- General Info
- Demographics
- Education and Employment
- Valuation and Taxes Levied
- State Senators
- History
- County Programs
- Other Information
Communities & Development
Dixon County Seat: Ponca
Total County Population: 5,606
- Cities (pop. & class): Ponca (907 • 2nd Class), Wakefield (1,216 • 2nd Class)
- Villages (pop.): Allen (355), Concord (126), Dixon (77), Emerson (396), Martinsburg (78), Maskell (58), Newcastle (272), Waterbury (72)
- Unincorporated Pop. (% of county pop.): 2,049 (37%) 2020
Land Development (% of total land in county):
- Agriculture: 91%
- By method: Dryland (row crop/grain/forage) (65%); Pasture (pure grassland) (15%); Irrigated (row crop/grain/forage) (12%) • Neb. Dept. of Rev. - total equals agriculture's %
- By commodity: Corn 41%, Soybeans 36%, Livestock (grassland) 14%, Alfalfa 3%, Other Hay 1% • USDA - equals agriculture's % plus some wetlands (1%) and minus public grassland/wetlands and reserve
- Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Conservation Reserve & Exempt (combined): 7%
- Timber: 2% 2022
County Offices
Courthouse Address and Hours:
302 3rd Street
Ponca, Nebraska 68770
M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
County Board Chairperson: Lisa Lunz
Complete list of county board members
County Board Meetings: 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: Kim Kwapnioski, Platte County Supervisor
General
Population: 5,606
Land area (sq. mi.): 476.11
Population per square mile: 4.2
Race
Race 2020
White: 82.8%
African American: 0.3%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 0.3%
Hispanic: 14.2%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 0.0%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 1.9%
Age 2020
0-17: 25.2%
18-64: 53.4%
65+: 21.4%
Households
Total households: 2,206 2020
With one child: 280 2022
With 2+ children: 420 2022
With seniors (65+): 670 2022
Socioeconomics
Personal income per capita: $55,069 2021
% of Population in Poverty: 9.6% 2022
# of Housing Units: 2,520 2020
2023 housing unit building permits: 10
Owner-occupied rate: 77.5% 2020
Median home price: $130,790 Q1 2024
Technology
Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable modem): 84.5% 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, Schools, and Child Care
Unemployment rate: 1.9% Sept. 2024
County Employment Website: https://dixoncountyne.gov/webpages/links/public_notices.html
High school graduate or higher: 89.9% 2020
School Districts: Allen Consolidated Schools, Hartington Newcastle Public Schools, Emerson-Hubbard Public Schools, Laural-Concord-Coleridge School, Ponca Public Schools, Wakefield Public Schools, Wayne Community Schools, Wynot Public Schools
Bachelor's degree or higher: 20.7% 2020
Community College Service Area: Northeast Community College
Countywide child care capacity: 4 providers; 102 children 2023
Find child care: For a list of child care providers in your zip code, visit Nebraska DHHS or the Nebraska Resource and Referral System.
Dixon County Economy
Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $421,799,000 2022
Nonfarm Small Business Receipts: $46,847,545 2021
- Nonfarm small business receipts are reported by partnerships & sole proprietorships and do not include receipts reported by cooperative associations.
Nonfarm Wage Income: $109,716,000 2022
Farm & Ranch Commodity Sales Receipts: $340,922,000 2022
Farm & Ranch Operations (Non-Sales) Receipts: $14,778,000 2022
- Farm & ranch receipt totals for commodity sales and operations are reported by producers operating principally in Dixon County and include those producers' receipts from production in other counties. The totals do not include receipts from sales and operations in Dixon County reported by producers operating principally in other counties.
Cattle Producers: 215
- Pastureland Cash Rent (avg.): $63/acre 2024
Crop Producers: 83
- Dryland Cash Rent (avg.): $235/acre 2024
Dairy Producers: 1
Grain Elevators by Location (bushels capacity):
- Dixon: Dixon Elevator (1,406,917)
- Randolph: Dixon Elevator (1,727,000), Dixon Elevator (588,624)
- Wakefield: CVA (1,780,000)
- (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: 18.16 main, 1.01 side
- Places with Railroad Service: Allen, Dixon, Waterbury
Farmers Markets:
- Dixon County Farmers Market (May to October, Every 2nd and 4th Friday (4-7 PM) & Saturday (9:00 PM - 1:00 PM)
- The Wakefield Market (Monthly from May through Nov., days and times subject to change)
Local Grain Market: Click for today's grain prices in Dixon County
Electricity Providers: Cedar-Knox PPD, City of Emerson, City of Wakefield, Northeast Power
Wind Turbines Operating (MW): 101 turbines (318,150 MW total)
Well Locations (Irrigation/Livestock), Soils, Groundwater & Surface Water
Total Irrigation/Livestock Wells: 332 2024
Agricultural Wells per Square Mile: 0.75 2024
Surface Water Diversions (Irrigation): 63 2024
Click for real time:
Streamflow data on the Missouri River near Maskell
Streamflow data on Logan Creek at Wakefield
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)
2022 Levies and Valuation
County levy rate: $0.2647 per $100 of taxable valuation
County property taxes levied: $4,575,467
Total local government property taxes levied: $22,042,971
Total countywide taxable valuation: $1,728,323,598
Click here for all levy rates in Dixon 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: Glen Meyer
State Senator: Joni Albrecht (District 17)
Committees: Agriculture, Business and Labor, Government, Military and Veterans Affairs
Map and statistics for Legislative District 17
State Senator: Barry DeKay (District 40)
Committees: Agriculture, Business and Labor, Government, Military and Veterans Affairs
Map and statistics for Legislative District 40
Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature
Dixon County History
Number of Registered Historic Places: 6
Year Authorized: 1856
Year Organized: 1858
Etymology: Dixon family (early Nebraska settlers)
Long before Lewis and Clark ventured into what would become Dixon County, the Omaha and Ponca Native American tribes inhabited the area, most prominently near the county seat which today bears the latter’s name. According to local accounts, the first European settlers in the area ignored signs declaring the area “Indian Territory” and began staking claims and erecting buildings. In fact, local tradition holds that the first settlers called the first settlement “Ponca” in defiance of the Native Americans who claimed the land as their tribal grounds. Following pressure and intimidation, the Omaha and Ponca tribes ceded their land by treaty to the U.S. Government in 1854.
Settlers soon flooded the area, culminating in the county’s founding in 1856. Trading posts and small towns quickly emerged as pioneers cultivated the fertile soil near the rivers and streams, which also attracted trappers and brought traders from the east. As with nearly every other Nebraska county, weather strongly influenced the expansion and development of Dixon County. There were several grasshopper invasions in the 1870’s, which decimated crops and spurred some settlers to move west in search of gold. Droughts and wildfires in subsequent years also affected settlement and population shifts.
Nonetheless, Dixon County persevered and grew by several thousand residents in its earliest decades and now includes a total of 10 cities and towns. The name Dixon was taken from an early family of settlers, and Ponca, the county seat, reflects its first indigenous inhabitants. Ponca is also thought to be one of the oldest settlements in Nebraska, and its downtown district is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In contrast to its early days, several parts of the county are now heavily forested, particularly along the banks of the Missouri river. The county is also part of the Missouri National Recreational River which composes nearly 34,000 acres between Nebraska and South Dakota.
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Local Highlights
License Plate Number: 35
Time Zone: Central
Number of Veterans: 369 2023
Zoned County: No
Number of County-Owned Bridges: 114
Number of County-Owned Dams: 2
Election Data
Voter Turnout: 81.56% 2024
Number of Registered Voters: 3,622 2024
Number of Precincts: 10 2022
Number of Election Day Polling Places: All Voting by Mail
Intergovernmental Data
Emergency Mgt. Planning, Exercise and Training (PET) Region: Northeast
Natural Resource Districts: Upper Loup NRD
State Lands (acres): Buckskin Hills WMA (340), Elk Point Bend WMA (626.84), Haskell Ag Lab (480), Mulberry Bend WMA (6), Ponca State Park (2,123.63), Powder Creek WMA (467)
Federal Lands (acres): Mulberry Bend Overlook (31)
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)