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'Kearney' is a city in Buffalo County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 27,431 at the 2000 census and increased to 29,385 by 2006. It is the county seat of Buffalo County and home to the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Kearney is pronounced "'kar'-ney" (IPA pronunciation: ), not "'ker'-ney".

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Attractions

History

External links

Geography

Kearney is located at (40.700731, -99.081150).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.0 km² (11.2 mi²). 28.4 km² (11.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (1.96%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 27,431 people, 10,549 households, and 6,160 families residing in the city. The population density was 964.6/km² (2,498.5/mi²). There were 11,099 housing units at an average density of 390.3/km² (1,010.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.18% White, 0.63% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.68% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.08% of the population.
There were 10,549 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.7% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 23.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,829, and the median income for a family was $46,650. Males had a median income of $30,150 versus $22,366 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,713. About 7.4% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Attractions

The campus of the University of Nebraska at Kearney is located in the city, and has an annual student population of nearly 7,000. Also located here is the Museum of Nebraska Art, the state's official art collection. Just 2 miles east of town, The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, spanning Interstate 80, is a museum paying tribute to the area's pioneer history. It was featured in the movie About Schmidt.
Just west of town is a housing subdivision know as The 1,733 Estates. This point marks the halfway point between Boston and San Francisco.
The city is also home to the Tri-City Storm, a USHL team, and formerly the Nebraska Cranes, which were the 2006 USBL Champions. Both teams play their games at the FirsTier Events Center, a large arena built originally to house the hockey team. With seating for 5,000, the arena has had the added effect of attracting various big name performers to the city. Previous guests have been Bob Dylan, Larry the Cable Guy, Jeff Foxworthy, Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, and the Harlem Globetrotters.
Two microbreweries, Thunderhead Brewing and The Platte Valley Brewery are located in downtown Kearney. In 2004, Thunderhead Brewing was awarded a World Beer Cup Gold Medal for Coffee Flavored Beer for its Espresso Stout.

History

The city was named after nearby Fort Kearny (with an extra "e" added, but pronounced the same), a United States Army outpost along the Oregon Trail in the middle 19th century that was itself named after Col. and later General Stephen W. Kearny. The "e" was added by mistake sometime afterwards by postmen who consistently misspelled the town name. Eventually it just stuck. The current location of the city is on the North side of the Platte River and thanks to the railroad steadily grew.
Recent growth in the city has been dramatic. Each year, Kearney gains about 1,000 more residents and this creates a very lively construction market. The city is expanding quickly to the North, East, and West. The biggest employers in the city are the Good Samaritan Hospital and the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Other major employers include The Buckle Corporate Headquarters, Eaton Corporation, Baldwin Filters, Coleman Powermate, and West Company Pharmaceuticals.

External links

★ City of Kearney, Nebraska

★ 'Kearney Hub Local Newspaper'