Geneva is a city in and the

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 ...

of Fillmore County,

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 ...

, United States. The population was 2,217 at the 2010 census.

History

Geneva was founded in 1871. It was named after

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

, in Switzerland, perhaps via

Geneva, New York Geneva is a City (New York), city in Ontario County, New York, Ontario and Seneca County, New York, Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is at the northern end of Seneca Lake (New York), Seneca Lake; all land port ...

Government

Geneva uses a city council consisting of six members that serve four-year terms. As of April 2023, the current mayor of Geneva is Cody Lightwine.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. The city serves as the Fillmore County seat and is home to the historic Fillmore County Courthouse. This two-story brick building was built in 1894 and has a prominent three-story clock tower which was installed by jeweler W.P. McCall in 1909. The courthouse underwent a multimillion-dollar restoration and conservation project and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Geneva is located approximately 24 miles (39 km) south of Interstate 80 on U.S. Route 81, which is a part of the Pan American Highway, connecting

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Climate

On July 15, 1934, Geneva experienced the highest recorded temperature in Nebraska state history at ; it shares this record with

Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the largest town in population between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district () of Minden-Lübbecke, situated in the cultural region ...

and Hartington.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 2,217 people, 926 households, and 585 families living in the city. 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 1,061 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 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 ...

, 1.3%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.9% Native American, 0.7% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races.

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 were 3.1% of the population. There were 926 households, of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% 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, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.8% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age in the city was 44.3 years. 26.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% were from 45 to 64; and 24.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,226 people, 957 households, and 618 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,050 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.01%

, 0.04%

, 0.27% Native American, 0.45% from other races, and 0.22% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.81% of the population. There were 957 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were

living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.83. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $32,500, and the median income for a family was $40,096. Males had a median income of $30,357 versus $17,534 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 city was $18,349. About 2.4% of families and 5.6% 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 3.2% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Fillmore Central Elementary and High School are the public schools in Geneva. Grace Lutheran Elementary School is a Christian school of the

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as Christian theology, theologically conservative, it was founded ...

in Geneva.

Controversies

Geneva police abrupty resigned in 2005 after alleged wrongdoings by its mayor, Rod Norrie. The police chief and two of his officers resigned. The resignations resulted from an investigation by State Police that had ended without finding wrongdoing.

Notable people

* Kate Barnard, first woman elected to statewide office in

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

* Maggie Malone, collegiate javelin throw record-holder and Olympic athlete * Terry Murrell, President of Western Iowa Tech Community College * John E. Nelson, member of the

Nebraska Legislature The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the legislative branch, legislature of the U.S. state of Nebraska. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska, Lincoln. With 49 members, known as "senators ...

* Robert B. Wilson, Nobel prize in Economics, 2020

References

External links

Fillmore Central High School

Fillmore County
{{Authority control Cities in Nebraska Cities in Fillmore County, Nebraska County seats in Nebraska