Overton is a village in Dawson County,

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 southwe ...

, United States. It is part of the

Lexington, Nebraska Lexington is a city in Dawson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 10,348 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Dawson County. Lexington is located in southern Nebraska, on the Platte River, southeast of North Platte. It si ...

Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 594 at the 2010 census.

History

Overton got its start following construction of the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

through the territory. The town was first settled in 1873. A group of African Canadian families from Elgin, Ontario began moving near Overton in 1879. Over the course of five years, members of the Robinson, Guilds, Green, Emanuel, Riley, Hatter, Small, and Walker families relocated to Nebraska, filing homestead petitions and starting farms. Many of these families left Dawson County by 1907 to move to DeWitty in Cherry County. The

Plectron A Plectron is a specialized VHF/UHF single-channel, emergency alerting radio receiver, used to activate emergency response personnel, and disaster warning systems. Manufactured from the late 1950s, through the late 1990s, by the now defunct Plect ...

company, which manufactured alert radio receivers used by fire departments, was started in Overton in 1955; it transferred operations to Lexington in the 1980s

Geography

Overton is located at (40.739556, -99.537358). According to the

United States 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 the ...

, the village has a total area of , all land. Overton is exactly halfway between New York and Los Angeles.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 594 people, 227 households, and 163 families residing in the village. 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 RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 274 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 95.1%

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 on ...

, 0.7% Native American, 0.2%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 3.0% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.0% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 10.4% of the population. There were 227 households, of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% 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 t ...

living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.2% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.14. The median age in the village was 35.4 years. 30% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.5% were from 25 to 44; 25.2% were from 45 to 64; and 12% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 54.5% male and 45.5% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 646 people, 254 households, and 175 families residing in the village. The

was 1,186.8 people per square mile (461.9/km). There were 291 housing units at an average density of 534.6 per square mile (208.1/km). The racial makeup of the village was 92.72%

, 0.31%

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 ...

, 0.46% Native American, 0.15%

, 5.42% from

, and 0.93% from two or more races.

of any race were 9.13% of the population. There were 254 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were

living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.13. In the village, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 120.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.4 males. As of 2000 the median income for a household in the village was $31,389, and the median income for a family was $38,194. Males had a median income of $27,102 versus $17,188 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 village was $14,941. About 9.7% of families and 12.7% 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 t ...

, including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

References