- General Info
- Demographics
- Education and Employment
- Valuation and Taxes Levied
- State Senators
- History
- County Programs
- Other Information
Communities & Development
Antelope County Seat: Neligh
Total County Population (2020): 6,295
- Cities (pop. & class): Elgin (718 • 2nd Class), Neligh (1,538 • 2nd Class), Tilden (Antelope Co. portion) (294 • 2nd Class)
- Villages (pop.): Brunswick (153), Clearwater (319), Oakdale (279), Orchard (360), Royal (56)
- Unincorporated Population (% of county pop.): 2,576 (41%)
Land Development (2022) (% of total land in county):
- Agriculture: 88%
- By method: Irrigated (row crop/grain/forage) (56%), Pasture (pure grassland) (19%), Dryland (row crop/grain/forage) (13%) • Neb. Dept. of Rev. - total equals agriculture's %
- By commodity: Corn 39%, Soybeans 24%, Livestock (grassland) 21%, Alfalfa 3%, Popcorn 1% • USDA (NLCD) - equals agriculture's % plus some wetlands (3%) and some wooded grazing land (3%) and minus public grassland/wetlands and reserve
- Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Conservation Reserve & Exempt (combined): 10%
- Timber: 2%
County Offices
Courthouse Address and Hours:
501 Main Street
Neligh, Nebraska 68756
M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
County Board Chairperson: Charles Henery
Complete list of county board members
County Board Meetings: 1st & 2nd Tuesday
View the County's Government Maps
NACO District: Northeast
President: Lisa Lunz, Dixon County Supervisor
Vice President: Sandy Zoubek, Stanton County Treasurer
Secretary: Katie Hart, Burt County Assessor
Treasurer: Krista Nix, Knox County Deputy Clerk
NACO Board Representative: Bill Tielke, Holt County Supervisor
Click for a live look at Antelope County (northwest of Brunswick)
General
Population (2020): 6,295
Land area (sq. mi.): 857.16
Population per square mile: 7.3
Race & Age
Race
White: 93.7%
African American: 0.3%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 0.3%
Hispanic: 3.5%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 0.0%
Two or More Races: 1.8%
Age
0-17: 24.4%
18-64: 51.3%
65+: 24.4%
Socioeconomics
Personal income per capita: $74,129
% of population in poverty: 10.4%
# of housing units: 3,112
Owner-occupied rate: 74.5%
Median home price: $96,970
Technology
Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable model): 54.4%
Antelope County Historical Populations
Antelope County | 2020 | 2010 | 2000 | 1990 | 1980 | 1970 | 1960 | ||||||
Incorporated | 3,719 | 3,905 | 4,095 | 4,171 | 4,570 | 4,445 | 4,528 | ||||||
Unincorporated | 2,576 | 2,780 | 3,357 | 3,794 | 4,105 | 4,602 | 5,648 | ||||||
Total | 6,295 | 6,685 | 7,452 | 7,965 | 8,675 | 9,047 | 10,176 | ||||||
Municipalities | |||||||||||||
Elgin (city) | 717 | 661 | 735 | 731 | 807 | 917 | 881 | ||||||
Neligh (city) | 1,536 | 1,599 | 1,651 | 1,742 | 1,893 | 1,764 | 1,776 | ||||||
Tilden (city) | 297 | 324 | 335 | 233 | 293 | 262 | 288 | ||||||
Brunswick (village) | 152 | 138 | 179 | 182 | 409 | 398 | 418 | ||||||
Clearwater (village) | 320 | 419 | 384 | 401 | 190 | 229 | 254 | ||||||
Oakdale (village) | 276 | 322 | 345 | 362 | 482 | 467 | 421 | ||||||
Orchard (village) | 363 | 379 | 391 | 439 | 410 | 322 | 397 | ||||||
Royal (village) | 58 | 63 | 75 | 81 | 86 | 86 | 93 | ||||||
Townships (also includes village populations) | |||||||||||||
Bazile township | 174 | 175 | 189 | ||||||||||
Blaine township | 119 | 148 | 198 | ||||||||||
Burnett township | 150 | 175 | 225 | ||||||||||
Cedar township | 108 | 137 | 199 | ||||||||||
Clearwater township | 442 | 554 | 630 | ||||||||||
Crawford township | 102 | 116 | 217 | ||||||||||
Custer township | 84 | 78 | 154 | ||||||||||
Eden township | 84 | 121 | 164 | ||||||||||
Elgin township | 106 | 89 | 151 | ||||||||||
Ellsworth township | 261 | 249 | 348 | ||||||||||
Elm township | 81 | 82 | 103 | ||||||||||
Frenchtown township | 131 | 159 | 173 | ||||||||||
Garfield township | 499 | 498 | 653 | ||||||||||
Grant township | 57 | 67 | 141 | ||||||||||
Lincoln township | 87 | 84 | 126 | ||||||||||
Logan township | 833 | 811 | 1,064 | ||||||||||
Neligh township | 242 | 271 | 369 | ||||||||||
Oakdale township | 392 | 407 | 571 | ||||||||||
Ord township | 77 | 79 | 114 | ||||||||||
Royal township | 138 | 163 | 253 | ||||||||||
Sherman township | 112 | 103 | 119 | ||||||||||
Stanton township | 72 | 68 | 147 | ||||||||||
Verdigris township | 65 | 78 | 83 | ||||||||||
Willow township | 46 | 50 | 98 | ||||||||||
Sources: National Association of Realtors, Nebraska Library Commission, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Census Bureau (DP-1 Profile of General Demographic Characteristics)
Employment, Schools, and Child Care
Unemployment rate: 1.6% (as of September 2022)
County Employment Website: https://antelopecounty.nebraska.gov/available-positions
High school graduate or higher: 92.0%
School Districts: Creighton Community Public Schools, Elgin Public Schools, Elkhorn Valley Schools, Neligh-Oakdale Schools, Plainview Public Schools, Summerland Public Schools
Bachelor's degree or higher: 18.0%
Community College Service Area: Northeast Community College
Countywide child care capacity: 16 providers; 215 children
Find child care: For a list of child care providers in your zip code, visit Nebraska DHHS or the Nebraska Resource and Referral System.
Antelope County Economy
Annual Gross Domestic Product (2020): $596,589,000
Cattle Producers: 144 (26,500 cattle)
- Pastureland Cash Rent (avg.): $47/acre
Crop Producers: 335
- Dryland Cash Rent (avg.): $136/acre
Dairy Producers: 7
Grain Co-Ops & Purchasers: Aurora Cooperative, Central Valley Ag, Farmers Pride, Niewohner Farms
Local Grain Market: Click for today's grain prices in Antelope County
Farmers Markets: Neligh Farmers Market (June - October, Saturdays 8:30 - 11 a.m.)
Electricity Providers: City of Neligh, Elkhorn Rural PPD, Nebraska PPD, North Central PPD, WAPA
Wind Turbines Operating (MW): 307 turbines (675,860 MW total)
Rail-served Communities: Brunswick, Orchard, Royal
Well Locations (Irrigation/Livestock), Soils, Groundwater & Surface Water
Total Irrigation/Livestock Wells: 2,933
Surface Water Diversions (Irrigation): 87
Click the section numbers in the grid below the map for annual groundwater levels.
Note: Geocodes in the map's squares are in the grid next to Township & Range (T&R).
Sources: National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA), Nebraska Cooperative Council, Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, Nebraska Department of Transportation, Nebraska Office of the CIO, Nebraska Power Review Board, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau
2022 Levies and Valuation
County levy rate: $0.3013 per $100 of taxable valuation
County property taxes levied: $7,797,087
Total local government property taxes levied: $32,227,007
Total countywide taxable valuation: $2,588,086,578
Click here for all levy rates in Antelope County
Agricultural Land Valuation Market Areas
Commercial Land Valuation Groups
Residential Land Valuation Groups
County Levy and Taxation Laws
Levy limits
Since 1996, counties and other political subdivisions have been subject to the levy limits listed in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-3442 and Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-3443.
Property tax statutes and regulations
Nebraska Revised Statutes (Chapter 77)
Nebraska Administrative Code (Title 350)
Local tax reductions, exemptions, and credits:
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-902(5)(a) (Deed "stamp tax" exemption): "The [stamp tax] shall not apply to: ... (5)(a) Deeds between spouses, between ex-spouses for the purpose of conveying any rights to property acquired or held during the marriage, or between parent and child, without actual consideration therefor."
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-201(2) (Agricultural land horticultural assessment): "Agricultural land and horticultural land as defined in section 77-1359 shall constitute a separate and distinct class of property for purposes of property taxation, shall be subject to taxation, unless expressly exempt from taxation, and shall be valued at seventy-five percent of its actual value, except that for school district taxes levied to pay the principal and interest on bonds that are approved by a vote of the people on or after January 1, 2022, such land shall be valued at fifty percent of its actual value."
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-6703(1) (Tax credit for school district taxes paid): "(1) For taxable years beginning or deemed to begin on or after January 1, 2020, under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, there shall be allowed to each eligible taxpayer a refundable credit against the income tax imposed by the Nebraska Revenue Act of 1967 or against the franchise tax imposed by sections 77-3801 to 77-3807. The credit shall be equal to the credit percentage for the taxable year, as set by the department under subsection (2) of this section, multiplied by the amount of school district taxes paid by the eligible taxpayer during such taxable year."
Sources: Nebraska Department of Revenue
State Senator: Barry DeKay (District 40)
Standing Committees (click for scheduled committee hearings):
Special Committees:
- State-Tribal Relations (vice-chairperson)
- Justice Reinvestment Oversight
- Statewide Tourism and Recreation Water Access and Resource Sustainability
Map and statistics for Legislative District 40
Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature
Antelope County History
Number of Registered Historic Places: 12
Year Authorized: 1871
Year Organized: 1871
Etymology: Local pronghorn antelope
In 1846, a colony of Mormons were among the first Europeans to pass through Antelope County. Twelve years later, when the area was first federally surveyed in 1858, the road which they had established on their way to Utah remained visible in the local soil. As can be seen at the links below, federally-contracted surveyors sketched the Mormon Road on their maps of what would become Bazile and Crawford townships.
Then sometime in the years that followed, according to local tradition, a posse pursuing a party of livestock thieves in northeast Nebraska ran low on food and survived by hunting the local pronghorn (although these animals are not true antelopes, they are known as such throughout North America, especially on the plains). So in 1871, when the State Legislature was drawing the fledging county’s boundaries and considering names, then-State Senator Leander Gerrard recalled the posse’s adventure and suggested the name Antelope County.
Oakdale initially became the county’s temporary seat as a result of a delayed messenger. John Neligh had been exploring the Elkhorn River Valley when he decided to purchase over 500 acres of land and persuade county officials to select his site as the county’s seat. He dispatched a messenger to declare his intentions to Antelope County voters, but the messenger got lost and failed to arrive in time for election day. Oakdale triumphed in the election as Antelope Valley’s seat, but the victory was short-lived. During the construction of the new courthouse, a fire burned the building to the ground, and afterwards, a new election for county seat was held. Neligh, a more centrally located site with an extremely vocal advocate in its founder, was selected by residents as the new county seat.
Among the hallmarks of early Antelope County were its fruit trees, including apple, plum, and cherry. The Neligh Mill was also a critical part of Antelope County, processing hundreds of thousands of bushels of wheat. Today, the mill is a popular tourist destination, as are the Ashfall Fossil Beds, home to well-preserved fossils of ancient hippos, rhinoceroses, horses, and camels. Grove Lake is also a popular destination for fishing, holding the state record for bluegill (2 lb. 13 oz.).
Antelope County Historical Township & Range Maps
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Local Highlights
License Plate Number: 26
Time Zone: Central
Number of Veterans: 448
Zoned County: Yes
Number of County-Owned Bridges: 132
Election Data
General Election Turnout % (2022): 56.80%
Total Registered Voters (2020): 4,568
Number of Precincts (2020): 13
Number of Election Day Polling Places (2020): 8
Land Area per Polling Place (2020): 107.15 sq. miles
Intergovernmental Data
Emergency Mgt. Planning, Exercise and Training (PET) Region: Northeast
Natural Resource Districts: Upper Elkhorn NRD, Lower Elkhorn NRD
State Lands (acres): Grove Lake WMA (1,984.86), Hackberry Creek WMA (233.79), Red Wing WMA (320)
Sources: Nebraska Department of Transportation, Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, Nebraska Legislature, Nebraska Office of the CIO, Nebraska Secretary of State, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (eCFR)