Burt County, Nebraska
Burt County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska, bordering the west bank of the upper Missouri River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,722,[1] and was estimated to be 6,678 in 2025.[2] The county seat and the largest city is Tekamah.[3]
In the Nebraska license plate system, Burt County was represented by the prefix "31" (as it had the 31st-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922).
History
[edit | edit source]Burt County was created on November 23, 1854[4] and named after Francis Burt, the first governor of Nebraska Territory.[5]
Geography
[edit | edit source]According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 497.064 square miles (1,287.39 km2), of which 491.587 square miles (1,273.20 km2) is land and 5.477 square miles (14.19 km2) (1.10%) is water.[6] It is the 76th-largest county in Nebraska by total area.[7] Its east boundary line is formed by the western border of the state of Iowa, a boundary mostly aligning with the Missouri River. Because of shifts in the river over time, small portions of the county are now located on the eastern bank of the river.
Major highways
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Adjacent counties
[edit | edit source]- Thurston County - north
- Monona County, Iowa - northeast
- Harrison County, Iowa - southeast
- Washington County - south
- Dodge County - southwest
- Cuming County - west
Demographics
[edit | edit source]2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 6,722. The median age was 47.2 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.6 males age 18 and over.[8][9]
The racial makeup of the county was 92.9% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 4.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.6% of the population.[9]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[10]
There were 2,851 households in the county, of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 21.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[8]
There were 3,324 housing units, of which 14.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.7% were owner-occupied and 23.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.2%.[8]
2000 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2000 census, there were 7,791 people, 3,155 households, and 2,240 families in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile (6.2 people/km2). There were 3,723 housing units at an average density of 8 units per square mile (3.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.63% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 1.07% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 1.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 33.7% were of German, 13.9% Swedish, 10.1% Irish, 8.8% American, 7.0% English and 5.4% Danish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 3,155 households, out of which 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.30% were married couples living together, 6.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93.
The county population contained 25.70% under the age of 18, 5.40% from 18 to 24, 23.40% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 21.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 93.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $33,954, and the median income for a family was $40,515. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $20,663 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,654. About 6.60% of families and 8.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.80% of those under age 18 and 8.30% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
[edit | edit source]Cities
[edit | edit source]Villages
[edit | edit source]Unincorporated communities
[edit | edit source]Townships
[edit | edit source]Ghost towns
[edit | edit source]Politics
[edit | edit source]Burt County voters have historically voted Republican. No Democratic Party candidate has carried the county in a national election since 1936.[11]
| Political Party | Number of registered voters (March 1, 2026)[12] | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Party color cell | Republican | 2,859 | 59.54% |
| Template:Party color cell | Democratic | 955 | 19.89% |
| Template:Party color cell | Independent | 902 | 18.78% |
| Template:Party color cell | Libertarian | 57 | 1.19% |
| Template:Party color cell | Legal Marijuana Now | 29 | 0.60% |
| Total | 4,802 | 100.00% | |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1900 | 1,929 | 61.30% | 1,174 | 37.31% | 44 | 1.40% |
| 1904 | 2,081 | 72.23% | 528 | 18.33% | 272 | 9.44% |
| 1908 | 1,880 | 59.53% | 1,215 | 38.47% | 63 | 1.99% |
| 1912 | 865 | 29.13% | 1,040 | 35.03% | 1,064 | 35.84% |
| 1916 | 1,508 | 50.33% | 1,425 | 47.56% | 63 | 2.10% |
| 1920 | 2,969 | 70.22% | 1,194 | 28.24% | 65 | 1.54% |
| 1924 | 2,813 | 54.32% | 1,870 | 36.11% | 496 | 9.58% |
| 1928 | 3,551 | 66.34% | 1,783 | 33.31% | 19 | 0.35% |
| 1932 | 1,857 | 32.83% | 3,734 | 66.02% | 65 | 1.15% |
| 1936 | 2,710 | 45.92% | 3,120 | 52.87% | 71 | 1.20% |
| 1940 | 3,443 | 57.08% | 2,589 | 42.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 3,189 | 59.60% | 2,162 | 40.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 2,656 | 58.30% | 1,900 | 41.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 4,154 | 76.97% | 1,243 | 23.03% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 3,459 | 69.49% | 1,519 | 30.51% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 3,613 | 72.56% | 1,366 | 27.44% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 2,459 | 54.25% | 2,074 | 45.75% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 2,615 | 68.55% | 937 | 24.56% | 263 | 6.89% |
| 1972 | 2,937 | 76.54% | 900 | 23.46% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 2,510 | 63.27% | 1,375 | 34.66% | 82 | 2.07% |
| 1980 | 2,806 | 72.08% | 814 | 20.91% | 273 | 7.01% |
| 1984 | 2,645 | 71.08% | 1,054 | 28.33% | 22 | 0.59% |
| 1988 | 2,050 | 58.06% | 1,458 | 41.29% | 23 | 0.65% |
| 1992 | 1,667 | 42.61% | 1,224 | 31.29% | 1,021 | 26.10% |
| 1996 | 1,707 | 48.83% | 1,237 | 35.38% | 552 | 15.79% |
| 2000 | 2,056 | 60.61% | 1,223 | 36.06% | 113 | 3.33% |
| 2004 | 2,349 | 64.04% | 1,272 | 34.68% | 47 | 1.28% |
| 2008 | 1,907 | 56.30% | 1,413 | 41.72% | 67 | 1.98% |
| 2012 | 2,029 | 60.12% | 1,291 | 38.25% | 55 | 1.63% |
| 2016 | 2,367 | 66.53% | 930 | 26.14% | 261 | 7.34% |
| 2020 | 2,580 | 69.00% | 1,063 | 28.43% | 96 | 2.57% |
| 2024 | 2,632 | 71.81% | 983 | 26.82% | 50 | 1.36% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
Education
[edit | edit source]School districts include:[14]
- Bancroft-Rosalie Community Schools #20, Bancroft
- Logan View Public Schools #594, Hooper
- Lyons-Decatur Northeast Schools #20, Lyons
- Oakland-Craig Public Schools #14, Oakland
- Tekamah-Herman Community Schools #1, Tekamah
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedQF - ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Nebraska: Individual County Chronologies". publications.newberry.org. The Newberry Library. 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Burt County". nebraskacounties.org. Nebraska Association of County Officials. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ↑ "2025 County Gazetteer Files – Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Burt County, Nebraska". www.census.gov. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ↑ The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 1,003 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 41 votes and Prohibition Eugene Chafin received 20 votes.
- ↑ "Voter Statistics Count Report" (PDF). nebraska.gov. Secretary of State of Nebraska. March 2, 2026. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ↑ 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Burt County, NE (PDF) (Map). United States Census Bureau. January 14, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2026. - Text list
Template:Geographic Location Template:Burt County, Nebraska Template:Nebraska