Niobrara County, Wyoming facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Niobrara County
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Stagecoach Museum in Lusk
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Location within the U.S. state of Wyoming
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 Wyoming's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wyoming |
| Founded | February 21, 1911 (authorized) 1913 (organized) |
| Named for | Niobrara River |
| Seat | Lusk |
| Largest town | Lusk |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,628 sq mi (6,810 km2) |
| • Land | 2,626 sq mi (6,800 km2) |
| • Water | 1.9 sq mi (5 km2) 0.07%% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 2,467 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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2,356 |
| • Density | 0.9387/sq mi (0.36245/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | At-large |
Niobrara County is a county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 2,467, making it the least populous county in Wyoming. Its county seat is Lusk. Its eastern boundary abuts the west lines of the states of Nebraska and South Dakota.
Contents
History
Niobrara County was created on February 21, 1911, with land detached from Converse County, and organized in 1913.
The county was named for the Niobrara River, which takes its source near the county seat of Lusk.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,628 square miles (6,810 km2), of which 2,626 square miles (6,800 km2) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2) (0.07%) is water.
In comparison to the state of Rhode Island, the county has more than twice the land area, with approximately 1/500 of the population.
Adjacent counties
- Weston County (north)
- Custer County, South Dakota (northeast)
- Fall River County, South Dakota (east)
- Sioux County, Nebraska (southeast)
- Goshen County (south)
- Platte County (southwest)
- Converse County (west)
Major Highways
U.S. Highway 18
U.S. Highway 20
U.S. Highway 85
National protected area
- Thunder Basin National Grassland (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 6,321 | — | |
| 1930 | 4,723 | −25.3% | |
| 1940 | 5,988 | 26.8% | |
| 1950 | 4,701 | −21.5% | |
| 1960 | 3,750 | −20.2% | |
| 1970 | 2,924 | −22.0% | |
| 1980 | 2,924 | 0.0% | |
| 1990 | 2,499 | −14.5% | |
| 2000 | 2,407 | −3.7% | |
| 2010 | 2,484 | 3.2% | |
| 2020 | 2,467 | −0.7% | |
| US Decennial Census 1870–2000 2010–2016 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 2,484 people, 1,069 households, and 659 families in the county. The population density was 0.9 inhabitants per square mile (0.35/km2). There were 1,338 housing units at an average density of 0.5 per square mile (0.19/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.5% white, 0.8% American Indian, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 41.5% were German, 19.0% were English, 17.7% were Irish, 6.6% were Swedish, and 3.0% were American.
Of the 1,069 households, 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.4% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.4% were non-families, and 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.71. The median age was 46.1 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,813 and the median income for a family was $57,153. Males had a median income of $41,898 versus $30,323 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,885. About 6.3% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.9% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Towns
- Lusk (county seat)
- Manville
- Van Tassell
Census-designated place
Unincorporated communities
- Keeline
- Riverview
