Wright County, Minnesota Explained

County:Wright County
State:Minnesota
Founded Date:February 20
Founded Year:1855[1]
Seat Wl:Buffalo
Largest City Wl:Otsego
Area Total Sq Mi:714
Area Land Sq Mi:661
Area Water Sq Mi:53
Area Percentage:7.4%
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:141337
Pop Est As Of:2023
Population Est:151150
Density Sq Mi:213.8
Time Zone:Central
Web:www.co.wright.mn.us
Ex Image:HowardLakeCityHall.jpg
Ex Image Size:220px
District:6th

Wright County is a county in the East Central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 141,337.[2] Its county seat is Buffalo.[3] The county was founded in 1855. Wright County is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. In terms of population, Wright County is the tenth-largest county in Minnesota and the fastest growing.

History

The county was established in 1855, and was named for New York politician Silas Wright.[4] The first county seat was Monticello; in 1868 the county seat was changed to Buffalo. Most of the area's first settlers were of German and Swedish origin. The county's population in 1860 was 3,729; in 1875, it was 13,775.

The 1998 thriller A Simple Plan was set in Wright County, though it does not mention a specific town.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has an area of, of which is land and (7.4%) is water.[5] The terrain is undulating and contains numerous small lakes. The county is bounded on the northeast by the Mississippi River.[6] Wright is one of 17 Minnesota savanna region counties with more savanna soils than either prairie or forest soils, and one of only two Minnesota counties where savanna soils make up more than 75% of the county area (the other is Hennepin County).

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Demographics

2020 census

Wright County, Minnesota - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)!Race / Ethnicity!Pop 2010[7] !Pop 2020[8] !% 2010!% 2020
White alone (NH)116,786126,03193.65%89.17%
Black or African American alone (NH)1,2862,6051.03%1.84%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)3973310.32%0.23%
Asian alone (NH)1,4591,8771.17%1.34%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)42350.03%0.03%
Some Other Race alone (NH)775080.06%0.35%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)1,6015,2531.28%3.72%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)3,0524,6972.45%3.32%
Total124,700141,337100.00%100.00%
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2010

The ethnic makeup of the county, according to the 2010 United States census, was the following:

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 89,986 people, 31,465 households, and 23,913 families in the county. The population density was 136sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 34,355 housing units at an average density of 52sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the county was 97.85% White, 0.26% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 42.3% were of German, 11.9% Norwegian, 7.4% Swedish and 6.6% Irish ancestry.

There were 31465 households, out of which 42.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.50% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.00% were non-families. 18.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.26.

The county population contained 31.10% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 32.60% from 25 to 44, 19.90% from 45 to 64, and 8.80% over age 64. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 101.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $53,945, and the median income for a family was $60,940. Males had a median income of $40,630 versus $28,201 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,844. About 3.60% of families and 4.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.50% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

County Board of Commissioners[9] !Position!Name!District!Next Election
CommissionerTina DiedrickDistrict 12026
CommissionerDarek VetschDistrict 22024
CommissionerJeanne HollandDistrict 32026
CommissionerNadine SchoenDistrict 42024
CommissionerMichael KaczmarekDistrict 52024
Position!Name!Affiliation!District
SenateAndrew Mathews[10] RepublicanDistrict 15
SenateScott Newman[11] RepublicanDistrict 18
SenateBruce Anderson[12] RepublicanDistrict 29
SenateMary Kiffmeyer[13] RepublicanDistrict 30
House of RepresentativesShane Mekeland[14] RepublicanDistrict 15B
House of RepresentativesDean Erdahl[15] RepublicanDistrict 18A
House of RepresentativesJoe McDonald[16] RepublicanDistrict 29A
House of RepresentativesMarion O'Neill[17] RepublicanDistrict 29B
House of RepresentativesEric Lucero[18] RepublicanDistrict 30B
Position!Name!Affiliation!District
House of RepresentativesTom Emmer[19] Republican6th
SenateAmy Klobuchar[20] DemocratN/A
SenateTina Smith[21] DemocratN/A

Communities

Cities

Townships

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated communities

Ghost town

Largest cities in Wright County

2020 RankCity2010 Census2020 CensusPercent Increase
Otsego
St. Michael
Buffalo
Monticello
Albertville
Delano
Rockford
Annandale
Hanover
Montrose
Cokato

See also

External links

45.18°N -93.97°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Minnesota Place Names . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120620201420/http://mnplaces.mnhs.org/upham/county.cfm . June 20, 2012 . March 19, 2014 . Minnesota Historical Society.
  2. Web site: State & County QuickFacts . April 10, 2023 . United States Census Bureau.
  3. Web site: Find a County . June 7, 2011 . National Association of Counties.
  4. Book: Upham, Warren . Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance . Minnesota Historical Society . 1920 . 586.
  5. Web site: August 22, 2012 . 2010 Census Gazetteer Files . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141006102023/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_27.txt . October 6, 2014 . October 25, 2014 . United States Census Bureau.
  6. Wright. Wright. I. A central county of Minnesota.
  7. Web site: P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Wright County, Minnesota . United States Census Bureau.
  8. Web site: P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Wright County, Minnesota . United States Census Bureau.
  9. Web site: Board of Commissioners Wright County, MN - Official Website . April 25, 2023 . www.co.wright.mn.us.
  10. Web site: MN State Senate . June 25, 2020 . www.senate.mn . en.
  11. Web site: MN State Senate . June 26, 2020 . www.senate.mn . en.
  12. Web site: MN State Senate . June 26, 2020 . www.senate.mn . en.
  13. Web site: MN State Senate . June 26, 2020 . www.senate.mn . en.
  14. Web site: Rep. Shane Mekeland (15B) - Minnesota House of Representatives . June 25, 2020 . www.house.leg.state.mn.us.
  15. Web site: Rep. Dean Urdahl (18A) - Minnesota House of Representatives . June 26, 2020 . www.house.leg.state.mn.us.
  16. Web site: Rep. Joe McDonald (29A) - Minnesota House of Representatives . June 26, 2020 . www.house.leg.state.mn.us.
  17. Web site: Rep. Marion O'Neill (29B) - Minnesota House of Representatives . June 26, 2020 . www.house.leg.state.mn.us.
  18. Web site: Rep. Eric Lucero (30B) - Minnesota House of Representatives . June 26, 2020 . www.house.leg.state.mn.us.
  19. Web site: Congressman Tom Emmer . June 25, 2020 . Congressman Tom Emmer . en.
  20. Web site: U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar . June 24, 2020 . www.klobuchar.senate.gov.
  21. Web site: Home . June 24, 2020 . Senator Tina Smith . en.