Gage County, Nebraska

Gage County, Nebraska
Gage County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 21,704. Its county seat is Beatrice. The county was created in 1855 and organized in 1857. It was formed from land taken from the Otoe in an 1854 treaty. The county was named for William D. Gage, a Methodist minister who served as the first chaplain of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature.
Gage County comprises the Beatrice, NE Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also in the Lincoln-Beatrice, NE Combined Statistical Area.
In the Nebraska license plate system, Gage County is represented by the prefix 3 (it had the third-largest number of vehicles registered in the county when the license plate system was established in 1922).
Geography
Gage County lies on the southern border of Nebraska, with its southern boundary line abutting the northern border of the state of Kansas. The Big Blue River runs south-southeast through the central part of the county.
According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.0%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 77
U.S. Highway 136
Nebraska Highway 4
Nebraska Highway 8
Nebraska Highway 41
Nebraska Highway 43
Nebraska Highway 103
Nebraska Highway 112
Adjacent counties
Lancaster County - north
Otoe County - northeast
Johnson County - northeast
Pawnee County - east
Marshall County, Kansas - southeast
Washington County, Kansas - southwest
Jefferson County - west
Saline County - northwest
Protected areas
Homestead National Monument
Rockford Lake State Recreation Area
Demographics
As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 22,993 people, 9,316 households, and 6,204 families in the county. The population density was . There were 10,030 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.69% White, 0.32% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. 0.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 56.6% were of German, 6.9% Irish, 6.3% English and 6.3% American ancestry.
There were 9,316 households, out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.70% were married couples living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.40% were non-families. 29.20% 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 2.36 and the average family size was 2.91.
The county population contained 24.00% under the age of 18, 7.70% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 19.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,908, and the median income for a family was $43,072. Males had a median income of $29,680 versus $21,305 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,190. About 6.60% of families and 8.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.70% of those under age 18 and 8.00% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
Beatrice (county seat)
Blue Springs
Wymore
Villages
Adams
Barneston
Clatonia
Cortland
Filley
Liberty
Odell
Pickrell
Virginia
Census-designated place
Holmesville
Unincorporated communities
Ellis
Hoag
Krider
Lanham
Rockford
Townships
Adams
Barneston
Blakely
Blue Springs-Wymore
Clatonia
Elm
Filley
Glenwood
Grant
Hanover
Highland
Holt
Hooker
Island Grove
Liberty
Lincoln
Logan
Midland
Nemaha
Paddock
Riverside
Rockford
Sherman
Sicily
Politics
Prior to 1940, Gage County was a swing county, backing the national winner in every presidential election from 1900 to 1936. Since then, it has become a Republican stronghold, aside from the 1964 election in which Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson won the county in the midst of his national landslide victory.
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Gage County, Nebraska
Oto Reservation
References
External links
1857 establishments in Nebraska Territory
Populated places established in 1857