Kimball County

General

Population:  3,434
Land area (sq. mi.):  951.94
Population per square mile:  3.6

Race

Race  2020

White:  88.1%
African American:  0.0%
American Indian:  0.7%
Asian:  0.4%
Hispanic:  7.6%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander:  0.0%
Two or More Races:  2.8%

Age  2020

0-17:  20.7%
18-64:  53.6%
65+:  25.8%

Households

Total households:  1,501  2020
With one child:  130  2022
With 2+ children:  180  2022
With seniors (65+):  420  2022

Socioeconomics

Personal income per capita:  $55,137  2021
% of Population in Poverty:  12.8%  2022
# of Housing Units:  1,805  2020
2023 housing unit building permits:  2
Owner-occupied rate:  73.1%  2020
Median home price:  $108,730  Q1 2024

Technology

Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable modem):  67.2%  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:  2.1%  Sept. 2024

County Employment Website:  https://nebraskacounties.org/nebraska-counties/county-employment-opportunities.html

High school graduate or higher:  89.8%  2020

School Districts:  Kimball Public Schools, Potter-Dix Public Schools

Bachelor's degree or higher:  13.2%  2020

Community College Service Area:  Western Community College

Countywide child care capacity:  4 providers; 71 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.

Kimball County Economy

Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP):  $223,195,000  2022

Nonfarm Small Business Receipts:  $43,378,259  2021

Nonfarm Wage Income:  $53,204,000  2022

• Nonfarm small business receipts are reported by partnerships & sole proprietorships and do not include receipts reported by cooperative associations. Nonfarm wage income may include wages earned from a Kimball County business for telework that is performed partially outside of Nebraska.

Farm & Ranch Commodity Sales Receipts:  $49,025,000  2022

Farm & Ranch Operations (Non-Sales) Receipts:  $11,416,000  2022

• Farm & ranch receipt totals for commodity sales and operations are reported by producers operating principally in Kimball County and include those producers' receipts from production in other counties. The totals do not include receipts from sales and operations in Kimball County reported by producers operating principally in other counties.

Cattle Producers:  100

• Pastureland Cash Rent (avg.):  $13/acre/yr  2024

Crop Producers:  83

• Dryland Cash Rent (avg.):  $27/acre  2024
• Irrigated Land Cash Rent (avg.):  $177/acre  2024

Grain Elevators by Location (bushels capacity):

• Dix: FVC (359,000)
• Kimball: FVC (5,274,000)
• (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:  170.42 main, 9.17 side

• Places with Railroad Service:  Bushnell, Dix, Kimball

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

Oil & Gas Wells Producing (barrels of oil & thousand cubic ft. of gas/yr.):  134 wells (188,973 barrels; 1,920 MCF Casinghead Gas)  2023

Electricity Providers:  City of Kimball, High West Energy

Wind Turbines Operating (MW):  12 turbines (30,000 MW)

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

Total Irrigation/Livestock Wells:  501  2024

Agricultural Wells per Square Mile:  0.53  2024

Surface Water Diversions (Irrigation):  35  2024

Click for real time:

Streamflow data on Lodgepole Creek at Bushnell

Groundwater level data near U.S. Hwy 30 & Rd. 13 W. (2.5 mi. southwest of Bushnell)

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:  $0.4794 per $100 of taxable valuation

County property taxes levied:  $3,786,395

Total local government property taxes levied:  $12,982,109

Total countywide taxable valuation:  $789,864,372

Click here for all levy rates in Kimball 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: Brian Hardin (District 48)

Standing Committees (click for scheduled committee hearings): 

• Health and Human Services (vice chairperson)
• General Affairs
• Nebraska Retirement Systems
• Urban Affairs

Map and statistics for Legislative District 48

Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature

Kimball County History

Number of Registered Historic Places: 5

Year Authorized: 1888

Year Organized: 1888

Etymology: Thomas Kimball (General Manager of the Union Pacific Railroad)

     The first settlement in Kimball County was called Antelopesville, after the abundant antelope in the area. However, residents changed the name to Kimball in 1885 once they discovered there was already a post office in the state called Antelopesville. Kimball would become the county seat when the western third of Cheyenne County was divided into three counties in 1888, one of which was called Kimball (the other two counties were Banner and Scotts Bluff). Kimball County was named in honor of Thomas L. Kimball, the vice president and general manager of the Union Pacific Railroad which passed through the area in the 1860’s. In addition to the railroad, the Kincaid Act of 1904 brought many settlers to the area, primarily farmers, but also ranchers. The dark soil proved good for farming while the native grasses fed cattle.

     Kimball County has had two courthouses, the most recent of which opened 1928. Constructed from Carthage stone and featuring floors of Ozark gray marble and solid walnut fixtures, the courthouse cost $180,000 (approximately $3.1 million today).

     Kimball County claims the highest point of elevation in the state—Panorama Point, 5,424 feet above sea level, which is located in the southwest corner of the county where Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming intersect. Kimball County was also once home to the world's largest complex of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), earning the county the title of "Missile Center of the United States." Kimball has also been known as “Nebraska’s Oil Capital.” As late as the 1980’s, the county featured over 1,400 active wells.

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

luke.bonkiewicz@nebraskacounties.org

Local Highlights

License Plate Number:  71

Time Zone:  Mountain

Number of Veterans:  275  2023

Zoned County:  Yes

County Hospital:  Kimball County Hospital

Number of County-Owned Bridges:  42

Election Data

General Election Turnout:  66.18%  2024

Total Registered Voters:  2,608  2024

Number of Precincts:  5  2022

Number of Election Day Polling Places:  3  2022

Land Area per Polling Place:  317.31 sq. miles

Intergovernmental Data

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

Natural Resource District: South Platte NRD

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)