Cherry County, Nebraska | |
|---|---|
 Cherry County Courthouse in Valentine | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNebraska | |
 Nebraska's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:42°32′N101°07′W / 42.54°N 101.12°W /42.54; -101.12 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Nebraska |
| Founded | 1883 |
| Named after | Samuel A. Cherry |
| Seat | Valentine |
| Largest city | Valentine |
| Area | |
• Total | 6,009 sq mi (15,560 km2) |
| • Land | 5,960 sq mi (15,400 km2) |
| • Water | 49 sq mi (130 km2) 0.8% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 5,455 |
• Estimate (2024) | 5,558 |
| • Density | 0.93/sq mi (0.36/km2) |
| Time zones | |
| Eastern part of county | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Western part of county | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
| Website | www |
Cherry County is acounty in theU.S. state ofNebraska. As of the2020 United States census, the population was 5,455.[1] Itscounty seat isValentine.[2] The county was named forLt. Samuel A. Cherry, anArmy officer who was stationed atFort Niobrara and was killed inSouth Dakota in 1881.[3] Cherry County is in theNebraska Sandhills. It is the state's largest county, at nearly 6,000 square miles (16,000 km2), larger than three states,Rhode Island,Delaware andConnecticut. In theNebraska license plate system, Cherry County is represented by the prefix 66 (it had the 66th-most vehicles registered in the state when the system was established in 1922).
Cherry County lies on the north side of Nebraska. Its north boundary line abuts the south boundary line ofSouth Dakota. According to theUS Census Bureau, the county has an area of 6,009 square miles (15,560 km2), of which 5,960 square miles (15,400 km2) is land and 49 square miles (130 km2) (0.8%) is water.[4] It is by far Nebraska's largest county in land area and larger than the state ofConnecticut, or the states ofDelaware andRhode Island combined.[5] The county is in Nebraska'sSandhills region; thedunes that give the region its name are a result of the most recent glacial period, thePinedale glaciation. During theHolocene glacial retreat, the dunes, which had been deposited by the vast continental glaciers, were exposed, and grasses eventually took over.
Nebraska's largest county by area, Cherry County borders 11 counties, more than any other county in Nebraska. Seven of them are in Nebraska and four in South Dakota. The adjacent counties are:
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 6,428 | — | |
| 1900 | 6,541 | 1.8% | |
| 1910 | 10,414 | 59.2% | |
| 1920 | 11,753 | 12.9% | |
| 1930 | 10,898 | −7.3% | |
| 1940 | 9,637 | −11.6% | |
| 1950 | 8,397 | −12.9% | |
| 1960 | 8,218 | −2.1% | |
| 1970 | 6,846 | −16.7% | |
| 1980 | 6,758 | −1.3% | |
| 1990 | 6,307 | −6.7% | |
| 2000 | 6,148 | −2.5% | |
| 2010 | 5,713 | −7.1% | |
| 2020 | 5,455 | −4.5% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 5,558 | 1.9% | |
| US Decennial Census[6] 1790-1960[7] 1900-1990[8] 1990-2000[9] 2010-2013[1][10] 2020-2023[1] | |||
As of the2000 United States census,[11] there were 6,148 people, 2,508 households, and 1,710 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 1.02 people per square mile (0.39 people/km2). There were 3,220 housing units at an average density of 0 units per square mile (0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.19%White, 0.07%Black orAfrican American, 3.25%Native American, 0.42%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.33% fromother races, and 1.72% from two or more races. 0.93% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 38.5% were ofGerman, 12.6%English, 11.1%Irish and 7.3%American ancestry.
There were 2,508 households, out of which 31.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.90% weremarried couples living together, 6.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98.
The county population contained 27.00% under the age of 18, 6.20% from 18 to 24, 25.50% from 25 to 44, 24.00% from 45 to 64, and 17.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $29,268, and the median income for a family was $36,500. Males had a median income of $23,705 versus $17,277 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $15,943. About 9.60% of families and 12.30% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 13.40% of those under age 18 and 14.20% of those age 65 or over.
Cherry County residents observe two time zones, Central and Mountain. The eastern third of the county, including county seatValentine, is in the Central Time Zone, while the western two thirds, includingMerriman, are in the Mountain Time Zone.[14]
Cherry County voters are reliablyRepublican. The county has not voted for aDemocrat in a presidential election sinceFranklin D. Roosevelt's1936 landslide, and even then, the county was decided by less than four points. Republicans have carried the county by a double-digit margin in every presidential election since, and no Democratic nominee sinceHarry S. Truman in1948 has even mustered 40% of the vote. Republicans also hold a massive advantage in voter registration in Cherry County, with 2,947, as opposed to 325 registered Democrats.[15]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1900 | 922 | 55.24% | 698 | 41.82% | 49 | 2.94% |
| 1904 | 978 | 66.94% | 325 | 22.25% | 158 | 10.81% |
| 1908 | 1,048 | 48.34% | 1,021 | 47.09% | 99 | 4.57% |
| 1912 | 679 | 25.90% | 1,047 | 39.93% | 896 | 34.17% |
| 1916 | 1,091 | 36.44% | 1,734 | 57.92% | 169 | 5.64% |
| 1920 | 1,636 | 66.37% | 711 | 28.84% | 118 | 4.79% |
| 1924 | 1,663 | 43.69% | 1,169 | 30.71% | 974 | 25.59% |
| 1928 | 2,905 | 69.04% | 1,285 | 30.54% | 18 | 0.43% |
| 1932 | 1,754 | 37.30% | 2,912 | 61.92% | 37 | 0.79% |
| 1936 | 1,874 | 47.58% | 2,010 | 51.03% | 55 | 1.40% |
| 1940 | 2,705 | 60.30% | 1,781 | 39.70% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 2,314 | 62.80% | 1,371 | 37.20% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 2,141 | 58.93% | 1,492 | 41.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 3,148 | 76.63% | 960 | 23.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 2,414 | 73.20% | 884 | 26.80% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,695 | 72.08% | 1,044 | 27.92% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 2,244 | 61.11% | 1,428 | 38.89% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 2,199 | 73.23% | 582 | 19.38% | 222 | 7.39% |
| 1972 | 2,610 | 84.93% | 463 | 15.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 2,197 | 68.83% | 906 | 28.38% | 89 | 2.79% |
| 1980 | 2,517 | 79.78% | 489 | 15.50% | 149 | 4.72% |
| 1984 | 2,720 | 85.05% | 463 | 14.48% | 15 | 0.47% |
| 1988 | 2,240 | 77.35% | 642 | 22.17% | 14 | 0.48% |
| 1992 | 1,707 | 56.75% | 563 | 18.72% | 738 | 24.53% |
| 1996 | 1,905 | 68.04% | 551 | 19.68% | 344 | 12.29% |
| 2000 | 2,322 | 81.56% | 446 | 15.67% | 79 | 2.77% |
| 2004 | 2,509 | 82.48% | 483 | 15.88% | 50 | 1.64% |
| 2008 | 2,360 | 77.15% | 599 | 19.58% | 100 | 3.27% |
| 2012 | 2,557 | 83.45% | 436 | 14.23% | 71 | 2.32% |
| 2016 | 2,623 | 84.12% | 317 | 10.17% | 178 | 5.71% |
| 2020 | 2,844 | 87.00% | 373 | 11.41% | 52 | 1.59% |
| 2024 | 2,687 | 87.30% | 349 | 11.34% | 42 | 1.36% |
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Places adjacent to Cherry County, Nebraska | |
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Municipalities and communities ofCherry County, Nebraska,United States | ||
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| Villages | ||
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| Other unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| International | |
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| Other | |
