Custer County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the U.S. state of

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 ...

. As of the

2020 United States Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...

, the population was 10,545. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Broken Bow. The county was formed in 1877 and named after General

George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, b ...

, who was killed at the Battle of Little Bighorn. In the Nebraska license plate system, Custer County is represented by the prefix 4 (it had the fourth-largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).

Geography

According to the

US 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 th ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.01%) is water. In area, it is the second largest county in Nebraska, behind only Cherry County.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 183 * N-2

Nebraska Highway 2 Nebraska Highway 2 (N-2) is a state highway in Nebraska consisting of two discontinuous segments. The western segment begins at the South Dakota border northwest of Crawford and ends southeast of Grand Island at an intersection with Interstate ...

Nebraska Highway 21 * N-40

Nebraska Highway 40 * N-47

Nebraska Highway 47 Nebraska Highway 47 is a highway in Nebraska. It is a highway split into two segments. The southern segment runs for between Nebraska Highway 89 near Wilsonville and U.S. Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 34 in Cambridge. The northern segment runs ...

Nebraska Highway 70 * N-92

Nebraska Highway 92

Adjacent counties

* Valley County – northeast * Sherman County – southeast * Buffalo County – southeast * Dawson County – south * Lincoln County – southwest * Logan County – west * Blaine County – northwest * Loup County – northeast

Demographics

As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 c ...

, there were 11,793 people, 4,826 households, and 3,320 families in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 5 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 5,585 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.63%

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 ...

, 0.07%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

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 ...

, 0.41% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.20% from other races, and 0.55% from two or more races. 0.92% of the population were

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 for ...

or Latino of any race. 37.3% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 11.9%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

, 10.6% Irish and 8.9% American ancestry. There were 4,826 households, out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.90% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 5.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.20% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.95. The county population contained 26.30% under the age of 18, 5.50% from 18 to 24, 23.50% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 21.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.70 males. The median income for a household in the county was $30,677, and the median income for a family was $37,063. Males had a median income of $24,609 versus $19,732 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 county was $16,171. About 9.10% of families and 12.40% 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 ...

, including 16.20% of those under age 18 and 9.10% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

* Broken Bow (county seat) * Sargent

Villages

* Anselmo * Ansley *

Arnold Arnold may refer to: People * Arnold (given name), a masculine given name * Arnold (surname), a German and English surname Places Australia * Arnold, Victoria, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria Canada * Arnold, Nova Scotia U ...

* Berwyn * Callaway * Comstock * Mason City * Merna * Oconto

Census-designated place

* Westerville

Unincorporated communities

* Cumro * Etna * Finchville * Gates * Lillian * Lodi * Milburn * New Helena * Round Valley * Walworth * Weissert * Wescott

Townships

* Algernon * Ansley *

* Berwyn * Broken Bow *

Cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

* Comstock * Corner * Custer * Delight * Douglas Grove * East Custer * Elim * Elk Creek * Garfield * Grant *

Hayes Hayes may refer to: * Hayes (surname), including a list of people with the name ** Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th president of the United States * Hayes (given name) Businesses * Hayes Brake, an American designer and manufacturer of disc brakes * Hay ...

* Kilfoil * Lillian * Loup * Milburn * Myrtle * Ryno * Sargent * Spring Creek * Triumph * Victoria * Wayne * Westerville * West Union *

Wood River Wood River may refer to: Rivers In Canada * Wood River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Columbia River via Kinbasket Lake * Wood River (Saskatchewan), a river in south-west Saskatchewan In Ireland * Wood River (County Clare), Kilru ...

Politics

Custer County voters are reliably Republican. In no national election since 1936 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.

References

{{coord, 41.39, -99.73, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NE_source:UScensus1990 Nebraska counties 1877 establishments in Nebraska Populated places established in 1877