- General Info
- Demographics
- Education and Employment
- Valuation and Taxes Levied
- State Senators
- History
- County Programs
- Other Information
Communities & Development
Boyd County Seat: Butte
Total County Population (2020): 1,810
- Villages (pop.): Anoka (10), Bristow, (70), Butte (286), Gross (3), Lynch (194), Monowi (1), Naper (89), Spencer (408)
- Unincorporated Pop. (% of county pop.): 749 (41%)
Land Development (2022) (% of total land in county):
- Agriculture: 90%
- By method: Pasture (pure grassland (62%), Dryland (row crop/grain/forage) (26%), Irrigated (row crop/grain/forage) (3%) • Neb. Dept. of Rev. - total equals agriculture's %
- By commodity: Livestock (grassland) 60%, Corn 12%, Soybeans 7%, Alfalfa 6%, Oats 1% • USDA (NLCD) - equals agriculture's % plus some wetlands (3%) and some wooded grazing land (6%) and minus public grassland/wetlands and reserve
- Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Conservation Reserve & Exempt (combined): 10%
County Offices
Courthouse Address and Hours:
401 Thayer Street
Butte, Nebraska 68722
M-F 8:15 am - 4:00 pm
County Board Chairperson: Alan Nicolaus
Complete list of county board members
County Board Meetings: 4th 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
General
Population: 1,810
Land area (sq. mi.): 539.94
Population per square mile: 3.4
Race & Age
Race
White: 95.2%
African American: 0.0%
American Indian: 0.6%
Asian: 0.0%
Hispanic: 1.8%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 0.0%
Two or More Races: 2.2%
Age
0-17: 19.0%
18-64: 51.1%
65+: 29.9%
Socioeconomics
Personal income per capita: $74,685
% of population in poverty: 12.9%
# of housing units: 1,226
Owner-occupied rate: 80.9%
Median home price: $100,400
Technology
Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable model): 99.4%
Sources: National Association of Realtors, Nebraska Library Commission, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Census Bureau
Employment, Schools, and Child Care
Unemployment rate: 2.2% (as of September 2022)
County Employment Website: https://nebraskacounties.org/nebraska-counties/county-employment-opportunities.html
High school graduate or higher: 96.2%
School Districts: Boyd County Schools, Keya Paha Schools
Bachelor's degree or higher: 18.3%
Community College Service Area: Northeast Community College
Boyd County Economy
Annual Gross Domestic Product (2020): $103,868,000
Cattle Producers: 187
- Pastureland Cash Rent (avg.): $38/acre
Crop Producers: 38
- Dryland Cash Rent (avg.): $110/acre
Grain Co-ops and Purchasers: Farmers Union Co-Op Association, Farmers Union Co-Op Elevator Co.
Local Grain Market: Click for today's grain prices in Boyd County
Electricity Providers: City of Spencer, Nebraska PPD, Niobrara Valley Electric Membership Corp.
Well Locations (Irrigation/Livestock), Soils, Groundwater & Surface Water
Total Irrigation/Livestock Wells: 154
Surface Water Diversions (Irrigation): 83
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 Valuations
County levy rate: $0.3262 per $100 of taxable valuation
County property taxes levied: $1,963,449
Total local government property taxes levied: $7,098,814
Total countywide taxable valuation: $601,978,692
Click here for all levy rates in Boyd County
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.
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) (Valuation of agricultural land and horticultural land): "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: Tom Brewer (District 43)
Standing Committees (click for scheduled committee hearings):
Special Committees:
- State-Tribal Relations
Map and statistics for Legislative District 43
Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature
Boyd County History
Number of Registered Historic Places: 5
Year Authorized: 1891
Year Organized: 1891
Etymology: James Boyd (Nebraska’s 8th Governor)
One of Boyd County’s defining characteristics is its unique geography. Bordered by the Missouri River to the northeast and the Niobrara River to the South, the county measures 48 miles from east to west, but only 6-15 miles north to south. As implied by the name of the county’s seat, Butte, there are several rock formations across the county, some of which reach 200 high. These buttes are composed of multiple layers of hard rock, sand, clay, and shale, consistent with other formations caused by wind and weather erosion.
As with most Nebraska counties, Boyd County was originally inhabited by Native Americans. In the 1880’s, the U.S. government wanted to open the Sioux Reservation for settlement. However, the Sioux resisted, concerned about the scarcity and allocation of the area’s natural resources. Local accounts recall the Sioux chief’s plea, “We cannot eat dirt.” Pressure from government and military officials mounted, and the Sioux tribe eventually acquiesced.
In 1891, the Nebraska Legislature organized the county and named it after then-Governor James E. Boyd. Although Nebraska gained territory from South Dakota in 1867, the state line had not been accurately surveyed in 1895. For a time, settlers in some parts of Boyd County were unsure of their actual state of residence. Today, Boyd County is part of a seven-county area referred to as the “Nebraska Outback” by a tourism campaign highlighting the region’s natural beauty, frontier landscapes, and remote destinations.
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Local Highlights
License Plate Number: 63
Time Zone: Central
Number of Veterans: 168
Zoned County: Yes
Number of County-Owned Bridges: 44
Number of County-Owned Dams: 2
Election Data
General Election Turnout % (2022): 71.01%
Total Registered Voters (2020): 1,390
Number of Precincts (2020): 3
Number of Election Day Polling Places (2020): 3
Land Area per Polling Place (2020): 179.98 sq. miles
Intergovernmental Data
Emergency Mgt. Planning, Exercise and Training (PET) Region: North Central/Sandhills
Natural Resource District: Lower Niobrara NRD
State Lands (acres): Hull Lake WMA (5.5), Parshall Bridge WMA (226.51), Sunshine Bottoms WMA (4.94)
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)