Red Willow County

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): 

• Education (chairperson)
• Revenue

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)