Lincoln . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Omaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Nickname: Cornhusker State
Motto: Equality before the law
Flower: Goldenrod
Bird: Western meadowlark
Area: 77,353 square miles (2000; U.S. rank: 16th)
Elevation: Ranges from 840 feet to 5,426 feet above sea level
Climate: Continental, with wide variations of temperature: intensely hot summers, and severely cold winters. Rainfall twice as heavy in east as in west
Admitted to Union: March 1, 1867
Capital: Lincoln
Head Official: Governor David Heineman (R) (until 2007)
Population
1980: 1,570,000
1990: 1,578,385
2000: 1,711,263
2004 estimate: 1,747,214
Percent change, 1990–2000: 8.4%
U.S. rank in 2004: 38th
Percent of residents born in state: 67.1% (2000)
Density: 22.3 people per square mile (2000)
2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 73,606
Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)
White: 1,533,261
Black or African American: 68,541
American Indian and Alaska Native: 14,896
Asian: 21,931
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 836
Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 94,425
Other: 47,845
Age Characteristics (2000)
Population under 5 years old: 117,048
Population 5 to 19 years old: 387,288
Percent of population 65 years and over: 13.6%
Median age: 35.3 years (2000)
Vital Statistics
Total number of births (2003): 25,760
Total number of deaths (2003): 15,444 (infant deaths, 145)
AIDS cases reported through 2003: 598
Economy
Major industries: Finance, insurance, and real estate; trade; agriculture; manufacturing; services
Unemployment rate: 3.9% (April 2005)
Per capita income: $30,331 (2003; U.S. rank: 24)
Median household income: $44,357 (3-year average, 2001-2003)
Percentage of persons below poverty level: 9.9% (3-year average, 2001-2003)
Income tax rate: Graduated from 2.56% to 6.84% (2000; rate set yearly by state legislature)
Sales tax rate: 5.5%