A-FAN - Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska

Economic Impact

Documenting the impact of livestock production.

Top 7 livestock counties better off than most in Nebraska.

Nebraskans living in the state's top seven livestock producing counties enjoy higher levels of personal income than those living in other non-metropolitan counties, according to a study by the Nebraka Public Power District (NPPD).

From 1996 to 2005, residents in those top seven counties had a 9.7 percent higher average annual per capita personal income than their counterparts in other rural counties.  At the top of the list is Cuming County, with an average annual per capita income that is 25.4% higher.

According to NPPD economist Dr. Ken Lemke, there is a strong connection between thriving livestock production and a thriving local economy.  "From feed grains to veterinary services, from insurance to supplies, from financial services to employee paychecks-dollars from livestock production tend to stay local, helping drive economic vitality and create greater wealth in that community,"  Lemke said.

He added that the total employment (direct and secondary) associated with animal agriculture is estimated to be more than 76,600 jobs, mostly in rural communities and rural areas.

"These aren't simply livestock operations," said Dr. Donis Petersan, another NPPD economist involved in the study.  "They are business enterprises that involve large capital investment, employ area citizens and inject hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy by buying local goods and services."

"We can no longer think of agriculture as being separate from economic development.  In Nebraska, they are one and the same.  Communities that recognize this - and encourage the development of responsible livestock production - are improving their prospects for the future."


NPPD has also conducted several studies on the economic importance of livestock production in a number of Nebraska counties. You can click on the links below to access these reports.

  • Adams (16 pages, 319 KB, December 2004)
  • Box Butte (15 pages, 209 KB, May 2005)
  • Buffalo (18 pages, 143 KB, July 2006)
  • Butler (16 page, 214 KB, July 2005)
  • Cedar (16 page, 235 KB, July 2005)
  • Clay (18 pages, 137 KB, April 2008)
  • Colfax (16 page, 241 KB, July 2005)
  • Cuming (16 pages, 332 KB, August 2004)
  • Custer (18 pages, 245 KB, March 2006)
  • Dawes (16 pages, 214 KB, June 2005)
  • Dawson (18 pages, 258 KB, September 2007)
  • Deuel (18 pages, 138 KB, April 2008
  • Dixon (18 pages, 224 KB, July 2007)
  • Fillmore (18 pages, 147 KB, July 2006)
  • Franklin (18 pages, 143 KB, July 2006)
  • Gage (18 pages, 143 KB, April 2008)
  • Garfield (18 pages, 234 KB, March 2006)
  • Hall (18 pages, 147 KB, July 2006)
  • Hitchcock (16 pages, 238 KB, March 2005)
  • Holt (18 page, 241 KB, December 2005)
  • Howard (18 page, 232 KB, December 2005)
  • Jefferson (18 page, 236 KB, December 2005)
  • Kearney (16 page, 226 KB, July 2005)
  • Keith (16 pages, 222 KB, May 2005)
  • Lincoln (18 pages, 145 KB, April 2008)
  • Merrick (18 pages, 248 KB, February 2006)
  • Morrill 16 pages, 224 KB, March 2005)
  • Nemaha (18 pages, 137 KB, October 2006)
  • Nuckolls (18 pages, 232 KB, March 2006)
  • Platte (16 pages, 251 KB, May 2005)
  • Red Willow (16 pages, 211 KB, February 2005)
  • Richardson (18 pages, 138 KB, August 2006)
  • Saline (16 page, 210 KB, July 2005)
  • Sheridan (18 pages, 148 KB, April 2008)
  • Sherman (18 pages, 246 KB, July 2007)
  • Thurston (18 pages, 144 KB, August 2006)
  • Wayne (16 pages, 226 KB, June 2005)
  • Wheeler (18 page, 239 KB, January 2006)
  • York (18 pages, 145 KB, September 2006)