Minnesota Report
Last Thursday, the Decennial 2020 Census Bloc Data was released by the US Census Department and it provides the information necessary for our state to decide what our political subdivisions will look like for the next decade. This will be, by all-accounts decided by the five-judge panel consisting of Court of Appeals Judge Louise D Bjorkman, Presiding Judge (Carlson & Pawlenty appointee, currently CD-4), Court of Appeals Judge Diane B Bratvold (Dayton appointee currently CD’s-3 & 5), District Judge Jay D Carlson (Pawlenty appointee, currently CD-7), District Judge Juanita C Freeman (Dayton appointee, currently CD’s-2, 4 & 6) and District Judge Jodi L Williamson (Ventura appointee, currently CD-1).
We took a deep dive, thanks in large part to the State Demographer’s office and have assembled spreadsheets of the following changes in the 8 congressional districts, the 87 counties, the 913 municipal cities, and the house and senate legislative districts. Reflected are the population changes between 2010-2020.To view the different pages click here.
2010-2020 Congressional Census #’s
2020-2010 House District Census #’s
2010-2020 Senate District Census #’s
Since the last legislatively constructed legislative redistricting plan occurred in 1962 and due to a politically divided legislature, we doubt there will be any different conclusion. Although, in 1992 after Governor Arne Carlson (R-MN) failed to return the vetoed plan to the legislature within the Constitutionally required 3 days during a legislative session, the court did make corrections to the redistricting plan which passed the legislature.
The problem with court-based plans, is the directive given to the judicial panel, which is a “Least Change,” instruction. This means effectively, with the exception of 1992, no Congressional or Legislative redistricting map reflect the actual population shifts other than tinkering around the edges. In 1992, we saw a significant change reflected in the 6th Congressional District which prior carved an arc over the Twin Cities to then having the arc shift to North and South on the eastern side of the cities.
This time with 30 years of out migration from Greater Minnesota to the Seven County Metropolitan Area warrants, in our minds a more significant reflection on any map. Now, it is clear, Minnesotan’s as well as other state’s residents identify more with the city, town or township in which they reside along with the county, rather than the Congressional or Legislative District. But, because of the importance of the political subdivision, the weight of the state’s population decides the majority in the state legislature and if we have as can be seen a more suburban profile compared to a urban or rural profile, this is a moderating influence that can buttress against the hard swings left, which greater urban influence and hard swings to the right with more rural influence. It is our contention and has been since the onset of this publication, that a strong suburban influenced Minnesota is the best possible philosophy for our state.
To this point, with the state population being 5,706,494 and the seven metropolitan counties (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington) equaling 55.43% of the state population and when the other four “metropolitan” counties (Chisago, Isanti, Sherburne, and Wright) are added the total increases to 58.85%.
| 7-COUNTY | POPULATION 2020 | POPULATION 2010 | NUMERIC POPULATION CHANGE
2010-2020 |
PERCENTAGE POPULATION CHANGE
2010-2020 |
| Anoka | 363887 | 330844 | 33043.00 | 9.08% |
| Carver | 106922 | 91042 | 15880.00 | 14.85% |
| Dakota | 439882 | 398552 | 41330.00 | 9.40% |
| Hennepin | 1281565 | 1152425 | 129140.00 | 10.08% |
| Ramsey | 552352 | 508640 | 43712.00 | 7.91% |
| Scott | 150928 | 129928 | 21000.00 | 13.91% |
| Washington | 267568 | 238136 | 29432.00 | 11.00% |
| Total | 3163104 | |||
| Statewide | 5,706,494 | 55.43% |
| 11-COUNTY | POPULATION 2020 | POPULATION 2010 | NUMERIC POPULATION CHANGE
2010-2020 |
PERCENTAGE POPULATION CHANGE 2010-2020 |
| Anoka | 363887 | 330844 | 33043.00 | 9.08% |
| Carver | 106922 | 91042 | 15880.00 | 14.85% |
| Chisago | 56621 | 53887 | 2734.00 | 4.83% |
| Dakota | 439882 | 398552 | 41330.00 | 9.40% |
| Hennepin | 1281565 | 1152425 | 129140.00 | 10.08% |
| Isanti | 41135 | 37816 | 3319.00 | 8.07% |
| Ramsey | 552352 | 508640 | 43712.00 | 7.91% |
| Scott | 150928 | 129928 | 21000.00 | 13.91% |
| Sherburne | 97183 | 88499 | 8684.00 | 8.94% |
| Washington | 267568 | 238136 | 29432.00 | 11.00% |
| Wright | 141337 | 124700 | 16637.00 | 11.77% |
| Total | 3358043 | |||
| Statewide | 5,706,494 | 58.85% |
Additionally, the weight of a precinct in Minneapolis has a population that exceeds the size of many townships throughout the state and with this reality, it can be argued, those in higher population areas have a greater call for government services. Hence, this might be why a more rural population has less reliance on government and a greater sense of self-sufficiency and independence.
The counties with the greatest population gain and loss are.
Gain
| COUNTY | POPULATION 2020 | POPULATION 2010 | NUMERIC POPULATION CHANGE
2010-2020 |
PERCENTAGE POPULATION CHANGE
2010-2020 |
| Hennepin | 1281565 | 1152425 | 129140.00 | 10.08% |
| Ramsey | 552352 | 508640 | 43712.00 | 7.91% |
| Dakota | 439882 | 398552 | 41330.00 | 9.40% |
| Anoka | 363887 | 330844 | 33043.00 | 9.08% |
| Washington | 267568 | 238136 | 29432.00 | 11.00% |
| Scott | 150928 | 129928 | 21000.00 | 13.91% |
| Olmsted | 162847 | 144248 | 18599.00 | 11.42% |
| Wright | 141337 | 124700 | 16637.00 | 11.77% |
| Carver | 106922 | 91042 | 15880.00 | 14.85% |
Loss
| COUNTY | POPULATION 2020 | POPULATION 2010 | NUMERIC POPULATION CHANGE
2010-2020 |
PERCENTAGE POPULATION CHANGE
2010-2020 |
| Winona | 49671 | 51461 | -1790.00 | -3.60% |
| Koochiching | 12062 | 13311 | -1249.00 | -10.35% |
| Renville | 14723 | 15730 | -1007.00 | -6.84% |
| Yellow Medicine | 9528 | 10438 | -910.00 | -9.55% |
| Pine | 28876 | 29750 | -874.00 | -3.03% |
| Martin | 20025 | 20840 | -815.00 | -4.07% |
| Redwood | 15425 | 16059 | -634.00 | -4.11% |
| Faribault | 13921 | 14553 | -632.00 | -4.54% |
| Lyon | 25269 | 25857 | -588.00 | -2.33% |
| Murray | 8179 | 8725 | -546.00 | -6.68% |