- General Info
- Demographics
- Education and Employment
- Valuation and Taxes Levied
- State Senators
- History
- County Programs
- Other Information
Communities and Development
Red Willow County Seat: McCook (7,446)
Total County Population: 10,702
- Cities (pop. & class): Indianola (524 • 2nd Class), McCook (7,446 • 1st Class)
- Villages (pop.): Bartley (270), Danbury (80), Lebanon (46)
- Unincorporated Pop. (% of county pop.): 2,336 (22%) 2020
Land Development (% of total land in county):
- Agriculture: 92%
- By method: Pasture (pure grassland) (41%); Dryland (row crop/grain/forage) (39%); Irrigated (row crop/grain/forage) (12%) • Neb. Dept. of Rev. - total equals agriculture's %
- By commodity: Livestock (grassland) 42%, Corn 24%, Wheat 8%, Sorghum 7%, Soybeans 3%, Alfalfa 2% • USDA - equals agriculture's % plus some fallow land (8%) and some wetlands (2%) and minus public grassland/wetlands and reserve
- Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Conservation Reserve & Exempt (combined): 6%
- Timber: 2% 2022
County Offices
Courthouse Address and Hours:
502 Norris Avenue
McCook, Nebraska 69001
M-F 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
County Board Chairperson: Ted Gans
Complete list of county board members
County Board Meetings: 2nd & 4th Monday
View the County's Government Maps
NACO District: West Central
President: Ron Wertz, Hitchcock County Commissioner
First Vice President: Chris Bruns, Lincoln County Commissioner
Second Vice President: Dale Schroeder, Keith County Commissioner
Secretary/Treasurer: Sandy Olson, Keith County Clerk
NACO Board Representative: Corey Crandall, Keith County Commissioner
Click for a live look at Red Willow County (south of McCook)
General
Population: 10,702
Land area (sq. mi.): 717.01
Population per square mile: 14.9
Race and Age
Race 2020
White: 89.1%
African American: 1.0%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 0.4%
Hispanic: 6.4%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 0.1%
Two or More Races: 2.5%
Age 2020
0-17: 22.2%
18-64: 56.6%
65+: 21.2%
Households 2020
Total households: 4,532 2020
With one child: 500 2022
With 2+ children: 700 2022
With seniors (65+): 1,130 2022
Socioeconomics
Personal income per capita: $56,193 2021
% of Population in Poverty: 11.7% 2022
# of Housing Units: 5,157 2020
2023 housing unit building permits: 5
Owner-occupied rate: 71.8% 2020
Median home price: $179,480 Q1 2024
Technology
Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable modem): 33.4% 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://co.red-willow.ne.us/webpages/links/public_notices.html
High school graduate or higher: 93.9% 2020
School Districts: Cambridge Public Schools, Hitchcock County Schools System, McCook Public Schools, Southwest Public Schools
Countywide child care capacity: 23 providers; 502 children
Bachelor's degree or higher: 23.2% 2020
Community College Service Area: Mid-Plains Community College
Find child care: For a list of child care providers in your zip code, visit Nebraska DHHS or the Nebraska Resource and Referral System.
Red Willow County Economy
Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $700,153,000 2020
Nonfarm Small Business Receipts: $106,494,707 2021
Nonfarm Wage Income: $195,444,000 2021
Farm and Ranch Commodity Sales Receipts: $181,797,000 2022
Farm and Ranch Operations (Non-Sales) Receipts: $14,319,000 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 (bushel capacity):
- Bartley: Ag Valley (5,158,009)
- Danbury: Decatur (947,000)
- McCook: FVC (1,407,000)
- McCook (Perry Siding): FVC (3,229,000)
- (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: 50.43 main, 19.97 side
- Places with Railroad Service: Bartley, Dunbury, Indianola, Lebanon, McCook
Local Grain Market: Click for today's grain prices in Lancaster County
Cattle Producers: 134
- Pastureland Cash Rent (avg.): $26/acre
Crop Producers: 105
- Dryland Cash Rent (avg.): $70/acre
- Irrigated Land Cash Rent (avg.): $225/acre
Local Grain Market: Click for today's grain prices in Red Willow County
Farmers Market: Heritage Local Co. (March - December - order on weekends, then pick-up 4:40 - 5:30 p.m. on Tuesdays)
Oil Wells Producing (barrels of oil/yr): 198 wells (134,230 barrels)
Electricity Providers: City of Indianola, McCook PPD, Nebraska PPD, Southwest PPD, Twin Valleys PPD, Village Bartley
Wind Turbines Operating (MW): 1 turbine (MW unknown)
Notes
- Nonfarm small business receipts are reported by partnerships and sole proprietorships. They do not include receipts reported by cooperative associations.
- Nonfarm wage income is reported based upon the wage earner's residential address; therefore, it also includes wages earned by Red Willow County residents in other counties or states, but it excludes wages earned in Red Willow County by residents of other counties or states.
- Nonfarm wage income excludes wages earned by anyone claimed as a dependent.
- Farm and ranch commodity sales receipts and operations receipts are reported based upon the farm or ranch owner's principal county of operations; therefore, those figures also include receipts reported by producers operating principally in Red Willow County for their production in other counties or states, but the figures exclude receipts reported for production in Red Willow County by producers operating principally in other counties or states.
Well Locations (Irrigation/Livestock), Soils, Groundwater & Surface Water
Total Irrigation/Livestock Wells: 1,085 2024
Agricultural Wells per Square Mile: 1.51 2024
Surface Water Diversions (Irrigation): 56 2024
Click for real time:
Streamflow data on Driftwood Creek near McCook
Streamflow data on the Republican River at McCook
Streamflow data on Red Willow Creek near Red Willow
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: $0.2905 per $100 of taxable valuation
County property taxes levied: $4,364,392
Total local government property taxes levied: $21,640,123
Total countywide taxable valuation: $1,502,534,569
Federal PILT payment to Red Willow County (FY2024): $4,255 regarding 1,271 federally-owned acres
Click here for all levy rates in Red Willow 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)
Standing Committees (click for scheduled committee hearings):
Select Committees:
- Committee on Committees
Map and statistics for Legislative District 38
Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature
Red Willow County History
Number of Registered Historic Places: 10
Year Authorized: 1873
Year Organized: 1873
Etymology: Red Willow Creek (possible mistranslation of "Red Dogwood Creek")
Red Willow County received its name from Red Willow Creek, which runs through this area of Southwest Nebraska. It has been reported, however, that the name is actually a mistranslation of the Dakota Indian name "Chanshasha Wakpala," which literally means Red Dogwood Creek. The Dakotans referred to the creek as such because of an abundance of the red dogwood shrub that grew along the creek banks.
Before this area would become a county, an exploration company was formed in Nebraska City for the express purpose of establishing a settlement somewhere in the Republican River Valley. In 1871 the party decided on an area at the mouth of the Red Willow Creek. A surveyor was hired to lay out a town patterned after Lincoln, with large, wide streets.
The county was officially organized in 1873. That same year the town of Indianola was laid out along Coon Creek. Indianola and Red Willow each wanted to secure the greatest number of settlers and become the county seat. Following an aggressive campaign, the Indianola ticket was victorious over the Red Willow ticket.
The election results were quickly contested by Red Willow supporters and the case went before a justice of the peace in neighboring Furnas County. Indianola supporters would not recognize the justice's authority and refused to appear. The justice declared the election was illegal and Red Willow immediately sought control of the county. Red Willow supporters went to Indianola and took the county records and county seal by force. Tempers eventually subsided and the records were returned to Indianola, which remained the county seat until it was moved to McCook in 1896.
The residents of McCook constructed a courthouse that was "sufficient in all respects at the time for the demands of the county." Continued growth and development in the area forced the county to raze the building in 1926 and construct the current courthouse. In 1990 an extensive remodeling project was set into motion and the building was rededicated by county officials last year.
Kiplinger Arena, located within the Red Willow County Fairgrounds, is a nearly 17,000-square-foot indoor venue for all seasons, hosting a wide variety of events throughout the year: rodeos, equestrian events, roping events, barrel racing, team penning, as well as livestock, implement, and other expos. Kiplinger Arena draws tens of thousands of visitors each year to Red Willow County, showcasing the area’s western heritage and local culture. The arena was built with funds donated by local rancher and philanthropist Tom Kiplinger, for whom the facility is named. Tom also provided funds for the Alice Building, which is named for his mother, the Trudy Building, named for his companion, Luke’s Barn, and Deb’s Addition, among others.
Communities and Development
License Plate Number: 48
Time Zone: Central
Number of Veterans: 639 2023
Zoned County: Yes
Number of County-Owned Bridges: 42
Number of County-Owned Dams: 5
Election Data
General Election Turnout: 76.52% 2024
Total Registered Voters: 7,079 2024
Number of Precincts: 13 2022
Number of Election Day Polling Places: 10 2022
Land Area per Polling Place (avg.): 71.80 sq. miles
Intergovernmental Data
Emergency Mgt. Planning, Exercise and Training (PET) Region: Southwest
Natural Resource District: Middle Republican NRD
State Lands (acres): Burton's Bend WMA (77 Furnas, Harlan & Red Willow), McCook Rest Area (21.9), Red Willow Diversion Dam WMA (56.10), Red Willow Reservoir WMA (4,591 Frontier & Red Willow)
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)