Kimball County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,434. and was estimated to be 3,305 in 2024. The county seat and the largest city is Kimball.
In the Nebraska license plate system, Kimball County was represented by the prefix "71" (as it had the 71st-largest number of vehicles registered in the state when the license plate system was established in 1922).
Kimball County was created on November 6, 1888 and named after railroad pioneer Thomas Lord Kimball.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.06%) is water. It is the 19th-largest county in Nebraska by total area.
The terrain of Kimball County consists of rolling hills sloping to the east. The flatter portions are mainly used for agriculture, mostly dry farming with a modest amount of center pivot irrigation. A small drainage, Lodgepole Creek, feeds into the Oliver Reservoir, in the western central part of the county. The highest natural point in Nebraska, Panorama Point at , is located in Kimball County.
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 3,434. The median age was 49.0 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 26.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.8 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 90.9% White, 0.0% Black or African American, 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.8% from some other race, and 5.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 7.6% of the population.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,501 households in the county, of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 1,805 housing units, of which 16.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.1% were owner-occupied and 26.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 18.7%.
As of the 2000 census, there were 4,089 people, 1,727 households, and 1,136 families in the county. The population density was . There were 1,972 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 96.99% White, 0.22% Black or African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. 3.33% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 34.3% were of German, 12.2% English, 7.9% Irish, 6.1% American and 5.5% Swedish ancestry.
There were 1,727 households, out of which 26.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.10% were married couples living together, 6.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.20% were non-families. 30.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.89.
The county population contained 24.70% under the age of 18, 5.90% from 18 to 24, 23.00% from 25 to 44, 25.30% from 45 to 64, and 21.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,586, and the median income for a family was $35,880. Males had a median income of $28,300 versus $16,863 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,525. About 9.10% of families and 11.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.30% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over.
Kimball County voters are reliably Republican. In only three national elections has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate, most recently in 1936.