# Renville County, Minnesota

Renville County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census the population was 14,723. Its county seat is Olivia.

## History

The Minnesota Territory legislature created the county on February 20, 1855. It was named for Joseph Renville, a fur trapper, trader, British officer in the War of 1812, and interlocutor with local Native American groups. Organization of the county's governing structure was completed on November 8, 1866, with Beaver Falls as county seat. Beginning in 1885, citizens in and around Olivia began pressing for the seat to be moved to Olivia, which happened in 1900.

### 1862 Dakota War

Renville County, located directly across the Minnesota River from the Lower Sioux Agency, was the site of extensive combat during the Dakota War of 1862. The U.S. army's defeats at the Battle of Redwood Ferry and the Battle of Birch Coulee at the hands of the Dakota both occurred in Birch Cooley Township, in addition to numerous Dakota raids on white homesteads in the county. The burned-out Joseph Brown House Ruins still stand, and various monuments throughout the County memorialize settlers killed in the conflict.

## Geography

The Minnesota River flows southeast along the county's southwestern border. Hawk Creek flows south through the county's western end, discharging into the Minnesota. Beaver Creek drains the central part of the county, flowing southeast before turning southwest to discharge into the Minnesota. The county terrain consists of rolling hills etched by drainages and sprinkled with lakes and ponds. The area is devoted to agriculture. The county terrain slopes to the south, with its highest point near the midpoint of the northern border, at 1,122 ft (342 m) ASL. The county has a total area of 987 square miles (2,560 km$^2$), of which 983 square miles (2,550 km$^2$) is land and 4.2 square miles (11 km$^2$) (0.4%) is water.

### Major highways

* U.S. Highway 71
* U.S. Highway 212
* Minnesota State Highway 4
* Minnesota State Highway 19
* Minnesota State Highway 23

### Adjacent counties

* Kandiyohi County - north
* Meeker County - northeast
* McLeod County - east
* Sibley County - southeast
* Nicollet County - southeast
* Brown County - south
* Redwood County - southwest
* Yellow Medicine County - west
* Chippewa County - northwest
Renville, Beltrami, and Stearns are Minnesota's only counties that abut nine other counties.

### Lakes

* Beckendorf Lake
* Boon Lake
* Hodgson Lake
* Lake Allie
* Mud Lake
* Phare Lake
* Preston Lake
* Round Grove Lake (part)
* Round Lake

### Protected areas

* Beaver Falls County Park
* Camp Town Park
* County Park No. 2
* County Park No. 4
* Fort Ridgely State Park (part)
* Birch Coulee Battlefield
* Prieve State Wildlife Management Area (part)
* Skalbekken County Park

## Demographics
### 2020 Census

Renville County Racial Composition :
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
| White (NH) | 12,766 | 86.7% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 60 | 0.41% |
| Native American (NH) | 103 | 0.7% |
| Asian (NH) | 61 | 0.41% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 5 | 0.03% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 409 | 2.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,319 | 9% |

### 2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 17,154 people, 6,779 households, and 4,623 families in the county. The population density was 17.5 per square mile (6.8/km$^2$). There were 7,413 housing units at an average density of 7.54 per square mile (2.91/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 95.72% White, 0.06% Black or African American, 0.51% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.77% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. 5.11% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 50.9% were of German, 16.3% Norwegian and 5.1% Swedish ancestry.
There were 6,779 households, out of which 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.10% were married couples living together, 5.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 28.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.05.
The county population contained 26.50% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 25.30% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 19.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,652, and the median income for a family was $45,065. Males had a median income of $30,473 versus $22,179 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,770. About 6.30% of families and 8.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.80% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.

## Communities
### Cities

* Bird Island
* Buffalo Lake
* Danube
* Fairfax
* Franklin
* Hector
* Morton
* Olivia (county seat)
* Renville
* Sacred Heart

### Unincorporated communities

* Beaver Falls
* Bechyn
* Churchill
* Lakeside

### Ghost town

* Vicksburg

### Townships

* Bandon Township
* Beaver Falls Township
* Birch Cooley Township
* Bird Island Township
* Boon Lake Township
* Brookfield Township
* Cairo Township
* Camp Township
* Crooks Township
* Emmet Township
* Ericson Township
* Flora Township
* Hawk Creek Township
* Hector Township
* Henryville Township
* Kingman Township
* Martinsburg Township
* Melville Township
* Norfolk Township
* Osceola Township
* Palmyra Township
* Preston Lake Township
* Sacred Heart Township
* Troy Township
* Wang Township
* Wellington Township
* Winfield Township

## Politics

Before 1996, Renville County was a fairly balanced precinct. Since 1996, only Republican Party candidates have received the county vote in national elections (as of 2024).
United States presidential election results for Renville County, Minnesota :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 5,610 | 69.62% | 2,280 | 28.29% | 168 | 2.08% |
| 2020 | 5,467 | 67.26% | 2,496 | 30.71% | 165 | 2.03% |
| 2016 | 4,890 | 64.29% | 2,117 | 27.83% | 599 | 7.88% |
| 2012 | 4,149 | 53.81% | 3,394 | 44.02% | 167 | 2.17% |
| 2008 | 3,956 | 48.63% | 3,904 | 47.99% | 275 | 3.38% |
| 2004 | 4,430 | 53.06% | 3,787 | 45.36% | 132 | 1.58% |
| 2000 | 4,036 | 49.69% | 3,533 | 43.50% | 553 | 6.81% |
| 1996 | 2,887 | 35.04% | 3,956 | 48.02% | 1,395 | 16.93% |
| 1992 | 2,852 | 31.97% | 3,414 | 38.27% | 2,654 | 29.75% |
| 1988 | 4,356 | 48.80% | 4,454 | 49.89% | 117 | 1.31% |
| 1984 | 5,571 | 57.86% | 3,972 | 41.25% | 86 | 0.89% |
| 1980 | 5,544 | 53.08% | 4,058 | 38.85% | 842 | 8.06% |
| 1976 | 4,482 | 42.50% | 5,762 | 54.64% | 301 | 2.85% |
| 1972 | 5,329 | 53.06% | 4,499 | 44.79% | 216 | 2.15% |
| 1968 | 4,821 | 48.67% | 4,535 | 45.78% | 550 | 5.55% |
| 1964 | 4,340 | 41.58% | 6,072 | 58.18% | 25 | 0.24% |
| 1960 | 5,885 | 54.20% | 4,958 | 45.67% | 14 | 0.13% |
| 1956 | 5,728 | 57.52% | 4,213 | 42.31% | 17 | 0.17% |
| 1952 | 6,742 | 63.45% | 3,828 | 36.02% | 56 | 0.53% |
| 1948 | 4,297 | 44.40% | 5,227 | 54.00% | 155 | 1.60% |
| 1944 | 5,160 | 57.49% | 3,747 | 41.74% | 69 | 0.77% |
| 1940 | 6,196 | 57.15% | 4,588 | 42.32% | 58 | 0.53% |
| 1936 | 3,049 | 32.25% | 5,344 | 56.53% | 1,060 | 11.21% |
| 1932 | 2,631 | 30.03% | 5,967 | 68.11% | 163 | 1.86% |
| 1928 | 5,107 | 57.18% | 3,731 | 41.77% | 94 | 1.05% |
| 1924 | 3,405 | 42.66% | 641 | 8.03% | 3,935 | 49.30% |
| 1920 | 5,995 | 73.64% | 1,283 | 15.76% | 863 | 10.60% |
| 1916 | 2,432 | 55.25% | 1,660 | 37.71% | 310 | 7.04% |
| 1912 | 703 | 18.02% | 1,310 | 33.57% | 1,889 | 48.41% |
| 1908 | 2,275 | 60.22% | 1,364 | 36.10% | 139 | 3.68% |
| 1904 | 2,925 | 77.94% | 639 | 17.03% | 189 | 5.04% |
| 1900 | 2,809 | 64.77% | 1,326 | 30.57% | 202 | 4.66% |
| 1896 | 2,553 | 55.16% | 1,978 | 42.74% | 97 | 2.10% |
| 1892 | 1,370 | 39.95% | 984 | 28.70% | 1,075 | 31.35% |