Benkelman is a city in, and the county seat of, Dundy County,

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 821.

History

Benkelman was originally called Collinsville, in honor of Moses Collins, and under that name was founded circa 1880. In 1882, it was renamed Benkelman by the railroad for J. G. Benkelman, a stock raiser.

Geography

Benkelman is located at (40.050615, -101.533660). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 953 people, 445 households, and 242 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 556 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.8% Native American, 0.2%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.7% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 4.4% of the population. There were 445 households, of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.6% were non-families. 42.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 48.5 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 3.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.2% were from 25 to 44; 29.4% were from 45 to 64; and 25.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,006 people, 458 households, and 266 families residing in the city. The

was 1,267.6 people per square mile (491.7/km). There were 576 housing units at an average density of 725.8 per square mile (281.5/km). The racial makeup of the city was 97.51%

, 0.80% Native American, 0.60%

, 0.10%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.10% from

, and 0.89% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.30% of the population. There were 458 households, out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.76. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.0% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 21.1% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 29.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.0 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $27,788, and the median income for a family was $37,813. Males had a median income of $26,741 versus $19,107 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $16,700. About 7.4% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

Notable people

* Ward Bond, actor *

Dave Heineman David Eugene Heineman (born May 12, 1948) is an American politician who served as the 39th governor of Nebraska from 2005 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the 39th treasurer of Nebraska from 1995 to 2001 and 37th li ...

, 39th Governor of Nebraska *

Edward W. Snedeker Edward Walter Snedeker (February 19, 1903 – May 5, 1995) was a highly decorated officer of the United States Marine Corps with the rank of lieutenant general. He was decorated with the Navy Cross, the United States military's second-highest dec ...

, Lieutenant general in the Marine Corps

References

External links

Dundy County Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Cities in Nebraska Cities in Dundy County, Nebraska County seats in Nebraska