Pierce County, Nebraska
Pierce County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 7,317.[1] Its county seat is Pierce.[2] The county was formed in 1859, and was named for US President Franklin Pierce.[3][4] Pierce County is part of the Norfolk, NE Micropolitan Statistical Area. In the Nebraska license plate system, Pierce County is represented by the prefix 40 (it had the 40th-largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).
History
[edit | edit source]Some of Pierce County's earliest settlers were German Lutheran colonists who had traveled from Ixonia, Wisconsin, and had founded the nearby town of Norfolk.[5]
Geography
[edit | edit source]The Pierce County terrain consists of low rolling hills, sloping to the east and southeast.[6] The north fork of the Elkhorn River flows southeastward through the central part of the county, while Dry Fork drains the lower western part, then discharges into the north fork of the Elkhorn. Most of the county's area is devoted to agriculture, often under central pivot irrigation.[7]
The county has a total area of 575 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 573 square miles (1,480 km2) is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2) (0.2%) is water.[8]
Major highways
[edit | edit source]
U.S. Highway 20
U.S. Highway 81- Error creating thumbnail: Nebraska Highway 13
- Error creating thumbnail: Nebraska Highway 98
- File:N-121.svg Nebraska Highway 121
Adjacent counties
[edit | edit source]- Cedar County – northeast
- Wayne County – east
- Stanton County – southeast
- Madison County – south
- Antelope County – west
- Knox County – north
Protected areas
[edit | edit source]- Willow Creek Recreation Area[9]
Demographics
[edit | edit source]2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 7,317. The median age was 41.0 years. 25.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 101.0 males age 18 and over.[10][11]
The racial makeup of the county was 95.6% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.9% of the population.[11]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[12]
There were 2,887 households in the county, of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 18.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[10]
There were 3,118 housing units, of which 7.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 80.7% were owner-occupied and 19.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.5%.[10]
2000 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2000 United States census,[13] there were 7,857 people, 2,979 households, and 2,141 families in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile (5.4 people/km2). There were 3,247 housing units at an average density of 6 units per square mile (2.3/km2).
The racial makeup of the county was 98.65% White, 0.08% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.71% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,979 households, out of which 35.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.40% were married couples living together, 5.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 25.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.14.
The county population contained 29.00% under the age of 18, 7.00% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 20.90% from 45 to 64, and 17.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,239, and the median income for a family was $40,500. Males had a median income of $26,563 versus $20,237 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,980. About 8.80% of families and 11.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.20% of those under age 18 and 12.90% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
[edit | edit source]Cities
[edit | edit source]Villages
[edit | edit source]Unincorporated communities
[edit | edit source]Politics
[edit | edit source]Pierce County voters have been reliably Republican for decades. In no national election since 1936 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024).
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1900 | 919 | 49.54% | 913 | 49.22% | 23 | 1.24% |
| 1904 | 1,122 | 58.65% | 616 | 32.20% | 175 | 9.15% |
| 1908 | 1,067 | 48.54% | 1,095 | 49.82% | 36 | 1.64% |
| 1912 | 694 | 32.52% | 948 | 44.42% | 492 | 23.06% |
| 1916 | 1,228 | 53.60% | 1,030 | 44.96% | 33 | 1.44% |
| 1920 | 2,478 | 75.11% | 743 | 22.52% | 78 | 2.36% |
| 1924 | 1,570 | 42.36% | 760 | 20.51% | 1,376 | 37.13% |
| 1928 | 2,542 | 61.45% | 1,586 | 38.34% | 9 | 0.22% |
| 1932 | 1,128 | 27.23% | 2,980 | 71.93% | 35 | 0.84% |
| 1936 | 2,016 | 44.85% | 2,357 | 52.44% | 122 | 2.71% |
| 1940 | 3,271 | 69.30% | 1,449 | 30.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 2,956 | 71.06% | 1,204 | 28.94% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 1,866 | 57.43% | 1,383 | 42.57% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 3,234 | 78.06% | 909 | 21.94% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 2,800 | 70.85% | 1,152 | 29.15% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,963 | 72.80% | 1,107 | 27.20% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,965 | 54.64% | 1,631 | 45.36% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 2,408 | 73.44% | 674 | 20.56% | 197 | 6.01% |
| 1972 | 2,451 | 78.96% | 653 | 21.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 2,172 | 66.95% | 1,004 | 30.95% | 68 | 2.10% |
| 1980 | 2,938 | 80.74% | 517 | 14.21% | 184 | 5.06% |
| 1984 | 3,017 | 84.06% | 545 | 15.19% | 27 | 0.75% |
| 1988 | 2,474 | 72.79% | 914 | 26.89% | 11 | 0.32% |
| 1992 | 1,853 | 52.02% | 611 | 17.15% | 1,098 | 30.83% |
| 1996 | 1,923 | 62.39% | 697 | 22.62% | 462 | 14.99% |
| 2000 | 2,534 | 78.99% | 570 | 17.77% | 104 | 3.24% |
| 2004 | 2,824 | 83.11% | 546 | 16.07% | 28 | 0.82% |
| 2008 | 2,385 | 73.93% | 783 | 24.27% | 58 | 1.80% |
| 2012 | 2,707 | 78.90% | 637 | 18.57% | 87 | 2.54% |
| 2016 | 3,052 | 84.08% | 382 | 10.52% | 196 | 5.40% |
| 2020 | 3,462 | 86.29% | 480 | 11.96% | 70 | 1.74% |
| 2024 | 3,420 | 87.47% | 446 | 11.41% | 44 | 1.13% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "Pierce County, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ↑ Fitzpatrick, Lilian Linder (1925). Nebraska Place-Names. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Studies in Language, Literature, and Criticism. p. 114. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
- ↑ "Pierce County". Nebraska Association of County Officials. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
- ↑ 1803-- Pioneer history of the Braasch family-- 1956 / compiled by Mrs. Herman Wagner. Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. [S.l. : s.n.], 1956. 1956.CS1 maint: others (link)
- ↑ ""Find an Altitude" Google Maps (accessed 26 January 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ↑ Pierce County NE Google Maps (accessed 26 January 2019)
- ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
- ↑ Willow Creek Recreation Area Google Maps (accessed 26 January 2019)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "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.
- ↑ "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ↑ Election Results
Template:Pierce County, Nebraska Template:Nebraska
Coordinates: 42°16′N 97°37′W / 42.27°N 97.61°W
