Frontier County

General

Population: 2,519
Land area (sq. mi.): 974.63
Population per square mile: 2.6

Race & Age

Race

White: 92.8%
African American: 0.7%
American Indian: 0.2%
Asian: 0.0%
Hispanic: 3.2%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 0.1%
Two or More Races: 2.8%

Age

0-17: 19.8%
18-64: 55.5%
65+: 24.7%

Socioeconomics

Personal income per capita: $55,020
% of Population in Poverty: 13.0%
# of Housing Units: 1,395
Owner-occupied rate: 71.9%
Median home price: $131,230

Technology

Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable modem): 29.6%

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: 1.6% (as of September 2022)

County Employment Website: https://www.adamscounty.org/employment

High school graduate or higher: 94.9%

School Districts: Arapahoe Public Schools, Cambridge Public Schools, Elwood Public Schools, Eustis-Farnam Public Schools, Hayes Center Public Schools, Maywood Public Schools, McCook Public Schools, Medicine Valley Public Schools

Bachelor's degree or higher: 23.0%

Community College Service Area: Central Community College

County child care capacity: 4 providers; 75 children

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

Frontier County Economy

Annual Gross Domestic Product (2020): $101,570,000

Cattle Producers: 222

• Dryland Cash Rent (avg.): $26/acre/yr

Crop Producers: 116

• Dryland Cash Rent (avg.): $62/acre/yr
• Irrigated Land Cash Rent (avg.): $206/acre/yr

Grain Co-ops and Purchasers: Ag Valley, Country Partners Cooperative

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

Oil Wells Producing (barrels of oil/yr.): 9 wells (13,965 barrels)

Electricity Providers: City of Curtis, Dawson PPD, McCook PPD, Southwest PPD, Twin Valleys PPD

Rail-served Communities: Curtis, Eustis, Maywood, Moorefield

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

Total Irrigation/Livestock Wells: 944

Surface Water Diversions (Irrigation): 51

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 Valuation

County levy rate: $0.2554 per $100 of taxable valuation

County property taxes levied: $2,265,310

Total local government property taxes levied: $11,944,016

Total countywide taxable valuation: $886,946,410

Federal PILT payment to Frontier County (FY2022): $41,099 regarding 13,989 federally-owned acres

Click here for all levy rates in Frontier 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)

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

Frontier County History

Number of Registered Historic Places: 2

Year Authorized: 1872

Year Organized: 1872

Etymology: Reference to its location as unorganized territory in Nebraska's southwest frontier.

     Frontier County may not have been Nebraska’s final frontier, but upon its founding in 1872, it represented some of the furthest western organized territory in the state. Many of the settlements in Frontier County drew their names from local settlers or the ranching livelihood of early residents. The city of Curtis, for example, takes its name from a local trapper, while the name of Stockville reflects the numerous livestock owned by the first ranchers.

     Like many Nebraska counties, the history of Frontier County featured confrontations between Native American tribes and European settlers moving west. In Frontier County, a band of Oglala were occupying territory near present-day Stockville when their chief and two other Oglala tribesman were killed; their murders were never solved. Soon after, the Oglala departed for a reservation and ranchers spread livestock over the abundant ranchland. The railroad soon followed.

     Frequently, the community that experiences a population boom due to the railroad often claims the county seat, but not so in Frontier County. Despite being founded over a decade after Stockville, Curtis grew much more rapidly due to its status a railroad town. Within three decades, Curtis had tripled in size while Stockville lost more than ten percent of its residents. Yet Stockville remained the county seat, surviving multiple calls over subsequent decades to move the seat to Curtis. Today, Stockville retains both the proud seat of Frontier County and the courthouse built in 1888.

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Local Highlights

License Plate Number: 60

Time Zone: Central

Number of Veterans: 188

Zoned County: Yes

Number of County-Owned Bridges: 71

Number of County-Owned Dams: 8

Election Data

Voter Turnout (2022): 59.23%

Number of Registered Voters (2020): 1,887

Number of Precincts (2020): 5

Number of Election Day Polling Places (2020): 5

Land Area per Polling Place (avg.) (2020): 194.93 sq. miles

Intergovernmental Data

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

Natural Resource Districts: Middle Republican NRD, Central Platte NRD

State Lands (acres): Medicine Creek SRA (1,007), Medicine Creek WMA (7,487), Red Willow Reservoir SRA (1,358 Frontier & Red Willow), Red Willow Reservoir WMA (4,591 Frontier & Red Willow)

Federal Lands (acres): Medicine Creek Operations (449), Red Willow Reservoir Operations (141)

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)