Stearns County, Minnesota

Stearns County, Minnesota
Stearns County Courthouse
Map of Minnesota highlighting Stearns County
Location in the U.S. state of Minnesota
Map of the United States highlighting Minnesota
Minnesota's location in the U.S.
Founded February 20, 1855[1]
Named for Charles Thomas Stearns
Seat St. Cloud
Largest city St. Cloud
Area
 • Total 1,390 sq mi (3,600 km2)
 • Land 1,343 sq mi (3,478 km2)
 • Water 47 sq mi (122 km2), 3.4%
Population (est.)
 • (2016) 155,652
 • Density 112/sq mi (43/km2)
Congressional districts 6th, 7th
Time zone Central: UTC−6/−5
Website www.co.stearns.mn.us

Stearns County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 150,642.[2] Its county seat is Saint Cloud.[3] The county was founded in 1855. It was originally named after Isaac Ingalls Stevens, later changed to the name Stearns, after Charles Thomas Stearns.

Stearns County is part of the St. Cloud, MN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI Combined Statistical Area.

History

The area that is currently Stearns County was formerly occupied by numerous indigenous tribes, such as the Sioux (Dakota), Chippewa (Ojibwe) and Winnebago (Ho-chunk). The first large immigration was of German Catholics in the 1850s. Early arrivals also came from eastern states. Originally, the county was supposed to be named Stevens County after Governor Isaac Ingalls Stevens who conducted an area expedition in 1853. However, due to a clerical error, the county was named Stearns after Charles Thomas Stearns who was a member of the Territorial Council. (Later, the area two counties west was named Stevens County, to compensate for this clerical error.)

Geography

Soils of Stearns County[4]
Soils of Padua area, Stearns County

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,390 square miles (3,600 km2), of which 1,343 square miles (3,480 km2) is land and 47 square miles (120 km2) (3.4%) is water.[5]

The eastern border of Stearns County is the Mississippi River. The land consists of rolling hills, scenic lakes, prairies, savannas and woodlands of a mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees. Stearns is one of 17 Minnesota savanna region counties with more savanna soils than either prairie or forest soils. There are 166 lakes in Stearns County.

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Soils of St. John's University area

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18604,505—
187014,206215.3%
188021,95654.6%
189034,84458.7%
190044,46427.6%
191047,7337.4%
192055,74116.8%
193062,12111.4%
194067,2008.2%
195070,6815.2%
196080,34513.7%
197095,40018.7%
1980108,16113.4%
1990118,7919.8%
2000133,16612.1%
2010150,64213.1%
Est. 2016155,652[6]3.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2016[2]
Age pyramid of county residents based on 2000 U.S. census data

As of the 2000 census, there were 133,166 people, 47,604 households, and 32,132 families residing in the county. The population density was 99 people per square mile (38/km²). There were 50,291 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile (14/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.99% White, 0.83% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.58% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 1.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 56.9% were of German and 9.4% Norwegian ancestry.

There were 47,604 households out of which 35.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.30% were married couples living together, 7.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.50% were non-families. 23.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the county, the population was spread out with 25.70% under the age of 18, 16.10% from 18 to 24, 28.00% from 25 to 44, 19.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.80 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,426, and the median income for a family was $51,553. Males had a median income of $34,268 versus $23,393 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,211. About 4.30% of families and 8.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.70% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

Townships

Census-designated place

Other unincorporated communities

Politics and government

Stearns County has supported the Republicans in 9 of the last 15 presidential elections.

Presidential elections results
Presidential elections results[11]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2016 59.8% 47,617 32.1% 25,576 8.0% 6,399
2012 54.8% 43,015 42.8% 33,551 2.4% 1,911
2008 52.3% 41,194 45.3% 35,690 2.4% 1,872
2004 55.2% 41,726 43.2% 32,659 1.6% 1,192
2000 51.9% 32,402 39.7% 24,800 8.4% 5,274
1996 39.0% 21,474 44.0% 24,238 17.0% 9,333
1992 37.9% 22,502 36.2% 21,451 25.9% 15,387
1988 52.9% 27,529 45.7% 23,798 1.5% 766
1984 58.5% 30,216 40.6% 20,944 0.9% 485
1980 48.3% 24,888 42.4% 21,862 9.3% 4,772
1976 40.9% 19,574 52.3% 25,027 6.7% 3,220
1972 45.8% 18,951 46.7% 19,315 7.6% 3,134
1968 45.9% 15,422 47.6% 15,990 6.5% 2,168
1964 40.4% 13,009 59.3% 19,063 0.3% 94
1960 41.5% 13,522 58.4% 19,026 0.1% 33
1956 63.7% 17,364 36.1% 9,829 0.2% 64
1952 64.8% 18,267 35.1% 9,907 0.1% 39
1948 39.5% 10,153 59.4% 15,261 1.1% 292
1944 60.4% 13,298 39.3% 8,647 0.4% 84
1940 63.0% 16,027 36.6% 9,305 0.4% 102
1936 23.3% 5,262 56.5% 12,760 20.2% 4,558
1932 19.5% 4,499 79.4% 18,293 1.1% 258
1928 28.6% 6,459 71.2% 16,104 0.2% 52
1924 37.4% 6,469 7.8% 1,354 54.8% 9,491
1920 86.3% 13,566 10.3% 1,616 3.4% 532
1916 54.4% 4,312 42.3% 3,350 3.3% 259
1912 17.6% 1,134 51.6% 3,317 30.8% 1,983
1908 38.8% 2,614 56.9% 3,835 4.4% 296
1904 50.4% 2,849 46.5% 2,625 3.1% 175
1900 35.6% 2,460 61.3% 4,244 3.1% 216
1896 36.1% 2,873 61.6% 4,911 2.3% 183
1892 23.7% 1,624 65.0% 4,461 11.3% 774

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  2. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. ↑ Nelson, Steven (2011). Savanna Soils of Minnesota. Minnesota: Self. pp. 49-52. ISBN 978-0-615-50320-2.
  5. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  11. ↑ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved 2018-10-10.

Coordinates: 45°33′N 94°37′W / 45.55°N 94.61°W / 45.55; -94.61

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