Lancaster County, Nebraska | |
|---|---|
 Lancaster County Courthouse in Lincoln | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofNebraska | |
 Nebraska's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:40°47′N96°41′W / 40.78°N 96.69°W /40.78; -96.69 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Nebraska |
| Founded | 1859 |
| Named after | Lancaster, England |
| Seat | Lincoln |
| Largest city | Lincoln |
| Area | |
• Total | 846 sq mi (2,190 km2) |
| • Land | 838 sq mi (2,170 km2) |
| • Water | 8.8 sq mi (23 km2) 1.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 322,608 |
| • Density | 385/sq mi (149/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | lancaster |
Lancaster County is a county located in theU.S. state ofNebraska. As of the2020 United States census, the population was 322,608,[1] making it the second-most populous county in Nebraska. Itscounty seat isLincoln,[2] the state capital. The county was created in 1859.
Lancaster County is part of the Lincoln, NEMetropolitan Statistical Area.
In theNebraska license plate system, Lancaster County was represented by theprefix 2 (it had the second-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922). In 2002, the state discontinued the 1922 system in Lancaster,Douglas andSarpy counties.
According to theUS Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 846 square miles (2,190 km2), of which 838 square miles (2,170 km2) is land and 8.8 square miles (23 km2) (1.0%) is water.[3]
In 2004,[4] Lancaster County was named aStormReady county by theNational Weather Service.[5]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 153 | — | |
| 1870 | 7,074 | 4,523.5% | |
| 1880 | 28,090 | 297.1% | |
| 1890 | 76,395 | 172.0% | |
| 1900 | 64,835 | −15.1% | |
| 1910 | 73,793 | 13.8% | |
| 1920 | 85,902 | 16.4% | |
| 1930 | 100,324 | 16.8% | |
| 1940 | 100,585 | 0.3% | |
| 1950 | 119,742 | 19.0% | |
| 1960 | 155,272 | 29.7% | |
| 1970 | 167,972 | 8.2% | |
| 1980 | 192,884 | 14.8% | |
| 1990 | 213,641 | 10.8% | |
| 2000 | 250,291 | 17.2% | |
| 2010 | 285,407 | 14.0% | |
| 2020 | 322,608 | 13.0% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 326,716 | 1.3% | |
| US Decennial Census[15] 1790–1960[16] 1900–1990[17] 1990–2000[18] 2010[19] | |||
As of the2020 United States census,[20] there were 322,608 people in the county. Thepopulation density was 381 people per square mile (147 people/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 79.7%White, 4.5%Black orAfrican American, 1.0%Native American, 4.7%Asian American, 0.1%Pacific Islander, and 3.3% from two or more races. 8.1% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
As of the2000 United States census,[20] there were 250,291 people, 99,187 households, and 60,702 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 298 people per square mile (115 people/km2). There were 104,217 housing units at an average density of 124 per square mile (48/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 90.07%White, 2.82%Black orAfrican American, 0.64%Native American, 2.86%Asian American, 0.06%Pacific Islander, 1.69% fromother races, and 1.87% from two or more races. 3.37% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 39.1% were ofGerman, 7.9%English and 7.8%Irish ancestry.
There were 99,187 households, out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.80% weremarried couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.80% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00.
The county population contained 23.50% under the age of 18, 15.40% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 20.30% from 45 to 64, and 10.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,850, and the median income for a family was $53,676. Males had a median income of $34,720 versus $25,614 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $21,265. About 5.50% of families and 9.50% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 9.90% of those under age 18 and 6.10% of those age 65 or over.
Lancaster County is divided into the following census divisions called precincts, defined by the boundaries of the originaltownships,[21] except for the City of Lincoln.
Lancaster County has historically been somewhat conservative for an urban county. In the last 30 national elections, Lancaster County selected the Republican Party candidate 78% of the time. However, it has become more competitive in recent years, largely due to the influence of Lincoln and the University of Nebraska. Since 1988, the margin in the county has been 10 points or less all but once. In 2008,Barack Obama won a narrow majority in Lancaster County, becoming the first Democrat to carry the county since 1964, and only the second since 1936. RepublicanDonald Trump never won the county in all three of his runs.
As of January 2025, Republicans maintain a relative advantage in party registration in the county.[22]
| Political Party | Number of registered voters (January 1, 2025)[23] | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 69,668 | 33.65 | |
| Republican | 83,423 | 40.29 | |
| Independent | 49,081 | 23.71 | |
| Libertarian | 3,294 | 1.59 | |
| Legal Marijuana Now | 1,570 | 0.76 | |
| Total | 207,036 | 100.00 | |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1880 | 3,397 | 69.50% | 1,381 | 28.25% | 110 | 2.25% |
| 1884 | 4,011 | 62.69% | 2,180 | 34.07% | 207 | 3.24% |
| 1888 | 5,677 | 56.97% | 3,508 | 35.20% | 780 | 7.83% |
| 1892 | 5,858 | 52.69% | 1,283 | 11.54% | 3,977 | 35.77% |
| 1896 | 6,513 | 52.17% | 5,687 | 45.55% | 284 | 2.27% |
| 1900 | 7,465 | 55.27% | 5,677 | 42.03% | 365 | 2.70% |
| 1904 | 8,167 | 70.77% | 1,981 | 17.16% | 1,393 | 12.07% |
| 1908 | 7,428 | 45.15% | 8,540 | 51.91% | 485 | 2.95% |
| 1912 | 2,566 | 18.16% | 6,708 | 47.47% | 4,857 | 34.37% |
| 1916 | 7,042 | 42.20% | 9,093 | 54.49% | 553 | 3.31% |
| 1920 | 15,638 | 62.58% | 8,435 | 33.75% | 917 | 3.67% |
| 1924 | 18,061 | 54.40% | 11,563 | 34.83% | 3,575 | 10.77% |
| 1928 | 30,523 | 75.17% | 9,840 | 24.23% | 242 | 0.60% |
| 1932 | 20,772 | 52.29% | 18,190 | 45.79% | 761 | 1.92% |
| 1936 | 20,902 | 47.39% | 22,366 | 50.71% | 838 | 1.90% |
| 1940 | 27,384 | 58.63% | 19,321 | 41.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 26,715 | 58.01% | 19,338 | 41.99% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 23,620 | 56.29% | 18,338 | 43.71% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 36,797 | 67.49% | 17,728 | 32.51% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 35,591 | 64.94% | 19,217 | 35.06% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 37,725 | 62.57% | 22,564 | 37.43% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 23,887 | 40.91% | 34,503 | 59.09% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 33,051 | 55.52% | 23,539 | 39.54% | 2,940 | 4.94% |
| 1972 | 42,573 | 62.15% | 25,924 | 37.85% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 39,041 | 56.47% | 28,301 | 40.94% | 1,789 | 2.59% |
| 1980 | 38,780 | 50.87% | 27,162 | 35.63% | 10,291 | 13.50% |
| 1984 | 48,778 | 59.31% | 32,898 | 40.00% | 569 | 0.69% |
| 1988 | 44,744 | 49.87% | 44,396 | 49.48% | 583 | 0.65% |
| 1992 | 41,590 | 39.46% | 41,402 | 39.28% | 22,407 | 21.26% |
| 1996 | 44,812 | 45.86% | 43,339 | 44.36% | 9,557 | 9.78% |
| 2000 | 55,514 | 51.82% | 44,650 | 41.68% | 6,968 | 6.50% |
| 2004 | 69,764 | 56.03% | 52,747 | 42.36% | 1,998 | 1.60% |
| 2008 | 59,398 | 46.59% | 65,734 | 51.56% | 2,358 | 1.85% |
| 2012 | 62,434 | 49.02% | 62,015 | 48.69% | 2,906 | 2.28% |
| 2016 | 61,588 | 45.21% | 61,898 | 45.44% | 12,737 | 9.35% |
| 2020 | 70,092 | 44.58% | 82,293 | 52.34% | 4,830 | 3.07% |
| 2024 | 74,215 | 46.75% | 81,012 | 51.04% | 3,507 | 2.21% |
School districts include:[25]
Places adjacent to Lancaster County, Nebraska | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofLancaster County, Nebraska,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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