- General Info
- Demographics
- Education and Employment
- Valuation and Taxes Levied
- State Senators
- History
- County Programs
- Other Information
Furnas County Seat (pop.): Beaver City (537)
Cities, Towns, and Villages (pop.): Arapahoe (1,002), Cambridge (1,071), Edison (111), Hendley (20), Holbrook (201), Oxford (718), Wilsonville (75)
Courthouse Address and Hours:
912 R Street
Beaver City, Nebraska 68926
M-F 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
County Board Chairperson: Mike Sexton
Complete list of county board members
County Board Meetings: 2nd & 4th Tuesday
View the County's Government Maps
NACO District: West Central
District President: Brett Nason, McPherson County Commissioner
District First Vice President: Corey Crandall, Keith County Commissioner
District Second Vice President: Ron Wertz, Hitchcock County Commissioner
District Secretary/Treasurer: Katherine Hoberg, McPherson County Clerk
NACO Board Representatives: Corey Crandall, Keith County Commissioner
Click for a live look at Furnas County (west of Wilsonville)
General
Population: 4,604
Land area (sq. mi.): 719.13
Population per square mile: 6.4
Race
White: 92.1%
African American: 0.9%
American Indian: 0.8%
Asian: 0.4%
Hispanic: 5.0%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 0.0%
Age
0-17: 23.5%
18-64: 57.7%
65+: 18.8%
Socioeconomics
Personal income per capita: $59,961
% of Population in Poverty: 10.0%
# of Housing Units: 2,520
Owner-occupied rate: 79.1%
Median home price: $87,050
Technology
Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable modem): 57.9%
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: 1.7% (as of September 2022)
County Employment Website: https://furnascounty.ne.gov/webpages/links/public_notices.html
High school graduate or higher: 89.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 19.0%
School Districts: Alma Public Schools, Arapahoe Public Schools, Cambridge Public Schools, Southern Valley Schools, Southwest Public Schools
Countywide child care capacity: 13 providers; 163 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.
Furnas County Economy
Annual Gross Domestic Product (2020): $266,761,000
Ag. Producers (Cattle): 170
Ag. Producers (Crop): 135
Grain Co-ops and Purchasers: Ag Valley
Local Grain Market: Click for today's grain prices in Furnas County
Electricity Providers: City of Arapahoe, City of Beaver City, City of Cambridge, Twin Valleys PPD, Village of Oxford
Rail-served Communities: Arapahoe, Beaver City, Cambridge, Edison, Hendley, Holbrook, Oxford, Wilsonville
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: $0.3312 per $100 of taxable valuation
County property taxes levied: $3,308,908
Total local government property taxes levied: $14,822,014
Total countywide taxable valuation: $998,961,482
Click here for all levy rates in Furnas 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: Dave Murman (District 38)
Committees: Education, Revenue, Committee on Committees
Map and statistics for Legislative District 38
Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature

Furnas County History
Number of Registered Historic Places: 2
Year Authorized: 1873
Year Organized: 1873
Etymology: Robert Furnas (Nebraska's 2nd governor)
When Furnas County was founded in 1873, it already featured several growing communities, and the race for the county seat came down to two towns: Beaver City and Arapahoe. As with so many things in Nebraska, the election was influenced by weather. Despite being held in April, the election was marred by a snowstorm that prevented the ballots from Beaver City from being delivered and filed with the Secretary of State’s office. The Secretary of State excluded the Beaver City ballots, certified the election, and declared Arapahoe the winner. The victory was short-lived. A series of lawsuits and court orders quickly followed the election and lasted three years before Beaver City triumphed and claimed the county seat. Remarkably, dissension last another decade until a courthouse was built in Beaver City in 1888, cementing its place as the Furnas County seat.
Furnas County is home to several colorful appellations, both past and present. While some namesakes are straightforward (e.g., Arapahoe named for the Native American tribe and Beaver City named for the abundant colonies of beavers in the area), some are more nuanced. Cambridge was originally called Pickletown, named after a J.A. Pickle, who platted the town. Pickle wanted to call the town Northwood, while others offered Scratchpot City and Lickskillet as suggestions. Wilsonville, named after two local merchants, was originally called Wild Turkey. Some former post offices were called Coldwater, Dudgeon, and Medicine Creek, while a local tributary was formerly known as Stealing Horse Creek. In more direct homage, the county's name pays tribute to the governor at the time, Robert Furnas.
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License Plate Number: 38
Time Zone: Central
Zoned County: Yes
Number of Veterans: 352
Voter Turnout (2022): 55.18%
Emergency Mgt. Planning, Exercise and Training (PET) Region: Southwest
Number of County-Owned Bridges: 100
Number of County-Owned Dams: 6
State Lands (acres): Burton's Bend WMA (77 Furnas, Harlan & Red Willow), Cambridge Diversion Dam (20), Oxford WMA (36)
Federal Lands (acres): Kenesaw WPA (231), Weseman WPA (163)
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)