Colfax County, Nebraska
Colfax County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,582,[1] and was estimated to be 10,934 in 2025.[2] The county seat and the largest city is Schuyler.[3]
In the Nebraska license plate system, Colfax County was represented by the prefix "43" (as it had the 43rd-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922).
History
[edit | edit source]The county and its seat are named after US Vice President (1869–1873) Schuyler Colfax.[4]
Colfax County was created by the Nebraska legislature on February 15, 1869, as part of the division of Platte County into three parts. The new county was named for Schuyler Colfax, then the vice-president of the United States. The site of Shell Creek Station on the Union Pacific Railroad was chosen as the county seat, and renamed Schuyler also after Colfax.[5] Schuyler was incorporated in 1870, and the county's first courthouse was constructed in 1872.
Geography
[edit | edit source]According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 416.517 square miles (1,078.77 km2), of which 411.460 square miles (1,065.68 km2) is land and 5.057 square miles (13.10 km2) (1.21%) is water.[6] It is the 86th-largest county in Nebraska by total area.[7]
Major highways
[edit | edit source]- File:US 30.svg U.S. Highway 30
- File:N-15.svg Nebraska Highway 15
- File:N-57.svg Nebraska Highway 57
- File:N-91.svg Nebraska Highway 91
Transit
[edit | edit source]Adjacent counties
[edit | edit source]- Dodge County – east
- Butler County – south
- Platte County – west
- Stanton County – north
- Cuming County – northeast
Demographics
[edit | edit source]As of the third quarter of 2025, the median home value in Colfax County was $143,696.[8]
As of the 2024 American Community Survey, there are 3,707 estimated households in Colfax County with an average of 2.85 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $82,530. Approximately 6.9% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Colfax County has an estimated 69.1% employment rate, with 14.8% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 79.4% holding a high school diploma.[2] There were 3,997 housing units at an average density of 9.71 per square mile (3.7/km2).
The top five reported languages (people were allowed to report up to two languages, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (55.4%), Spanish (40.4%), Indo-European (0.5%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.3%), and Other (3.4%).
The median age in the county was 35.5 years.
| Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1980[9] | Pop. 1990[10] | Pop. 2000[11] | Pop. 2010[12] | Pop. 2020[13] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 9,791 (99.00%) |
8,878 (97.14%) |
7,617 (72.95%) |
6,031 (57.36%) |
5,018 (47.42%) |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2 (0.02%) |
3 (0.03%) |
5 (0.05%) |
49 (0.47%) |
375 (3.54%) |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 7 (0.07%) |
26 (0.28%) |
17 (0.16%) |
33 (0.31%) |
26 (0.25%) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 5 (0.05%) |
7 (0.08%) |
14 (0.13%) |
24 (0.23%) |
50 (0.47%) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | — | 3 (0.03%) |
4 (0.04%) |
2 (0.02%) |
| Other race alone (NH) | 6 (0.06%) |
1 (0.01%) |
11 (0.11%) |
17 (0.16%) |
16 (0.15%) |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | — | 42 (0.40%) |
42 (0.40%) |
102 (0.96%) |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 79 (0.80%) |
224 (2.45%) |
2,732 (26.17%) |
4,315 (41.04%) |
4,993 (47.18%) |
| Total | 9,890 (100.00%) |
9,139 (100.00%) |
10,441 (100.00%) |
10,515 (100.00%) |
10,582 (100.00%) |
2024 estimate
[edit | edit source]As of the 2024 estimate, there were 10,826 people, 3,707 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was 26.31 inhabitants per square mile (10.2/km2). There were 3,997 housing units at an average density of 9.71 per square mile (3.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 84.3% White (43.4% NH White), 7.5% African American, 4.0% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.7% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 48.3% of the population.
2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, there were 10,582 people, 3,615 households, and 2,619 families residing in the county.[14] The population density was 25.72 inhabitants per square mile (9.9/km2). There were 3,976 housing units at an average density of 9.66 per square mile (3.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 55.18% White, 3.57% African American, 2.84% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 28.17% from some other races and 9.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 47.18% of the population.[15]
The median age was 34.5 years. 30.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 104.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 107.6 males age 18 and over.[16][17]
61.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 38.4% lived in rural areas.[18]
There were 3,615 households in the county, of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 19.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 3,976 housing units, of which 9.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.2% were owner-occupied and 27.8% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%.
Communities
[edit | edit source]Cities
[edit | edit source]Villages
[edit | edit source]Politics
[edit | edit source]Colfax County voters are reliably Republican. In only one national election since 1936 did the county select the Democratic Party candidate.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1900 | 1,033 | 42.63% | 1,357 | 56.00% | 33 | 1.36% |
| 1904 | 1,180 | 53.03% | 768 | 34.52% | 277 | 12.45% |
| 1908 | 1,159 | 46.68% | 1,267 | 51.03% | 57 | 2.30% |
| 1912 | 620 | 29.52% | 998 | 47.52% | 482 | 22.95% |
| 1916 | 897 | 34.78% | 1,628 | 63.13% | 54 | 2.09% |
| 1920 | 1,992 | 66.29% | 957 | 31.85% | 56 | 1.86% |
| 1924 | 1,450 | 39.02% | 1,293 | 34.80% | 973 | 26.18% |
| 1928 | 1,432 | 34.14% | 2,746 | 65.47% | 16 | 0.38% |
| 1932 | 648 | 13.56% | 4,076 | 85.29% | 55 | 1.15% |
| 1936 | 1,644 | 32.39% | 3,210 | 63.25% | 221 | 4.35% |
| 1940 | 2,587 | 52.28% | 2,361 | 47.72% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 2,314 | 51.51% | 2,178 | 48.49% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 1,928 | 50.41% | 1,897 | 49.59% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 3,332 | 69.56% | 1,458 | 30.44% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 2,843 | 65.07% | 1,526 | 34.93% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,504 | 55.91% | 1,975 | 44.09% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 1,972 | 47.19% | 2,207 | 52.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 2,264 | 64.48% | 932 | 26.55% | 315 | 8.97% |
| 1972 | 2,799 | 71.66% | 1,107 | 28.34% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 2,364 | 57.34% | 1,666 | 40.41% | 93 | 2.26% |
| 1980 | 3,259 | 73.17% | 893 | 20.05% | 302 | 6.78% |
| 1984 | 2,999 | 74.68% | 981 | 24.43% | 36 | 0.90% |
| 1988 | 2,329 | 59.75% | 1,542 | 39.56% | 27 | 0.69% |
| 1992 | 1,915 | 46.21% | 1,011 | 24.40% | 1,218 | 29.39% |
| 1996 | 1,954 | 55.23% | 1,065 | 30.10% | 519 | 14.67% |
| 2000 | 2,338 | 70.53% | 863 | 26.03% | 114 | 3.44% |
| 2004 | 2,589 | 71.26% | 990 | 27.25% | 54 | 1.49% |
| 2008 | 2,018 | 63.00% | 1,125 | 35.12% | 60 | 1.87% |
| 2012 | 2,051 | 66.83% | 969 | 31.57% | 49 | 1.60% |
| 2016 | 2,171 | 67.55% | 859 | 26.73% | 184 | 5.72% |
| 2020 | 2,636 | 70.75% | 1,025 | 27.51% | 65 | 1.74% |
| 2024 | 2,636 | 74.91% | 845 | 24.01% | 38 | 1.08% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
Education
[edit | edit source]School districts include:[20]
- North Bend Central Public Schools #595, North Bend
- Howells–Dodge Consolidated Schools #70, Howells
- Clarkson Public Schools #58, Clarkson
- Leigh Community Schools #39, Leigh
- Schuyler Community Schools #123, Schuyler
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedQF - ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ↑ Bain, David Haward (2004). The Old Iron Road: An Epic of Rails, Roads, and the Urge to Go West. New York City, NY: Penguin Books. pp. 65–6. ISBN 0-14-303526-6.
- ↑ Bowman, J. R. (1882). Shearer, Frederick E. (ed.). The Pacific tourist. J.R. Bowman's illustrated transcontinental guide of travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. New York: J.R. Bowman. p. 26. OCLC 752667534. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- ↑ "2025 County Gazetteer Files – Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Colfax County, Nebraska". www.census.gov. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ↑ "County Median Home Price". National Association of Realtors. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Colfax County, Nebraska — Population by Race". CensusScope. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ↑ "1990 Census of Population: General Population Characteristics Nebraska" (PDF). www.census.gov. October 6, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Colfax County, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Colfax County, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Colfax County, Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ↑ "How many people live in Colfax County, Nebraska". USA Today. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
- ↑ 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Colfax County, NE (PDF) (Map). United States Census Bureau. January 14, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2026. - Text list
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