Nance County

General

Population: 3,380
Land area (sq. mi.): 441.60
Population per square mile: 7.7

Race and Age

Race  2020

White: 94.7%
African American: 0.1%
American Indian: 0.2%
Asian: 0.1%
Hispanic: 1.8%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 0.0%
Two or More Races: 3.0%

Age  2020

0-17: 23.4%
18-64: 55.2%
65+: 21.4%

Households

Total households:  1,414  2020
With one child:  150  2022
With 2+ children:  260  2022
With seniors (65+):  400  2022

Socioeconomics

Personal income per capita:  $47,674  2021
% of Population in Poverty:  11.4%  2022
# of Housing Units:  1,610  2020
2023 housing unit building permits:  5
Owner-occupied rate:  75.7%  2020
Median home price:  $118,640  Q1 2024

Technology

Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable modem):  64.3%  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:  1.8%  Sept. 2024

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

High school graduate or higher:  93.6%  2020

School Districts:  Central Valley Public Schools, Fullerton Public Schools, High Plains Community Schools, Palmer Public Schools, Riverside Public Schools, St. Edward Public Schools, Twin River Public Schools

Bachelor's degree or higher:  18.4%  2020

Community College Service Area:  Central Community College

Countywide child care capacity:  11 providers; 153 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.

Nance County Economy

Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP):  $158,087,000  2022

Nonfarm Small Business Receipts:  $22,766,585  2021

Nonfarm Wage Income:  $58,521,000  2021

Farm and Ranch Commodity Sales Receipts:  $116,879,000  2022

Farm and Ranch Operations (Non-Sales) Receipts:  $10,671,000  2022

• For components of nonfarm small business receipts, nonfarm wage income, and farm & ranch commodity sales and operations receipts, see "Notes" below.

Grain Elevators by Location (bushels capacity):

• Belgrade: Frontier (2,286,759)
• Fullerton: ADM (3,877,000), CVA (2,036,000)
• (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:  67.84 main, 4.52 side

• Places with Railroad Service:  Belgrade, Fullerton, Genoa

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

Cattle Producers: 156

• Pastureland Cash Rent (avg.): $41/acre

Crop Producers: 163

• Dryland Cash Rent (avg.): $168/acre

Electricity Providers: Cornhusker PPD, Loup River PPD, Polk County Rural PPD, Southern PPD

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

Total Irrigation/Livestock Wells:  1,402  2024

Irrigation/Livestock Wells per Square Mile:  3.22  2024

Surface Water Diversions (Irrigation):  301  2024

Click for real time:

Streamflow data on the Loup River Power Canal near Genoa

Streamflow data on the Loup River near Genoa

Streamflow data on Beaver Creek at Genoa

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:  $0.2866 per $100 of taxable valuation

County property taxes levied:  $3,227,004

Total local government property taxes levied:  $15,056,929

Total countywide taxable valuation:  $1,126,112,281

Federal PILT payment to Holt County (FY2024):  $1,295 regarding 387 federally-owned acres

Click here for all levy rates in Nance 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: Loren Lippincott (District 34)

Standing Committees (click for scheduled committee hearings): 

• Appropriations

Map and statistics for Legislative District 34

Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature

Nance County History

Number of Registered Historic Places: 11

Year Authorized: 1879

Year Organized: 1879

Etymology: Albinus Nance (Nebraska's 4th governor)

For many years the Pawnee nation lived at peace on the rolling prairie lands along the Loup River. The Pawnee sustained itself by raising crops and hunting wild game that thrived in the area. In time, this area was designated as the Pawnee Reservation.

The first white settlers to come to this area were a group of Mormons led by Henry James Hudson in 1855. One-hundred families established a colony on the site that today is Genoa. The colony prospered, but in 1860 the Pawnees claimed the territory as part of their reservation. The Mormons attempted to stay on the land, but the danger resulting from conflicts between the Pawnee and Sioux tribes forced them to move on in 1864.

Twelve years later Randall Fuller came through the area with a cattle herd on his way to the Black Hills. By this time the reservation land was being parcelled off and Fuller bought two sections. He laid out the townsite of Fullerton, today the county seat.

When the county was organized and its boundaries defined in 1879, it was named in honor of Albinus Nance, who was governor at the time. In his proclamation, Nance, who was a mere 30 years old, selected Fullerton as the temporary county seat until an election could be held. At the time, Fullerton, which was located in the fertile valley between the Loup and Ceder Rivers, consisted only of rows of stakes marking the townsite. Fuller pledged six acres of land to the county in exchange for it being named the county seat. When the county was organized, it sold the lots to build the first courthouse. Two years later, Fuller donated 10 acres to Nebraska Wesleyan University when it relocated from Osceola to Fullerton. The university operated in Fullerton for several years before moving to Lincoln in order to be closer to the center of the state's population.

In a special election in 1894, voters approved a $17,000 bond issue to build a new courthouse. Within a year, the Board of Supervisors met in the building for the first time. This building served county residents until the present $440,000 courthouse was built in the 1970s.

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

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Local Highlights

License Plate Number:  58

Time Zone:  Central

Number of Veterans:  204  2023

Zoned County:  Yes

Number of County-Owned Bridges:  125

Number of County-Owned Dams:  1

Election Data

General Election Turnout:  77.73%  2024

Total Registered Voters:  2,407  2024

Number of Precincts:  5  2022

Number of Election Day Polling Places:  5  2022

Land Area per Polling Place (avg.): 89.65 sq. miles

Intergovernmental Data

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

Natural Resource Districts: Central Platte NRD, Lower Loup NRD

State Lands (acres): Council Creek WMA, Don Dworak WMA (932.17), Loup River Public Power District WMA (485), Sunny Hollow WMA (160)

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)