% | 1,208 | 21.84% | 412 | 7.45% |
| 1984 | 4,011 | 72.60% | 1,471 | 26.62% | 43 | 0.78% |
| 1988 | 3,253 | 56.42% | 2,468 | 42.80% | 45 | 0.78% |
| 1992 | 2,203 | 38.74% | 1,942 | 34.15% | 1,542 | 27.11% |
| 1996 | 2,458 | 49.41% | 1,782 | 35.82% | 735 | 14.77% |
| 2000 | 3,208 | 63.04% | 1,614 | 31.72% | 267 | 5.25% |
| 2004 | 3,396 | 65.92% | 1,657 | 32.16% | 99 | 1.92% |
| 2008 | 2,932 | 58.89% | 1,886 | 37.88% | 161 | 3.23% |
| 2012 | 2,869 | 60.98% | 1,692 | 35.96% | 144 | 3.06% |
| 2016 | 3,617 | 73.46% | 965 | 19.60% | 342 | 6.95% |
| 2020 | 4,002 | 76.96% | 1,051 | 20.21% | 147 | 2.83% |
| 2024 | 3,827 | 77.52% | 1,043 | 21.13% | 67 | 1.36% |
Notable people
- Robert Ball Anderson, early homesteader