Rock 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 In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

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

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

, the population was 1,526. 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 Bassett. In the Nebraska license plate system, Rock County is represented by the prefix 81 (it had the 81st-largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).

Geography

The Niobrara River flows eastward along the northern boundary line of Rock County. The terrain is composed of rolling hills oriented east–west. The county's central portion is dotted with small lakes. The land sees comparatively little agricultural use. The ground slopes to the northeast. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.3%) is water. Rock County is located in Nebraska's Outback region.

Major highways

U.S. Highway 20 * US 183

U.S. Highway 183 * N-7

Nebraska Highway 7 Nebraska Highway 7 is a highway in Nebraska. Its southern terminus is at Nebraska Highway 91 in Brewster. Its northern terminus is at U.S. Highway 183 near Springview. Route description Nebraska Highway 7 goes north out of Brewster and head ...

Nebraska Highway 137

Adjacent counties

* Keya Paha County - north * Boyd County - northeast * Holt County - east * Loup County - south * Brown County - west

National protected areas

John and Louise Seier National Wildlife Refuge John and Louise Seier National Wildlife Refuge is located in the U.S. state of Nebraska and includes 2,400 acres (9.71 km2). The refuge protects a portion of the largest remaining area of tall and mid grass prairie remaining in the U.S. C ...

Niobrara National Scenic River The Niobrara National Scenic River is in north-central Nebraska, United States, approximately 300 miles (480 km) northwest of Omaha. In 1991, Congress set aside 76 miles (120 km) for preservation under the management of the National Par ...

(part) * Twin Lakes Rock County Wildlife Management Area

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 1,756 people, 763 households, and 501 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 2 people per square mile (1/km²). There were 935 housing units at an average density of 0.9 per square mile (0.4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 99.03%

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 ...

, 0.46% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.28% from two or more races. 0.51% 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. 33.1% 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 ...

, 12.7%

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, 10.5% Irish and 8.4%

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 ...

ancestry. There were 763 households, out of which 26.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.40% 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, 6.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.30% were non-families. 31.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.84. The county population contained 23.00% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 22.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 92.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $25,795, and the median income for a family was $29,917. Males had a median income of $24,167 versus $16,490 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 $14,350. About 17.70% of families and 21.80% 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 36.30% of those under age 18 and 14.00% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Rock County Public Schools operates the public schools in Rock County.

Communities

City

* Bassett (county seat)

Village

* Newport

Unincorporated communities

* Duff * Mariaville *

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

* Sybrant

Politics

Rock County voters historically have been reliably Republican. In only one national election since 1916 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2020).

References

{{authority control 1888 establishments in Nebraska Populated places established in 1888