| Wright County, Minnesota | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Minnesota |
|
 Minnesota's location in the U.S. |
|
| Statistics | |
| Founded | February 20, 1855 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Buffalo |
| Largest city | St. Michael (2005 est. [1]) |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
714 sq mi (1,850 km²) 661 sq mi (1,711 km²) 54 sq mi (139 km²), 7.51% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
89,986 136/sq mi (53/km²) |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 |
| Website: www.co.wright.mn.us | |
| Named for: Silas Wright | |
Wright County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, founded in 1855[2]. As of 2000, the population was 89,986. Its county seat is Buffalo[3].
Contents |
History
The County was established in 1855, and was named after New York Politician Silas Wright. The first County seat was Monticello, then in 1868 the County seat was changed to Buffalo. The Majority of people to first settle this area were German and Swedish. The population of the county in 1860 was 3729 people.
The 1998 thriller A Simple Plan was set in Wright County though the specific town name is never mentioned.
| Year | Democrat | Republican |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 40.7% 26,343 | 57.6% 37,779 |
| 2004 | 37.99% 22,618 | 60.77% 36,176 |
| 2000 | 38.65% 16,762 | 55.02% 23,861 |
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 714 square miles (1,850 km²), of which 661 square miles (1,711 km²) is land and 54 square miles (139 km²) (7.51%) is water.
Major highways
Adjacent counties
- Sherburne County (northeast)
- Hennepin County (east)
- Carver County (southeast)
- McLeod County (southwest)
- Meeker County (west)
- Stearns County (northwest)
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1940 | 27,550 |
|
|
| 1950 | 27,716 | 0.6% | |
| 1960 | 29,935 | 8.0% | |
| 1970 | 38,933 | 30.1% | |
| 1980 | 58,681 | 50.7% | |
| 1990 | 68,710 | 17.1% | |
| 2000 | 89,986 | 31.0% | |
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 89,986 people, 31,465 households, and 23,913 families residing in the county. The population density was 136 people per square mile (53/km²). There were 34,355 housing units at an average density of 52 per square mile (20/km²). 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 according to Census 2000.
There were 31,465 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.
In the county the population was spread out with 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% who were 65 years of age or older. 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.
Cities and towns
| Cities | Townships | Ghost town | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
† Located in Wright County, the city extends into neighboring counties as well.
‡ Based in an adjacent county, part of Dayton extends into Wright County.
References
- ^ Estimates: Number and Characteristics of the Current Population
- ^ Minnesota Government Series, State Symbols
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
External links
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Stearns County | Sherburne County | |
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| Meeker County |  |
Hennepin County | ||
 Wright County, Minnesota  |
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| McLeod County | Carver County |
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