Dundy County

General

Population:  1,654
Land area (sq. mi.):  919.68
Population per square mile:  1.8

Race & Age

Race  2020

White:  90.1%
African American:  0.4%
American Indian:  0.5%
Asian:  0.1%
Hispanic:  6.2%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander:  0.2%
Two or More Races:  2.2%

Age  2020

0-17:  19.9%
18-64:  53.9%
65+:  26.2%

Socioeconomics

Personal income per capita:  $88,332  2021
% of Population in Poverty:  13.1%  2022
# of Housing Units:  1,008  2020
2023 housing unit building permits:  3
Owner-occupied rate:  72.8%  2020
Median home price:  $151,950  Q1 2024

Technology

Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable modem):  0.4%  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:  1.8%  Sept. 2024

County Employment Website:  https://dundycounty.nebraska.gov/webpages/links/public_notices.html

High school graduate or higher:  87.9%  2020

School Districts:  Chase County Schools, Dundy County Stratton Public Schools, Wauneta-Palisade Public Schools

Bachelor's degree or higher:  28.1%  2020

Community College Service Area:  Mid-Plains Community College

Countywide child care capacity:  1 providers; 10 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.

Dundy County Economy

Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP):  $236,801,000  2022

Nonfarm Small Business Receipts:  $20,446,599  2021

Nonfarm Wage Income:  $25,682,000  2021

Farm and Ranch Commodity Sales Receipts:  $149,871,000  2022

Farm and Ranch Operations (Non-Sales) Receipts:  $17,524,000  2022

• For components of nonfarm small business receipts, nonfarm wage income, and farm & ranch commodity sales and operations receipts, see "Notes" below.

Grain Elevators by Location (bushels capacity):

• Benkelman: FVC (880,000), Viterra (4,226,000)
• (1 bushel = 56 lbs. corn/sorghum, 60 lbs. soybeans/wheat; % max. moisture = 18% beans, 15.5% corn, 14% sorghum/soybeans, 13.5% wheat)

Grain Co-ops and Purchasers:  Equity Exchange, Farmers Co-op Association, FVC

Railroad Miles:  41.56 main, 8.14 side

• Places with Railroad Service:  Dakota City, Homer, Jackson

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

Cattle Producers:  160

• Pastureland Cash Rent (avg.):  $20/acre  

Crop Producers:  127

• Dryland Cash Rent (avg.):  $48/acre  

Oil Wells Producing (barrels of oil):  202 wells (312,092 barrels)

Electricity Providers:  City of Benkelman, Southwest PPD, Y-W Electric Association

Rail-served Communities:  Benkelman, Haigler, Max, Parks

• Nonfarm small business receipts are reported by partnerships and sole proprietorships. They do not include receipts reported by cooperative associations.
• Nonfarm wage income is reported based upon the wage earner's residential address; therefore, it also includes wages earned by Dundy County residents in other counties or states, but it excludes wages earned in Dundy County by residents of other counties or states.
• Nonfarm wage income excludes wages earned by anyone claimed as a dependent.
• Farm and ranch commodity sales receipts and operations receipts are reported based upon the farm or ranch owner's principal county of operations; therefore, those figures also include receipts reported by producers operating principally in Dundy County for their production in other counties or states, but the figures exclude receipts reported for production in Dundy County by producers operating principally in other counties or states.

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

Total Irrigation/Livestock Wells:  1,200  2024

Irrigation/Livestock Wells per Square Mile:  1.30  2024

Surface Water Diversions (Irrigation):  32  2024

Click for real time:

Streamflow data on the Arikaree River near Haigler

Streamflow data on Buffalo Creek near Haigler

Streamflow data on Rock Creek at Parks

Streamflow data on the Republican River at Benkelman

Streamflow data on the South Fork of the Republican River near Benkelman

Streamflow data on the North Fork of the Republican River at the Nebraska-Colorado border

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 Valuation

County levy rate: $0.2779 per $100 of taxable valuation

County property taxes levied: $2,650,948

Total local government property taxes levied: $10,148,855

Total countywide taxable valuation: $953,922,860

Click here for all levy rates in Dundy 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: Teresa J. Ibach (District 44)

Standing Committees (click for scheduled committee hearings): 

• Agriculture (vice chairperson)
• Business and Labor (vice chairperson)
• Nebraska Retirement Systems (vice chairperson)
• Judiciary

Select Committees:

• Rules

Special Committees: 

• Building Maintenance
• Legislature's Planning

Map and statistics for Legislative District 44

Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature

Dundy County History

Number of Registered Historic Places: 2

Year Authorized: 1873

Year Organized: 1884

Etymology: Elmer Dundy (U.S. Circuit Court judge)

     Dundy County’s history follows the intertwined evolution of America’s cattle drives and homesteaders. Home to plentiful grass and an expansive range, between 1850 and the turn of the century Dundy County saw hundreds of thousands of cattle pass through on their way from Texas. The cattle's destination was the community of Benkelman, where one of the railroad’s regional shipping points was located.

     Originally formed in 1873 as part of Hitchcock County, Dundy County organized its present-day boundaries in 1884. Benkelman continued on as the county’s main community, especially during the cattle drive days when cowboys and saloons overshadowed every other industry in the area. But the cowboys and their massive herds did not dominate all of the landscape for long. The Homestead Act of 1862 brought settlers to southwest Nebraska, disrupting the free-flowing movement of cattle across the plains and creating friction between ranchers and farmers. Any final resistance offered by the resolute cowboys was broken by Nebraska’s embargo on Texas cattle, which created cultural and occupational shifts not only in Dundy County, but throughout the Central Plains. Crops began to replace cattle in many, but not all, areas, and fencing facilitated the transition from long cattle drives to local ranching.

     Dundy County gained nearly 4,000 residents between 1880 and 1890, fostering the need for a county seat and courthouse. Several settlements began publicly vying for the county seat, but in a twist, Benkelman largely avoided the publicity campaign. Instead, the town simply built a courthouse and presented it to the county commissioners, who agreed that Benkelman should become the county seat.

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

luke.bonkiewicz@nebraskacounties.org

Local Highlights

License Plate Number:  76

Time Zone:  Mountain

Number of Veterans:  92  2023

Zoned County:  Yes

County Hospital:  Dundy County Hospital

County Library:  Dundy County Library

Number of County-Owned Bridges:  26

Election Data

General Election Turnout:  76.30%  2024

Total Registered Voters:  1,228  2024

Number of Precincts:  4  2022

Number of Election Day Polling Places:  4  2022

Land Area per Polling Place:  230.21 sq. miles

Intergovernmental Data

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

Natural Resource Districts: Upper Republican NRD

State Lands (acres): Rock Creek Lake SRA (104)

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)