Blaine County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

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 so ...

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 431, making it Nebraska's second-least populous county and the sixth-least populous in the United States. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Brewster. The county was formed in 1885 and organized in 1886. It is named after presidential candidate James G. Blaine. In the Nebraska license plate system, Blaine County is represented by the prefix 86 (it had the 86th-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922).

Geography

According to the

US Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has an area of , of which is land and (0.5%) is water.

Major highways

Nebraska Highway 2 * N-7

Nebraska Highway 7 * N-91

Nebraska Highway 91

Adjacent counties

* Loup County – east * Custer County – south *

Logan County Logan County is the name of ten current counties and one former county in the United States: * Logan County, Arkansas * Logan County, Colorado * Logan County, Idaho (1889–1895) * Logan County, Illinois * Logan County, Kansas * Logan County ...

– southwest * Thomas County – west * Cherry County – northwest * Brown County – north

National protected area

Nebraska National Forest The Nebraska National Forest is a United States National Forest located within the U.S. state of Nebraska. The total area of the national forest is . The forest is managed by the U.S. Forest Service's Nebraska Forests and Grasslands Supervisor ...

(part)

History

Blaine County, named after James G. Blaine, a prominent American politician, was established on March 23, 1885. The settlement of Blaine County , like the rest of the Sandhills region, began later than many other Nebraska counties due to its less accessible and perceived less fertile location than other parts of Nebraska. Not until the passage of the

Kinkaid Act The Kinkaid Act of 1904 (ch. 1801, , Apr. 28, 1904, ) is a United States government, U.S. statute that amended the 1862 Homestead Act so that one section (land), section (1 mi2, 2.6 km2, 640 acres) of public domain land could be acquire ...

in 1904, which allowed homesteaders to claim 640 acres instead of the usual 160 under the Homestead Act, did significant settlement in the county occur. The first settlements in Blaine County were primarily for ranching rather than farming. The town of Brewster, established in 1884, became the county seat. Ranching, particularly cattle, became the economic mainstay, as the sandy soil was better suited for grazing than for crop cultivation. The settlers adapted to the environment by focusing on livestock, with cattle drives and the eventual development of cattle breeding being central to the county's economy.

Demographics

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 583 people, 238 households, and 168 families in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 333 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 98.97%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.51% Native American, and 0.51% from two or more races; 0.17% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. 45.1% were of German, 12.2% English, 10.2% Irish and 8.4%

American ancestry In the demography of the United States, some people self-identify their ancestral origin or descent as "American", rather than the more common officially recognized racial and ethnic groups that make up the bulk of the American people. The ...

. There were 238 households, of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.00% were

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

living together, 2.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.00% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.98. The county population contained 26.20% under the age of 18, 3.90% from 18 to 24, 26.60% from 25 to 44, 26.40% from 45 to 64, and 16.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 101.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $25,278, and the median income for a family was $28,472. Males had a median income of $17,917 versus $20,000 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $12,323. About 18.70% of families and 19.40% 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 21.70% of those under age 18 and 9.40% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Villages

* Brewster (county seat) * Dunning * Halsey (partial)

Unincorporated communities

* Purdum * Linscott

Politics

Blaine County voters are strongly Republican. In only four national elections since 1900 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate, and none since 1936.

References

{{Coord, 41.93, -99.98, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NE_source:UScensus1990 Nebraska counties 1886 establishments in Nebraska The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the United States Populated places established in 1886