The document provides data and statistics on rural Minnesota from the Center for Rural Policy and Development's 2013 State of Rural Minnesota report. It includes information on population changes and projections, the manufacturing and farming workforce, average farming earnings, health insurance enrollment, graduation rates, and free lunch eligibility. The Center for Rural Policy and Development is a non-partisan policy research organization dedicated to providing an unbiased rural perspective to Minnesota policymakers.

1. State of Rural
Minnesota
Report
2013

2. Who we are
In 1997, a group of rural Minnesota advocates
came together to create a rural policy “think tank”
that would provide policy makers, rural advocates
and concerned citizens with an objective, unbiased
and politically “unspun” examination of
contemporary rural issues.
 Based in St. Peter, Minn.
 Non-partisan, non-profit policy research
organization
 Dedicated to providing Minnesota’s policy makers
with an unbiased evaluation of issues from a rural
perspective.
 The Center is recognized as a leading resource for
rural policy research and development.
Center for Rural Policy & Development, 2013

3. Growth of Minnesota’s regions,
1900 to 2010
450.0%
400.0%
350.0%
300.0% Metroplex
250.0%
Southeast River Valley
Southwestern Cornbelt
200.0%
Northwest Valley
150.0% Up North
Central Lakes
100.0%
50.0%
0.0%
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
-50.0%
Center for Rural Policy & Development, 2013

4. Population change, 1990-2010
!"#$%&'%(%
-/((,&0 E&,$"A
!"#$%&'%
()$%*&&+,
6"4,)"33
?(M%!&A/,
H$3(4"7/
8&3# 8$00/01(&0 2&&#
!"#$
-&&.)/.)/01
E$+%!"#$
;(",."
23$"45"($4
 From 1990 to 2010, the state’s
F&47"0 6")0&7$0
JA99"4+ 2",,
23"B H$.#$4 population grew by nearly 1
:/(#/0
million, to 5.3 million. The most
24&5%*/01 2"43(&0 dramatic growth was seen in the
*"+$0"
<(($4%="/3
Twin Cities suburbs, stretching up
*/3#/0
8/0$
=&++
6/33$%
into the Central Lakes area.
>4"0( 6&44/,&0 !".,
-"0"9$.
G&A13",
!"#$"%&'$()%*"
H$0(&0
?($@$0, 8&C$ ;,"0(/
=4"@$4,$ ?($"40,
!"#$%&'()*)+
*",)/01(&0 2)/,"1&
H/1% ?)$49A40$
?(&0$
?5/'( :0&#"
',*,+&-$&)*,+
-"0+/B&)/
6$$#$4
(*)+&-$&,*,+
2)/CC$5"
,M
*4/1)(
E"7
!".%NA/%8"43$ J$00$C/0 ()*)+&-$&.,*,+
6.!$&+
E$0@/33$ 2"4@$4
D$33&5%6$+/./0$ /)*)+&012&03$4"
?/93$B
!/0.&30 !B&0 ?.&(( G"#&("
E$+5&&+
F/.&33$( E/.$
!$%?A$A4 >&&+)A$ *"9",)"
H4&50
8/C$,(&0$
?($$3$ G&+1$
*",$."
6A44"B *"(&05"0 <37,($+ */0&0"
2&((&05&&+
H3A$%L"4()
E&.# F&93$, K/337&4$ J&A,(&0
I".#,&0 6"4(/0 K"4/9"A3( K4$$9&40 6&5$4 50-0&6$789":
;*<*&="1676&!78"07>
?$@7#0-A$1&B6-AC0-"6&?8$D80C
E&="1-"8&F$8&G780#&?$#A9H&012&5"4"#$@C"1-
Center for Rural Policy & Development, 2013

5. Population projections,
2010-2035
30.0%
25.7%
24.7%
25.0%
21.5%
20.0%
14.3%
15.0%
11.1%
9.5%
10.0%
5.0%
-2.2%
0.0%
-5.0%
Center for Rural Policy & Development, 2013

6. Decrease in Increase in Change in
County white minority total
population population population
Clearwater -116 502 386
Fillmore -243 332 89
Hennepin -88,200 208,194 119,994
Kandiyohi -1,093 4,571 3,478
Lyon -1,691 2,759 1,068 Fifteen counties that
experienced population growth
Mahnomen -1,129 1,498 369 between 1990 and 2010 due to
growth in their minority
Mower -3,753 5,531 1,778
populations (U.S. Census
Nobles -4,953 6,233 1,280 Bureau, 2010). Twelve of them
are not in a Metropolitan
Pennington -175 799 624 Statistical Area.
Ramsey -80,755 103,630 22,875
Roseau -59 662 603
Sibley -352 1,212 860
St. Louis -6,678 8,691 2,013
Todd -137 1,669 1,532
Waseca -506 1,563 1,057
Center for Rural Policy & Development, 2013

7. Workforce in the
manufacturing sector, 2011
Title
here
Kittson Roseau
Lake of
the Woods
Marshall
St. Louis
Beltrami
Polk Pennington
Cook
Lake
Koochiching
Red Lake
Itasca
Clearwater
 Despite losing nearly 50,000
Norman Mahnomen
Hubbard Cass
Clay Becker manufacturing jobs between 2005
Aitkin
and 2009, Minnesota still has a
Crow Wing Carlton number of counties—mostly rural—
Wadena
Otter Tail
where employment is concentrated in
Wilkin
Pine
Percentage of workforce
Todd
Mille employed in
manufacturing.
Grant Morrison Lacs
Kanabec
manufacturing
Douglas
Benton Less than 6.0%
Stevens Pope Stearns Isanti
Traverse
6.0% to 8.9%
Washington Chisago
Big Sherburne
Stone
Swift Kandiyohi Anoka 9.0% to 11.9%
Meeker
Chippewa 12.0% to 16.9%
s.
Wright
Ram
Lac Qui Parle
McLeod
Hennepin
17.0% and above
Renville Carver
Yellow Medicine
Sibley No Data
Lincoln Lyon Scott Dakota
Redwood
Nicollet Rice
Le Sueur Goodhue Wabasha
Brown
Pipestone
Steele Dodge
Waseca
Murray Watonwan Olmsted Winona
Cottonwood
Blue Earth
Rock Nobles Houston
Jackson Martin Faribault Freeborn Mower Fillmore
Data source:
U.S. Department of Commerce
Bureau of Economic Analysis
© Center for Rural Policy and Development
Center for Rural Policy & Development, 2013

8. Average earnings in farming,
2011
-/((,&0 E&,$"A
!"#$%&'%
()$%*&&+,
6"4,)"33
?(M%!&A/,
H$3(4"7/
8&3# 8$00/01(&0
2&&#
!"#$
-&&.)/.)/01
E$+%!"#$
;(",."
23$"45"($4
F&47"0 6")0&7$0
JA99"4+ 2",,  Farming has had a strong
23"B H$.#$4
presence in Minnesota historically
:/(#/0
and continues to do so today. The
24&5%*/01 2"43(&0 distribution of wealth from
*"+$0"
<(($4%="/3
*/3#/0
8/0$
farming is apparent.
=&++
!"#$%&#'#%$()(&*'
>4"0( 6&44/,&0
6/33$%
!"., +#$',%$-'./$0#$
-"0"9$.
G&A13",
!"#$%#!&'&&&
H$0(&0
=4"@$4,$
?($@$0, 8&C$ ?($"40, ;,"0(/ !("'"""#$%#!(&'&&&
*",)/01(&0 2)/,"1&
H/1% ?)$49A40$
?(&0$ !)"'"""#$%#!*+'&&&
?5/'( -"0+/B&)/ :0&#"
6$$#$4 !*,'"""#$%#!,&'&&&
2)/CC$5"
,M
*4/1)(
!-"'"""#./0#.1%23
E"7
!".%NA/%8"43$ J$00$C/0
6.!$&+
D$33&5%6$+/./0$
E$0@/33$ 2"4@$4 4%#5.$.
?/93$B
!/0.&30 !B&0 ?.&(( G"#&("
E$+5&&+
F/.&33$( E/.$
!$%?A$A4 >&&+)A$ *"9",)"
H4&50
8/C$,(&0$
?($$3$ G&+1$
*",$."
6A44"B *"(&05"0 <37,($+ */0&0"
2&((&05&&+
H3A$%L"4()
E&.# F&93$, K/337&4$ J&A,(&0
I".#,&0 6"4(/0 K"4/9"A3( K4$$9&40 6&5$4 5.$.#6%7893:
;<=<#53>.8$?3/$#%@#A%??3893
B783.7#%@#C9%/%?D9#E/.FG6D6
H#A3/$38#@%8#I78.F#J%FD9G#./0#5323F%>?3/$
Center for Rural Policy & Development, 2013

9. Health
Percent of
Region population enrolled
in MinnesotaCare
Percent of population
enrolled in MinnesotaCare,
Metroplex 1.7%
based on average monthly
enrollment for 2009
Southeast River Valley 2.1% (Minnesota Department of
Human Services, 2011)
Southwestern Cornbelt 2.5%
Northwest Valley 3.1%
Up North 3.2%
Central Lakes 4.4%
Minnesota 2.1%
Center for Rural Policy & Development, 2013

10. Graduation Rates, 2009-2010
 To calculate the graduation rate
here, the number of graduates
was divided by the number of
ninth-graders four years earlier,
adjusting for students dropping
out or leaving the district.
!"#$%#&'()*+#&,
!"#$%&%
 Districts with graduating classes
'()*+#,#-(+
under 40 were not included.
-().+#,#-*+
-*).+#,#/(+
/().+#,#/*+
/*).+#,#.((+
0%&%#1"23456
789951"&%#05:%3&;59&#"<#=$24%&8"9
>#?59&53#<"3#@23%A#B"A84C#%9$#05D5A":;59&
Center for Rural Policy & Development, 2013

11. Free lunch eligibility, 2010-2011
 For the state of Minnesota, 37.2%
of students were eligible for free
or reduced-price lunch in the
2010-2011 school year. Since
recipients’ families must meet
!"#$"%&'(")*+),&-."%&,)
"/0(01/")+*#)+#"")*#) certain income guidelines to
#".-$".)/-%$2 qualify, free and reduced-price
!"#$%&% lunch can be a good proxy for
'()*#+#,-(,* poverty rates.
,-(.*#+#./('*
./(0*#+#1'*
1'(2*#+#/3(0*
/3()*#+#233*
4%&%#5"6789:
;<==95"&%#49>%7&?9=&#"@#A$68%&<"=
B#C9=&97#@"7#D67%E#F"E<8G#%=$#49H9E">?9=&
Center for Rural Policy & Development, 2013

12. Thank You!
Atlas of Minnesota
Online
www.ruralmn.org