The 2020 Census and Runza

As you may know, the census bureau just released county population data today. While professional demographers, geographers, and cartographers are frantically updating their maps and figuring out how to redistrict legislative seats, I figured I would take on the more important task of seeing how the people of Nebraska’s needs are met – specifically with warm cabbage, onion, and ground beef filled bread pockets.

As you may or may not know, Runza claims to have 81 locations. This is actually inaccurate since there are actually 82 locations – the last one being Memorial Stadium. You can get a Runza there, so therefore it is a Runza location. As you will see from the table below, these Runza locations are not evenly distributed by population. I am coining the term ‘people per runza’ and abbreviating it as PPR

County name| County Population|Number of Runza locations| People per Runza (PPR)
–:|–:|–:|–|
Adams County|31205|3|10402
Antelope County|6295|0|0
Arthur County|434|0|0
Banner County|674|0|0
Blaine County|431|0|
Boone County|5379|1|5379
Box Butte County|10842|0|0
Boyd County|1810|0|0
Brown County|2903|0|0
Buffalo County|50084|2|25042
Burt County|6722|0|0
Butler County|8369|1|8369
Cass County|26598|1|26598
Cedar County|8380|0|0
Chase County|3893|0|0
Cherry County|5455|1|5455
Cheyenne County|9468|1|9468
Clay County|6104|0|0
Colfax County|10582|0|0
Cuming County|9013|1|9013
Custer County|10545|1|10545
Dakota County|21582|0|0
Dawes County|8199|1|8199
Dawson County|24111|3|8037
Deuel County|1838|0|0
Dixon County|5606|0|0
Dodge County|37167|2|18584
Douglas County|584526|14|41752
Dundy County|1654|0|0
Fillmore County|5551|0|0
Franklin County|2889|0|0
Frontier County|2519|0|0
Furnas County|4636|0|0
Gage County|21704|1|21704
Garden County|1874|0|0
Garfield County|1813|0|0
Gosper County|1893|0|0
Grant County|611|0|0
Greeley County|2188|0|0
Hall County|62895|2|31448
Hamilton County|9429|1|9429
Harlan County|3073|0|0
Hayes County|856|0|0
Hitchcock County|2616|0|0
Holt County|10127|0|0
Hooker County|711|0|0
Howard County|6475|1|6475
Jefferson County|7240|1|7240
Johnson County|5290|0|0
Kearney County|6688|1|6688
Keith County|8335|1|8335
Keya Paha County|769|0|0
Kimball County|3434|0|0
Knox County|8391|0|0
Lancaster County|322608|15|21507
Lincoln County|34676|2|17338
Logan County|716|0|0
Loup County|607|0|0
McPherson County|399|0|0
Madison County|35585|1|35585
Merrick County|7668|1|7668
Morrill County|4555|0|0
Nance County|3380|0|0
Nemaha County|7074|0|0
Nuckolls County|4095|0|0
Otoe County|15912|2|7956
Pawnee County|2544|0|0
Perkins County|2858|0|0
Phelps County|8968|1|8968
Pierce County|7317|0|0
Platte County|34296|1|34296
Polk County|5214|0|0
Red Willow County|10702|1|10702
Richardson County|7871|1|7871
Rock County|1262|0|0
Saline County|14292|1|14292
Sarpy County|190604|7|27229
Saunders County|22278|1|22278
Scotts Bluff County|36084|2|18042
Seward County|17609|2|8805
Sheridan County|5127|0|0
Sherman County|2959|0|0
Sioux County|1135|0|0
Stanton County|5842|0|0
Thayer County|5034|0|0
Thomas County|669|0|0
Thurston County|6773|0|0
Valley County|4059|0|0
Washington County|20865|1|20865
Wayne County|9697|1|9697
Webster County|3395|0|0
Wheeler County|774|0|0
York County|14125|2|7063

I am counting the Runza location in Omaha on 168th and Harrison as a Sarpy location since I think the county border is right on that street and that the location is on the Sarpy side of the border. I’m not from Omaha so I’m not sure, so feel free to correct me.

As we look through the data we can draw a couple different conclusions. First conclusion is that Douglas county is way underserved with the highest PPR value at 41,752. If you’re wanting to have a Runza location all to yourself and get fast service, you would naturally assume that you should head out to Valentine. However that is wrong! You will want to head out to Boone County and go to the wonderful town of Albion. Boone County has a slightly lower population than Cherry County coming in at 5379. The most underserved county in the state by far is Dakota County. Runza should really put a location in South Sioux City. Lastly, Runza should not put any effort into putting a location in McPherson county which clocks in at 399 people.

View Reddit by sch00lbus – View Source