Sarpy County

General

Population:  190,604
Land area (sq. mi.):  238.10
Population per square mile:  800.5

Race

Race  2020

White: 77.2%
African American: 3.8%
American Indian: 0.3%
Asian: 2.5%
Hispanic: 10.5%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 0.1%
Two or More Races: 5.3%

Age  2020

0-17: 26.8%
18-64: 60.7%
65+: 12.5%

Households

Total households:  70,173  2020
With one child:  10,200  2022
With 2+ children:  13,640  2022
With seniors (65+):  14,370  2022

Socioeconomics

Personal income per capita:  $62,030  2021
% of Population in Poverty:  5.8%  2022
# of Housing Units:  73,081  2020
2023 housing unit building permits:  982
Owner-occupied rate:  69.6%  2020
Median home price:  $350,090  Q1 2024

Technology

Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable modem):  96.8%  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:  1.9%  Sept. 2024

County Employment Website:  https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sarpycountyne

High school graduate or higher:  95.5%  2020

School Districts:  Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools, Bellevue Public Schools, Gretna Public Schools, Louisville Public Schools, Millard Public Schools, Papillion-La Vista Community Schools, Springfield Platteview Community Schools

Bachelor's degree or higher:  40.5%  2020

Community College Service Area:  Metropolitan Community College

Countywide child care capacity:  222 providers; 16,019 children  2020

Find child care:  For a list of child care providers in your zip code, visit Nebraska DHHS or the Nebraska Resource and Referral System.

Sarpy County Economy

Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP):  $11,761,110,000  2022

Nonfarm Small Business Receipts:  $1,443,213,446  2021

Nonfarm Wage Income:  $5,895,939,000  2021

Farm and Ranch Commodity Sales Receipts:  $43,270,000  2022

Farm and Ranch Operations (Non-Sales) Receipts:  $11,094,000  2022

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

Railroad Miles:  44.94 main, 8.18 side

• Places with Railroad Service:  Bellevue, Gretna, La Vista

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

Cattle Producers:  56

Crop Producers:  72

• Dryland Cash Rent (avg.):  $255/acre  2024

Farmers Market: 

• Bellevue Farmers Market (June 4 - September 10, Saturdays 7:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)
• Papillion Farmers Market (May - August, Wednesdays 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.)

Electricity Providers:  Omaha PPD

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 Sarpy County residents in other counties or states, but it excludes wages earned in Sarpy 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 Sarpy County for their production in other counties or states, but the figures exclude receipts reported for production in Sarpy County by producers operating principally in other counties or states.

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

Total Irrigation/Livestock Wells: 179  2024

Agricultural Wells per Square Mile:  0.75  2024

Surface Water Diversions (Irrigation): 46  2024

Click for real time:

Streamflow data on all creeks and rivers in Sarpy County

Streamflow data on the Missouri River at Nebraska City

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:  $0.2850 per $100 of taxable valuation

County property taxes levied:  $70,811,150

Total local government property taxes levied:  $529,490,198

Total countywide taxable valuation:  $24,849,499,115

Federal PILT payment to Sarpy County (FY2022):  $3,967 regarding 1,185 federally-owned acres

Click here for all levy rates in Sarpy 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-Elect: Victor Rountree

State Senator: Carol Blood (District 3)
Committees: Business and Labor, Judiciary, Urban Affairs

Map and statistics for Legislative District 3

State Senator: John Arch (District 14)
Committees: Reference, Rules, Executive Board, Legislative Performance Audit, Legislature's Planning Committee, Statewide Tourism And Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (LB406), Economic Recovery Special Committee

Map and statistics for Legislative District 14

State Senator: Rick Holdcroft (District 36)
Committees: Agriculture, General Affairs, Judiciary, Legislature's Planning Committee, Justice Reinvestment Oversight (LB605), Statewide Tourism And Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (LB406)

Map and statistics for Legislative District 36

State Senator: Rita Sanders (District 45)
Committees: Education, Government, Military and Veterans Affairs, Committee on Committees, Homeland Security Policy Group, Legislative Mental Health Care Capacity Strategic Planning Committee

Map and statistics for Legislative District 45

State Senator-Elect: Bob Andersen

State Senator: Jen Day (District 49)
Committees: General Affairs, Health and Human Services, Urban Affairs, State-Tribal Relations, Legislative Mental Health Care Capacity Strategic Planning Committee

Map and statistics for Legislative District 49

Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature

Sarpy County History

Number of Registered Historic Places: 19

Year Authorized: 1857

Year Organized: 1857

Etymology: Peter Sarpy (county trading post commander)

Sarpy County has the honor of having within its boundaries the oldest settlement on record in Nebraska. It was a trading post set up on the bank of the Missouri River in 1805 by Spanish adventurer Mauel De Lisa. According to historical accounts, upon his arrival De Lisa was so taken by the natural beauty of the area that he exclaimed, "Belle vue."

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark had actually visited the area the preceding year during their famous expedition to find the headwaters of the Missouri River. But De Lisa is credited with being the first white settler in the area.

In 1810, the American Fur Company established a trading post on this site. Col. Peter A. Sarpy was placed in charge of the post and it is in his honor that the county was eventually named. Traders for hundreds of miles to the north and west brought their furs to the post. The West Coast gold rush of 1849 brought a second wave of trading action to the area.

When the Indian title to the land expired in July 1854, the area was opened to pioneers for settlement. A short time later a steam ferry across the Missouri River went into operation to enhance immigration.

Sarpy County was once considered a part of Douglas County. On Feb. 7, 1857, the Legislature adopted an act to separate the two and create Sarpy County. For many years Bellevue served as the county seat and in 1861 a courthouse was built.

A settlement on a plateau just west of Bellevue began to develop. In time Papillion and Sarpy Center had grown from being "crossroads" to becoming villages. In 1874 the first attempt was made to move the county seat. During a special election, Sarpy Center was victorious. But before a courthouse could be built, an election in October 1875 changed the location to Papillion. After raising about $10,000, a courthouse was built in Papillion that same year. It would serve the county until 1922, when a second structure was built. The third and present courthouse was dedicated in 1975.

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

luke.bonkiewicz@nebraskacounties.org

Local Highlights

License Plate Number:  59

Time Zone:  Central

Number of Veterans:  21,433  2023

Zoned County:  Yes

Number of County-Owned Bridges:  80

Number of County-Owned Dams:  1

Election Data

Voter Turnout:  52.65%  2024

Number of Registered Voters:  122,060  2024

Number of Precincts:  52  2022

Number of Election Day Polling Places:  41  2022

Land Area per Polling Place (avg.):  5.81 sq. miles

Intergovernmental Data

Emergency Mgt. Planning, Exercise and Training (PET) Region: Tri-County

Natural Resource District: Papio-Missouri River NRD

State Lands (acres): Gifford Point WMA (1,308.03), Louisville Boat Access WMA (1.26), Melia Hill Rest Area WB (11.4), Schramm Park SRA (330.62)

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)