Greeley County

General

Population: 2,188
Land area (sq. mi.): 569.81
Population per square mile: 3.8

Race and Age

White: 95.9%
African American: 0.0%
American Indian: 0.1%
Asian: 0.3%
Hispanic: 2.4%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 0.0%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 0.8%

Age

0-17: 23.0%
18-64: 51.3%
65+: 25.8%

Socioeconomics

Personal income per capita: $66,840
% of Population in Poverty: 12.2%
# of Housing Units: 1,189
Owner-occupied rate: 82.1%
Median home price: $87,640

Technology

Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable modem): 42.4%

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: 1.8% (as of September 2022)

County Employment Website: https://greeleycounty.ne.gov/webpages/links/public_notices.html

High school graduate or higher: 90.9%

School Districts: Central Valley Public Schools, Ord Public Schools, Riverside Public Schools, St. Paul Public Schools, Wheeler Central Public Schools

Bachelor's degree or higher: 25.6%

Community College Service Area: Central Community College

Countywide child care capacity: 7 providers; 80 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.

Greeley County Economy

Annual Gross Domestic Product (2020): $110,832,000

Cattle Producers: 225

Crop Producers: 205

• Dryland Cash Rent (avg.): $119/acre/yr
• Irrigated Land Cash Rent (avg.): $248/acre/yr

Grain Co-ops and Purchasers: Farmers Coop Association, Country Partners Cooperative

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

Electricity Providers: Cornhusker PPD, Howard Greeley Rural PPD, Loup Valleys Rural PPD, Village of Spalding

Rail-served Communities: Cornhusker PPD, Howard Greeley Rural PPD, Loup Valles Rural PPD, Village of Spalding

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

Total Irrigation/Livestock Wells: 1,187

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: $0.2368 per $100 of taxable valuation

County property taxes levied: $2,336,965

Total local government property taxes levied: $12,381,494

Total countywide taxable valuation: $986,946,910

Federal PILT payment to Greeley County (FY2022): $3,581 regarding 1,219 federally-owned acres

Click here for all levy rates in Greeley 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: Tom Briese (District 41)

Standing Committees (click for scheduled committee hearings): 

• Education
• Revenue

Special Committees: 

• Executive Board of the Legislative Council (chairperson)
• Reference (chairperson)
• Legislative Performance Audit
• Legislature's Planning

Map and statistics for Legislative District 41

Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature

Greeley County History

Number of Registered Historic Places: 6

Year Authorized: 1871

Year Organized: 1872

Etymology: Horace Greeley (journalist)

     “Go west, young man, and grow up with the country.” Those were the words credited to Horace Greeley, noted American newspaper editor. In 1871, a large number of settlers had ventured westward to central Nebraska, culminating in the formation of Greeley County, nestled between the Cedar River to the northeast and the North Loup River to the southwest.

     Several groups of settlers helped propel Greeley County’s development during its early years, but the Irish Catholic Colonization Association left an indelible imprint on the county. The group purchased tends of thousands of acres in the county with the purpose of relocating Irish immigrants who had come to the United States following the Irish Potato Famine in the mid-nineteenth century. Several towns in Greeley have distinctly Irish roots, including Spalding, Belfast, and O’Connor.

     Despite the burgeoning Irish influence and population, the town of Scotia (Latin for Scotland) became the original county seat. Situated near the North Loup River in the southwest corner of the county, the settlement achieved sufficient population to wrest the county seat from Lamartine in 1874. A modest courthouse was built the following year. 

     However, a new settlement with its eyes on the county seat was already emerging. In 1885, the centrally located Greeley Center welcomed the railroad and the associated benefits of becoming a railway junction town. Although Greeley Center had not yet obtained the county seat, the town preemptively built a courthouse, which also featured a jail. Five years and multiple elections later, the town finally claimed the county seat from Scotia. Shortly thereafter, officials decided to drop the “Center” from the town name, and thus, the county seat would be forever called Greeley.

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

luke.bonkiewicz@nebraskacounties.org

Local Highlights

License Plate Number: 62

Time Zone: Central

Number of Veterans: 171

Zoned County: Yes

Number of County-Owned Bridges: 62

Election Data

General Election Turnout % (2022): 68.88%

Total Registered Voters (2020): 1,578

Number of Precincts (2020): 4

Number of Election Day Polling Places (2020): 4

Land Area per Polling Place (avg.) (2020): 142.45 sq. miles

Intergovernmental Data

Emergency Mgt. Planning, Exercise and Training (PET) Region: North Central/Sandhills

Natural Resource Districts: Lower Loup NRD

State Lands (acres): Davis Creek WMA (2,450 Greeley & Valley)

Federal Lands (acres): Davis Creek Reservoir (332 Greeley & Valley)

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)