Knox County

General

Population: 8,401
Land area (sq. mi.): 1,108.44
Population per square mile: 7.6

Race

White: 83.7%
African American: 0.5%
American Indian: 10.9%
Asian: 0.5%
Hispanic: 3.8%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 0.1%

Age

0-17: 25.2%
18-64: 49.7%
65+: 25.2%

Socioeconomics

Personal income per capita: $57,577
% of Population in Poverty: 13.6%
# of Housing Units: 4,515
Owner-occupied rate: 74.1%
Median home price: $109,020

Technology

Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable modem): 39.2%

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://co.knox.ne.us/webpages/links/employment.html

High school graduate or higher: 92.9%

Bachelor's degree or higher: 19.7%

School Districts: Bloomfield Community Schools, Boyd County Schools, Creighton Community Public Schools, Crofton Community Schools, Niobrara Public Schools, Osmond Community Schools, Plainview Public Schools, Santee Community Schools, Summerland Public Schools, Wausa Public Schools

Countywide child care capacity: 22 providers; 349 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.

Knox County Economy

Annual Gross Domestic Product (2020): $507,534,000

Ag. Producers (Cattle): 541

Ag. Producers (Crop): 230

Grain Co-ops and Purchasers: CHS, Central Valley Ag, Farmers Pride

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

Electricity Providers: Cedar-Knox PPD, Nebraska PPD, Niobrary Valley Electric Member Corp., North Central PPD

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: $0.1576 per $100 of taxable valuation

County property taxes levied: $3,616,155

Total local government property taxes levied: $29,111,220

Total countywide taxable valuation: $2,294,475,228

Click here for all levy rates in Knox 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: Barry DeKay (District 40)
Committees: Judiciary, Transportation and Telecommunications, State-Tribal Relations, Justice Reinvestment Oversight (LB605), Statewide Tourism And Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (LB406)

Map and statistics for Legislative District 40

Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature

Knox County History

Number of Registered Historic Places: 15

Year Authorized: 1857

Year Organized: 1857

Etymology: Henry Knox (U.S. secretary of war)

The history of the area that today comprises Knox County can be traced back to the French explorers that passed through the area along the Missouri River in the late 1700s. When the county's boundaries were established by the Territorial Legislature in 1857, this French influence resulted in the area being named L'eau Qui Court, a French and Indian name meaning "running water," a reference to the Niobrara River. The county's name would be changed to Knox in 1873, in honor of Civil War Gen. Henry Knox.

When the county was first created, the settlement of Niobrara was designated as the county seat. Located on the far north boundary of the county, where the Niobrara River enters the Missouri River, the settlement was frequently flooded. But it would remain the county seat until 1902, after Center was platted.

This change of was met with considerable controversy. Between 1887 and 1900, five elections were held to determine if the county should be divided into two separate counties, and an additional five elections were held to select a county seat. Three of these elections came in 1900 alone.

Center was platted in the geographic center of the county in 1901 for the sole purpose of serving as the county seat. It was located on the site of two corn fields, with the fence that separated them becoming the settlement's main street. Within a year, the county's first courthouse was built.

Twenty-two years later, the County Board took steps to improve county facilities. A special tax levy was approved and within seven years nearly $50,000 had accumulated. In February 1934 construction began on a new courthouse and by October it was completed.

In addition to county funds, the courthouse construction project was the first in the state to utilize Civil Works Administration and Federal Emergency Relief Administration funds. The make-work project for men on relief received considerable attention from the press, which said that the courthouse would remind the generations living long after the Great Depression of difficult times of that era.

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License Plate Number: 12

Time Zone: Central

Zoned County: Yes

Number of Veterans: 639

Voter Turnout (2022): 70.91%

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

Number of County-Owned Bridges: 268

Number of County-Owned Dams: 2

State Lands (acres): Bohemia Prairie WMA (680), Brazile Creek WMA (3,971), Greenvale WMA (200), Lewis and Clark SRA (672.81), Niobrara Confluence WMA (1,225.38), Niobrara State Park (1,236.59), Verdel Landing WMA (8.8)

Federal Lands (acres): Cook Creek (38.7), Deep Water Wildlife Area (68), Devils Nest Wildlife Area (137), Gavins Point Project (Lewis and Clark Lake) (6,307 Cedar and Knox), Santee (150)

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)