Sherman County

General

Population:  2,959
Land area (sq. mi.):  565.85
Population per square mile:  5.2

Race and Age

Race  2020

White:  93.7%
African American:  0.0%
American Indian:  0.5%
Asian:  0.2%
Hispanic:  2.8%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander:  0.1%
Two or More Races:  2.7%

Age  2020

0-17:  21.4%
18-64:  51.6%
65+:  27.1%

Households

Total households:  1,305  2020
With one child:  110  2022
With 2+ children:  200  2022
With seniors (65+):  430  2022

Socioeconomics

Personal income per capita:  $56,306  2021
% of Population in Poverty:  13.1%  2022
# of Housing Units:  1,789  2020
2023 housing unit building permits:  5
Owner-occupied rate:  77.1%  2020
Median home price:  $141,490  Q1 2024

Technology

Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable modem):  60.2%  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:  2.0%  Sept. 2024

County Employment Website:  https://shermancounty.nebraska.gov/about/news/archived-news

High school graduate or higher:  92.6%  2020

School Districts:  Arcadia Public Schools, Central Valley Public Schools, Centura Public Schools, Litchfield Public Schools, Loup City Public Schools, Pleasanton Public Schools, Ravenna Public Schools

Bachelor's degree or higher:  21.6%  2020

Community College Service Area:  Central Community College

Countywide child care capacity:  6 providers; 101 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.

Sherman County Economy

Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP):  $153,302,000  2022

Nonfarm Small Business Receipts:  $20,674,988  2021

Nonfarm Wage Income:  $47,013,000  2021

Farm and Ranch Commodity Sales Receipts:  $134,601,000  2022

Farm and Ranch Operations (Non-Sales) Receipts:  $8,741,000  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):

• Ashton: Trotter (629,117)
• Litchfield: Trotter (545,230)
• Loup City: Trotter (821,177)
• Pilger: Farmers (1,603,630)
• (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:  17.15 main, 0.78 side

• Places with Railroad Service:  Hazard, Litchfield

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

Cattle Producers:  216

Crop Producers:  179

• Dryland Cash Rent (avg.):  $126/acre  2024

Farmers Markets:

• Sherman County Farmers Market (Loup City) (June - October, Saturdays 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)
• Tropper's Garden Shoppe & Leaning Center (Litchfield) (May - November, Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Saturdays 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Sundays 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)

Electricity Providers:  Custer PPD, Dawson PPD, Loup Valleys Rural PPD, Nebraska 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 Sherman County residents in other counties or states, but it excludes wages earned in Sherman 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 Sherman County for their production in other counties or states, but the figures exclude receipts reported for production in Sherman County by producers operating principally in other counties or states.

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

Total Irrigation/Livestock Wells:  958  2024

Agricultural Wells per Square Mile:  1.69  2024

Surface Water Diversions (Irrigation):  64  2024

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:  $0.2911 per $100 of taxable valuation

County property taxes levied:  $2,919,939

Total local government property taxes levied:  $13,197,343

Total countywide taxable valuation:  $1,003,162,422

Click here for all levy rates in Sherman 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: Daniel D. McKeon (District 41)

Committees

• Agriculture
• Business and Labor
• Government, Military and Veterans Affairs
• Building Maintenance

Map and statistics for Legislative District 41

Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature

Sherman County History

Number of Registered Historic Places: 5

Year Authorized: 1870

Year Organized: 1872

Etymology: William Sherman (U.S. army general)

The origins of Sherman County are said to have begun with a group of men who lived in Grand Island in the early 1870s. These men organized a settlement plan for the Middle Loup River Valley and secured the necessary authority from Gov. Robert Furnas and the Legislature to proceed in early 1873. When the county was formally organized it was named after Civil War hero Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, who once commanded cavalry troops in Nebraska.

In the county's first official election, held on April 1, 1873, a mere 13 votes were cast. Elected to office were three commissioners, a clerk, judge, treasurer, sheriff, surveyor, coroner and superintendent of public instruction. By the following year the county had its first courthouse, built at a cost of $5,000. But on the same day commissioners accepted a bid to furnish the building, it was destroyed by fire. It would be four years before the structure to be replaced.

The Loup River, which cuts across the county diagonally, was responsible for attracting many of the area's first settlers. The fertile valley soil and the plentiful supply of water made the area a prime location for early farmers. Irrigation further enhanced the county's farm economy when it made its first appearance in 1895. This early irrigation system consisted of a ditch being dug between Arcadia and Loup City and water being diverted from the Loup River.

Irrigation would once again become an important part of the county's history in 1932 when the Middle Loup Power and Irrigation Company was created and in 1959 when work began on the Sherman Dam and Reservoir.

The courthouse that was built in Loup City in 1878 would be outgrown by the county as the 1900s began. Efforts would begin to replace the existing building with a courthouse that could accommodate all county offices and the expanding volume of records. Construction began in 1920 on what is the present courthouse. The tan brick building with terra cotta trim was formally dedicated on Oct. 8, 1921.

In March of 2022, Sherman County Economic Director Melissa Dush approached the Sherman County Commissioners with an innovative idea about how to use the county’s ARPA money. Dush suggested that the county purchase the building east of the courthouse and transform it into a childcare development center. Like many communities in Nebraska, Sherman County has experienced critical childcare shortages. In fact, after conducting a local survey about childcare needs, Sherman County learned that there were approximately 70 children in need of childcare in the area.

The Sherman County Commissioners voted to purchase the building. The county then donated the building to Sherman County Economic Development (SCED), who began creating a Board of Directors to oversee the childcare center, named Sherman County Sprouts, Inc. As a result of Director Dush’s recruitment and coordinating efforts, the newly created Board of Directors boasts a diverse array of experience and expertise, including business owners, early childhood development professionals, school administrators, financial experts, as well as the county’s deputy clerk.

The project’s original estimated cost was $1.2 million, including two years of sustainability. Fast forward to today, and Sprouts is closing in on 90% of their goal and have even started the renovations! This rapid progress was made possible by not only the building donation and grants, but also through many fundraisers and generous donors. The childcare center is on pace to open in June of 2024. Sherman County Sprouts’ motto is “The Future Grows Here," and we can’t wait to see this project bloom!

Local Highlights

License Plate Number:  56

Time Zone:  Central

Number of Veterans:  177  2023

Zoned County:  Yes

Number of County-Owned Bridges:  80  

Number of County-Owned Dams:  1

Election Data

General Election Turnout:  81.97%  2024

Total Registered Voters:  2,097  2024

Number of Precincts:  6  2022

Number of Election Day Polling Places:  4  2022

Land Area per Polling Place (avg.):  142.91 sq. miles

Intergovernmental Data

Emergency Mgt. Planning, Exercise and Training (PET) Region: North Central/Sandhills

Natural Resource District: Lower Loup NRD

State Lands (acres): Sherman Reservoir WMA (3,180)

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)