Arthur County

General

Population:  434
Land area (sq. mi.):  715.15
Population per square mile:  0.6

Race and Age

Race 2020

White:  92.0%
African American:  0.7%
American Indian:  0.0%
Asian:  0.0%
Hispanic:  2.8%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander:  0.0%
Two or More Races:  4.4%

Age 2020

0-17:  25.3%
18-64:  53.3%
65+:  21.4%

Households

Total households:  174  2020
With one child:  20  2022
With 2+ children:  30  2022
With seniors (65+):  50  2022

Socioeconomics

Personal income per capita:  $44,552  2021
% of population in poverty:  14.1%  2022
# of housing units:  226  2020
2023 housing unit building permits:  0
Owner-occupied rate:  68.4%  2020
Median home price:  $213,340  Q1 2024

Technology

Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable model):  75.5%  2021

Sources: National Association of Realtors, Nebraska Department of Revenue, Nebraska Legislature, Nebraska Library Commission, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Census Bureau (building permits), U.S. Census Bureau (demographics), U.S. Census Bureau (municipalities)

Employment and Schools

Unemployment rate:  2.8%  Sept. 2024

County Employment Website:  https://nebraskacounties.org/nebraska-counties/county-employment-opportunities.html

High school graduate or higher:  95.8%  2020

Bachelor's degree or higher:  24.1%  2020

Community College Service Area:  Mid-Plains Community College

School District:  Arthur County Schools

Arthur County Economy

Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP):  $16,084,000  2022

Nonfarm Small Business Receipts:  $5,641,955  2021

Nonfarm Wage Income:  $4,039,000  2022

• Nonfarm small business receipts are reported by partnerships & sole proprietorships and do not include receipts reported by cooperative associations. Nonfarm wage income may include wages earned from Arthur County businesses by commuters or teleworkers residing outside of Nebraska.

Farm & Ranch Commodity Sales Receipts:  $39,338,000  2022

Farm & Ranch Operations (Non-Sales) Receipts:  $1,665,000  2022

• Farm & ranch receipt totals for commodity sales and operations are reported by producers operating principally in Arthur County and include those producers' receipts from production in other counties. The totals do not include receipts from sales and operations in Arthur County reported by producers operating principally in other counties.

Cattle Producers:  79  

• Pastureland Cash Rent (avg.):  $18/acre/yr  2024

Crop Producers:  32  

• Irrigated Land Cash Rent (avg.):  $166/acre/yr  2024

Local Grain Market:  Click for today's grain prices per bushel in Arthur County

Electricity Providers:  PREMA, Wheat Belt PPD  

Well Locations (Irrigation/Livestock), Soils, Groundwater & Surface Water

Total Irrigation/Livestock Wells:  501  2024

Agricultural Wells per Square Mile:  0.70  2024

Click for real time:

Groundwater level data in Arthur County (15 mi. northeast of Arthur)

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 Health and Human Services, Nebraska Department of Revenue, Nebraska Department of Transportation, Nebraska Office of the CIO, Nebraska Power Review Board, Nebraska Public Service Commission, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of the Treasury (IRS), Warehouse and Commodity Management Division (USDA)

2023 Levies and Valuations

County levy rate: $0.2231 per $100 of taxable valuation

County property taxes levied: $591,456

Total local government property taxes levied: $3,240,892

Total countywide taxable valuation: $265,114,508

Click here for all levy rates in Arthur County

Agricultural Land Valuation Market Area

Commercial Land Valuation Group

Residential Land Valuation Group

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-Elect: Paul E. Strommen

State Senator: Steve Erdman (District 47)

Standing Committees (click for scheduled committee hearings): 

• Appropriations

Select Committees:

• Rules (chairperson)
• Committee on Committees

Map and statistics for Legislative District 47

Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature

Arthur County History

Number of Registered Historic Places: 2

Year Authorized: 1913

Year Organized: 1913

Etymology: Chester Arthur (21st U.S. president)

     Arthur County bears the distinction of being Nebraska’s last organized county. Originally part of McPherson County, Arthur County was truly the final frontier for expansion in Nebraska. The Kinkaid Act of 1904 stimulated additional settlement of the southern Sandhill region, which added nearly 2,000 residents between 1900 and 1910. The population increase spurred calls to partition McPherson County in half, as well as led to a new federal survey of the area as shown by the 1910-1913 township resurvey maps at the links below.

     The Nebraska Legislature concurred in partitioning McPherson County and passed legislation authorizing the organization of Arthur County in 1913. The county was named after Chester A. Arthur, who became the 21st president of the United States following the assassination of President James A. Garfield in 1881.

     Today, Arthur County retains strong ties to its proud history of self-sufficiency, frontier ingenuity, and local self-government. In the 2022 election, the county produced the highest voter turnout in the state with 76%. The map below, taken from the 1950 U.S. Census, displays election precincts established early in the county's history.

Arthur County Historical Township & Range Maps

Arthur County Excellence

Every two years, the Arthur County Courthouse hosts local high school juniors and seniors for Local Government Day. County officials and employees eat lunch with the students and provide information about the important work done by the Arthur County government.

Local Highlights

License Plate Number:  91

Time Zone:  Mountain

Number of Veterans:  24  2023

Zoned County:  Yes

County Library:  Arthur County Library

Election Data

General Election Turnout:  84.21%  2024

Total Registered Voters:  341  2024

Number of Precincts:  1  2022

Number of Election Day Polling Places:  1  2022

Land Area per Polling Place:  718.10 sq. miles  

Intergovernmental Data

Emergency Mgt. Planning, Exercise and Training (PET) Region: North Central/Sandhills

Natural Resource District: Twin Platte NRD

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. Election Assistance Commission, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (eCFR)