Cheyenne County

General

Population:  9,468
Land area (sq. mi.):  1,196.01
Population per square mile:  7.9

Race & Age

Race  2020

White:  87%
African American:  0.5%
American Indian:  0.3%
Asian:  0.8%
Hispanic:  7.9%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander:  0.0%
Two or More Races:  3.0%

Age  2020

0-17:  23.4%
18-64:  54.7%
65+:  21.8%

Households

Total households:  4,168  2020
With one child:  450  2022
With 2+ children:  630  2022
With seniors (65+):  1,100  2022

Socioeconomics

Personal income per capita:  $50,654  2021
% of Population in Poverty:  12.0%  2022
# of Housing Units:  4,891  2020
2023 housing unit building permits:  5
Owner-occupied rate:  69.4%  2020
Median home price:  $140,390  Q1 2024

Technology

Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable modem):  62.6%  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, Schools, and Child Care

Unemployment rate:  2.3%  Sept. 2024

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

High school graduate or higher:  94.6%  2020

School Districts:  Creek Valley Schools, Leyton Public Schools, Potter-Dix Public Schools, Sidney Public Schools

Bachelor's degree or higher:  25.5%  2020

Community College Service Area:  Western Community College

Countywide child care capacity:  5 providers; 336 children  2024

Find child care:  For a list of child care providers in your zip code, visit Nebraska DHHS or the Nebraska Resource and Referral System.

Cheyenne County Economy

Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP):  $678,298,000  2022

Nonfarm Small Business Receipts:  $107,938,951  2021

Nonfarm Wage Income:  $170,298,000  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 Cheyenne County businesses by commuters or teleworkers residing outside of Nebraska.

Farm & Ranch Commodity Sales Receipts:  $192,584,00  2022

Farm & Ranch Operations (Non-Sales) Receipts:  $21,499,000  2022

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

Cattle Producers:  127

• Pastureland Cash Rent (avg.):  $16/acre  2024

Crop Producers:  106

Grain Elevators by Location (bushels capacity):

• Dalton: Crossroads (549,000)
• Gurley: Crossroads (2,955,000)
• Huntsman: Crossroads (450,000)
• Lodgepole: FVC (650,000)
• Lorenzo: Crossroads (1,046,000)
• Potter: Crossroads (1,206,000)
• Sidney: The Scoular Company (5,002,810)
• (1 bushel = 56 lbs. corn/sorghum, 60 lbs. soybeans/wheat; % max. moisture = 18% beans, 15.5% corn, 14% sorghum/soybeans, 13.5% wheat)

Railroad Miles:  115.54 main, 25.39 side

• Places with Railroad Service:  Dalton, Gurley, Lodgepole, Lorenzo, Potter, Sidney, Sunal

Local Grain Market:  Click for today's grain prices in Cheyenne County

Farmers Markets:  Sidney Farmers Market (June - September, Saturdays 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.)

Oil & Gas Wells Producing (barrels of oil & thousand cubic ft. of gas/yr.):  96 wells (115,940 barrels; 2,394 MCF Casinghead Gas; 260,200 MCF Dry Gas)  2023

Electricity Providers:  City of Lodgepole, City of Sidney, High West Energy, Western Area Power Administration, Wheat Belt PPD

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

Total Irrigation/Livestock Wells:  746  2024

Agricultural Wells per Square Mile:  0.61  2024

Surface Water Diversions (Irrigation):  30  2024

Click for real time:

Groundwater level data four miles north of Sidney

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:  $0.4075 per $100 of taxable valuation

County property taxes levied:  $6,264,353

Total local government property taxes levied:  $28,155,652

Total countywide taxable valuation:  $1,537,261,704

Click here for all levy rates in Cheyenne 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-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

Cheyenne County History

Number of Registered Historic Places: 12

Year Authorized: 1871

Year Organized: 1871

Etymology: Cheyenne Native American tribe

     The development of Cheyenne County can be traced to the Oregon and Mormon Trails, which brought settlers to and through the area in the 1840’s. The proliferation of settlers and subsequent displacement of Native American tribes accelerated as the Union Pacific Railroad continued its expansion through western Nebraska. The county draws its name from the Cheyenne tribe who inhabited the land prior to arrival of settlers. In 1867, as the railroad moved into Wyoming, the southern half of Cheyenne County witnessed rapid development. Cheyenne County was formally established in June of 1871, comprising the southern half of the Panhandle. Later, Kimball, Banner, Deuel, Morrill, and Scotts Bluff County were carved from Cheyenne.

     The railroad encampment (called “Sidney” after the Union Pacific Railroad president Sidney Dillion) gave rise to a town that quickly developed a wild and untamed reputation. Though earnest citizens worked hard to develop Sidney, the town’s population and raucous activities were dominated by railroad workers, cowboys fresh off the cattle drives, freight workers, soldiers, horse thieves, and outlaws (Sidney claims Calamity Jane as a former resident). Though Sidney would eventually become the county seat, it was initially known as “Sinful Sidney” and the “Wickedest Town in the West.”

     However, like many frontier counties, law and order gradually found its way to Cheyenne County, and its towns soon boasted schools, newspapers, and bustling business districts. Originally created to establish a military presence on the western plains, Fort Sidney eventually gave way to the Sioux Ordnance Depot in World War II. The Depot was a 19,000-acre munitions storage facility, the construction of which prompted an economic boom in the 1940’s. The county’s economic fortunes also rose as oil companies began sinking wells amid the ranchland. Later, the construction of Interstate 80 brought traffic directly through the heart of the county and further bolstered development.

Highlight an important program in your county in this space! Send an email to:

luke.bonkiewicz@nebraskacounties.org

Local Highlights

License Plate Number:  39

Time Zone:  Mountain

Number of Veterans:  681  2023

Zoned County:  Yes

County Hospital:  Cheyenne County Hospital Association (Sidney Regional Medical Center)

Number of County-Owned Bridges:  83

Election Data

General Election Turnout:  72.48%  2024

Total Registered Voters:  6,352  2024

Number of Precincts:  9  2022

Number of Election Day Polling Places:  5  2022

Land Area per Polling Place (avg.):  239.22 sq. miles

Intergovernmental Data

Emergency Mgt. Planning, Exercise and Training (PET) Region: Panhandle

Natural Resource District: South Platte NRD

State Lands (acres): High Plains Ag Lab (799), Sidney Rest Area EB (14.6), Sidney Rest Area WB (20.6)

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)