Hooker County, Nebraska
Hooker County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 711,[1] and was estimated to be 686 in 2025.[2] The county seat and the largest village is Mullen, which (as of 2019) is the county's only community of substantial size.[3]
In the Nebraska license plate system, Hooker County was represented by the prefix "93" (as it had the smallest number of registered vehicles out of the state's 93 counties of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922).
History
[edit | edit source]Hooker County was created on March 29, 1889[4] with construction of a line for Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad into the territory.[5] It was named for Civil War General Joseph Hooker.[6]
Geography
[edit | edit source]According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 721.401 square miles (1,868.42 km2), of which 720.966 square miles (1,867.29 km2) is land and 0.535 square miles (1.39 km2) (0.07%) is water.[7] It is the 33rd-largest county in Nebraska by total area.[8]
The terrain of Hooker County consists of low rolling hills running east–west. The Middle Loup River flows eastward through the upper part of the county.
Most of Nebraska's 93 counties (the eastern 2/3) observe Central Time; the western counties observe Mountain Time. Hooker County is the easternmost of the Nebraska counties to observe Mountain Time.[9]
Major highways
[edit | edit source]
Adjacent counties
[edit | edit source]- Cherry County – north
- Thomas County – east (Central Time Zone boundary)
- McPherson County – south
- Arthur County – southwest
- Grant County – west
Lakes
[edit | edit source]Demographics
[edit | edit source]2020 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 711. The median age was 46.3 years. 19.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 31.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.6 males age 18 and over.[12][13]
The racial makeup of the county was 93.5% White, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.1% from some other race, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.5% of the population.[13]
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[14]
There were 323 households in the county, of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 408 housing units, of which 20.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.5% were owner-occupied and 24.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.1%.[12]
2000 census
[edit | edit source]As of the 2000 census, there were 783 people, 335 households, and 220 families in the county. The population density was 1.0 person per square mile (0.39 persons/km2). There were 440 housing units at an average density of 0.6 units per square mile (0.23/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.72% White, 0.38% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.13% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. 1.02% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 335 households, out of which 26.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.30% were married couples living together, 3.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.30% were non-families. 33.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90.
The county population contained 24.00% under the age of 18, 4.10% from 18 to 24, 21.60% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 26.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 83.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $27,868, and the median income for a family was $35,114. Males had a median income of $25,234 versus $16,250 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,513. About 4.90% of families and 6.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.30% of those under age 18 and 13.10% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
[edit | edit source]Village
[edit | edit source]- Mullen (county seat)
Former community
[edit | edit source]Politics
[edit | edit source]Hooker County voters have been overwhelmingly Republican ever since World War II. The last Democratic presidential candidate to carry the county was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 when the region was decimated by the Dust Bowl, and in no presidential election since 1936 has the Democratic nominee reached thirty percent of the county's vote – a record of Republican dominance equalled only by the Unionist Kentucky counties of Jackson and Clinton where no Democrat has passed thirty percent since before 1896. In 1968[15] Hooker was the nation's most Republican county, and it was in the top ten most Republican in 1960,[16] 1976,[17] and 1984.[18]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1900 | 37 | 44.58% | 43 | 51.81% | 3 | 3.61% |
| 1904 | 72 | 69.23% | 22 | 21.15% | 10 | 9.62% |
| 1908 | 100 | 50.76% | 91 | 46.19% | 6 | 3.05% |
| 1912 | 103 | 34.22% | 121 | 40.20% | 77 | 25.58% |
| 1916 | 109 | 32.25% | 218 | 64.50% | 11 | 3.25% |
| 1920 | 230 | 63.54% | 117 | 32.32% | 15 | 4.14% |
| 1924 | 176 | 40.00% | 111 | 25.23% | 153 | 34.77% |
| 1928 | 355 | 76.02% | 110 | 23.55% | 2 | 0.43% |
| 1932 | 162 | 31.70% | 342 | 66.93% | 7 | 1.37% |
| 1936 | 288 | 59.75% | 191 | 39.63% | 3 | 0.62% |
| 1940 | 403 | 73.27% | 147 | 26.73% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 330 | 76.21% | 103 | 23.79% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 249 | 74.33% | 86 | 25.67% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 411 | 85.09% | 72 | 14.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 368 | 85.19% | 64 | 14.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 443 | 86.19% | 71 | 13.81% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 335 | 70.97% | 137 | 29.03% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 350 | 87.94% | 36 | 9.05% | 12 | 3.02% |
| 1972 | 394 | 88.34% | 52 | 11.66% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 326 | 76.35% | 98 | 22.95% | 3 | 0.70% |
| 1980 | 386 | 81.78% | 63 | 13.35% | 23 | 4.87% |
| 1984 | 433 | 87.83% | 55 | 11.16% | 5 | 1.01% |
| 1988 | 378 | 80.25% | 91 | 19.32% | 2 | 0.42% |
| 1992 | 283 | 62.20% | 70 | 15.38% | 102 | 22.42% |
| 1996 | 308 | 59.92% | 115 | 22.37% | 91 | 17.70% |
| 2000 | 317 | 77.51% | 74 | 18.09% | 18 | 4.40% |
| 2004 | 392 | 85.03% | 64 | 13.88% | 5 | 1.08% |
| 2008 | 355 | 81.05% | 75 | 17.12% | 8 | 1.83% |
| 2012 | 330 | 83.54% | 59 | 14.94% | 6 | 1.52% |
| 2016 | 355 | 85.13% | 40 | 9.59% | 22 | 5.28% |
| 2020 | 376 | 85.07% | 59 | 13.35% | 7 | 1.58% |
| 2024 | 369 | 86.42% | 55 | 12.88% | 3 | 0.70% |
| 2016 | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% | 1 | 33.33% |
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedQF - ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Nebraska: Individual County Chronologies". publications.newberry.org. The Newberry Library. 2008. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
- ↑ Burr, George L. (1921). History of Hamilton and Clay Counties, Nebraska, Vol. 1. S.J. Clarke Pub. Co. p. 119.
- ↑ "Hooker County". nebraskacounties.org. Nebraska Association of County Officials. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
- ↑ "2025 County Gazetteer Files – Nebraska". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
- ↑ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Hooker County, Nebraska". www.census.gov. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Mountain Time Line Map - Google Search". Google Images. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Carr Lake". Google Maps. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Jefford Lake". Google Maps. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "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.
- ↑ Dave Leip. "1968 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
- ↑ Dave Leip. "1960 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
- ↑ Dave Leip. "1976 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
- ↑ Dave Leip. "1984 Presidential Election Statistics". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas.
- ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
Template:Geographic Location Template:Hooker County, Nebraska Template:Nebraska