Editing Box Butte County, Nebraska

{{Short description|County in Nebraska, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
| county      = Box Butte County
| state              = Nebraska
| founded            = 1886
| seat wl            = Alliance
| largest city       = Alliance
| area_total_sq_mi   = 1078
| area_land_sq_mi    = 1075
| area_water_sq_mi   = 2.5
| area percentage    = 0.2%
| census yr          = 2020
| pop                = 10842
| pop_est_as_of      = 2022
| population_est     = 10672 {{loss}}
| density_sq_mi      = auto
| web                = https://boxbuttecountyne.gov/
| ex image           = Box Butte County courthouse from SW 2.JPG
| ex image cap       = [[Box Butte County Courthouse]] in Alliance
| district           = 3rd
| time zone        = Mountain }}
[[File:Boxbuttecounty.png|thumb|upright=1.25|Box Butte County]]
'''Box Butte County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Nebraska]]. As of the [[2020 United States census]], the population was 10,842.<ref name="QF">{{Cite web |title=QuickFacts |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/boxbuttecountynebraska/PST045221 |access-date=January 23, 2023 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Alliance, Nebraska|Alliance]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Find a County |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 |access-date=June 7, 2011 |publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The county was formed in 1886; it took its name from a large box-shaped [[butte]] north of Alliance. In the Nebraska [[Vehicle registration plates of Nebraska|license plate]] system, Box Butte County is represented by the prefix 65 (it had the sixty–fifth largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).

==History==
Box Butte County was formed as part of a series of partitionings of the [[Nebraska Panhandle]]. In 1883, the Nebraska legislature divided the Panhandle into two counties, Sioux and Cheyenne. In 1885 the original Sioux County was divided into three counties: Sioux, Dawes, and Sheridan. Because of the distance to the county seat of [[Chadron, Nebraska|Chadron]], residents of southern Dawes County asked that it be split off; in 1886, the legislature created Box Butte County. The new county was named after a [[butte]] in the northern part of the county; before the county's formation, its name had been used in advertisements by railroad companies seeking to entice settlers to the area.<ref>Kooiman and Butterfield (1996), p. 24.</ref><ref>Fitzpatrick, Lilian Linder (1925).  [http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/englishunsllc/1 ''Nebraska Place-Names''], p. 20. Retrieved December 11, 2017.</ref>

In the [[Vehicle registration plates of Nebraska|Nebraska license plate system]], Box Butte County is represented by the prefix 65 (it had the 65th-largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|US Census Bureau]], the county has an area of {{convert|1078|sqmi}} of which {{convert|1075|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|2.5|sqmi}} (11%) is water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_31.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113024152/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_31.txt |archive-date=November 13, 2013 |access-date=December 6, 2014 |publisher=US Census Bureau}}</ref>

===Major highways===
{{div col|colwidth=33em}}
* {{Jct|state=NE|US|385}}
* [[File:N-2.svg|20px]] [[Nebraska Highway 2]]
* [[File:N-71.svg|20px]] [[Nebraska Highway 71]]
* [[File:N-87.svg|20px]] [[Nebraska Highway 87]]
{{div col end}}

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col|colwidth=33em}}
* [[Dawes County, Nebraska|Dawes County]] - north
* [[Sheridan County, Nebraska|Sheridan County]] - east
* [[Morrill County, Nebraska|Morrill County]] - south
* [[Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska|Scotts Bluff County]] - southwest
* [[Sioux County, Nebraska|Sioux County]] - west
{{div col end}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1890 = 5494
| 1900 = 5572
| 1910 = 6131
| 1920 = 8407
| 1930 = 11861
| 1940 = 10736
| 1950 = 12279
| 1960 = 11688
| 1970 = 10094
| 1980 = 13696
| 1990 = 13130
| 2000 = 12158
| 2010 = 11308
| 2020 = 10842
| estyear = 2022
| estimate = 10672
| estref = <ref name="QF" />
| align-fn = center
| footnote = US Decennial Census<ref>{{Cite web |title=US Decennial Census |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |access-date=December 6, 2014 |publisher=US Census Bureau}}</ref><br>1790-1960<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historical Census Browser |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |access-date=December 6, 2014 |publisher=University of Virginia Library}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ne190090.txt |access-date=December 6, 2014 |publisher=US Census Bureau}}</ref><br>1990-2000<ref>{{Cite web |title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |access-date=December 6, 2014 |publisher=US Census Bureau}}</ref> 2010-2022<ref name=QF/>
}}

As of the [[2000 United States Census]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov |access-date=January 31, 2008 |publisher=US Census Bureau}}</ref> there were 12,158 people, 4,780 households, and 3,298 families in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|11|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people|}}. There were 5,488 housing units at an average density of {{convert|5|/mi2|/km2|adj=pre|units&nbsp;}}. The racial makeup of the county was 90.84% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.37% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 2.74% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.53% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.01% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 3.55% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.96% from two or more races. 7.65% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race. 36.4% were of [[German Americans|German]], 8.4% [[English Americans|English]], 8.1% [[Irish Americans|Irish]] and 5.3% [[American ancestry]].

There were 4,780 households, out of which 35.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.00% were non-families. 27.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.05.

The county population contained 28.10% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 26.80% from 25 to 44, 23.10% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,366 and the median income for a family was $46,670. Males had a median income of $36,966 versus $21,762 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $18,407. About 9.70% of families and 10.70% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 13.70% of those under age 18 and 11.00% of those age 65 or over.

==Communities==
===City===
* [[Alliance, Nebraska|Alliance]] (county seat)

===Village===
* [[Hemingford, Nebraska|Hemingford]]

===Census-designated place===
* [[Berea, Nebraska|Berea]]

===Other unincorporated places===
* [[Letan, Nebraska|Letan]]
* [[Nonpareil, Nebraska|Nonpareil]]

==Politics==
Box Butte County voters have been reliably Republican for decades; since [[1940 United States presidential election in Nebraska|1940]], the county has selected the Republican Party presidential candidate in every national election (as of 2024).
{{PresHead|place=Box Butte County, Nebraska|whig=no|source1=<ref>[http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS ''Election Results'']</ref>|source2=<ref>The leading "other" candidate, [[Progressive Party (United States, 1912)|Progressive]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]], received 423 votes, while Socialist candidate [[Eugene V. Debs|Eugene Debs]] received 97 votes and [[Write-in candidate]] [[Eugene W. Chafin|Eugene Chafin]] received 19 votes.</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP/Whig vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|3,827|1,043|67|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|4,002|1,051|147|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|3,617|965|342|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|2,869|1,692|144|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|2,932|1,886|161|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|3,396|1,657|99|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|3,208|1,614|267|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|2,458|1,782|735|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|2,203|1,942|1,542|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|3,253|2,468|45|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|4,011|1,471|43|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|3,912|1,208|412|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|2,956|1,516|107|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|3,431|960|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|2,728|1,052|263|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1964|Republican|2,725|1,968|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|3,157|1,886|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|2,991|1,362|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|4,426|1,239|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|2,351|2,023|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|2,994|1,736|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|2,942|2,195|0|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|1,711|2,900|52|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,772|2,688|65|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|3,028|1,238|16|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|1,506|814|1,225|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|1,630|756|117|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|591|914|65|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|227|518|539|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|600|684|48|Nebraska}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|668|217|116|Nebraska}}
{{PresFoot|1900|Republican|707|494|30|Nebraska}}

==Notable people==
* [[Robert Ball Anderson]], early homesteader

==See also==
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Nebraska#Box Butte County|National Register of Historic Places listings in Box Butte County, Nebraska]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
Kooiman, Barbara A., and Elizabeth A. Butterfield (1996).  {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20061116020537/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/reports/boxbutte_county.pdf "Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey: Reconnaissance Survey Final Report of Box Butte County, Nebraska"]}}. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110307215553/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/index.shtml Nebraska State Historical Society.]}} Retrieved December 11, 2017.

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061207083202/http://www.co.box-butte.ne.us/ County website]

{{coord|42.21|-103.08|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-NE_source:UScensus1990}}

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Box Butte County, Nebraska
|North     = [[Dawes County, Nebraska|Dawes County]]
|East      = [[Sheridan County, Nebraska|Sheridan County]]
|South     = [[Morrill County, Nebraska|Morrill County]]
|Southwest = [[Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska|Scotts Bluff County]]
|West      = [[Sioux County, Nebraska|Sioux County]]
}}

{{Box Butte County, Nebraska}}
{{Nebraska}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Box Butte County, Nebraska| ]]
[[Category:Nebraska counties]]
[[Category:1886 establishments in Nebraska]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1886]]