Rice County, Minnesota

Rice County, Minnesota
Rice County is a county located in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,097. Its county seat is Faribault.
Rice County comprises the Faribault-Northfield, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI Combined Statistical Area.
History
Rice County was founded on March 5, 1853. It was named for Henry Mower Rice, a fur trader who became instrumental in creation of the Minnesota Territory and its subsequent growth and development.
Geography
The Cannon River flows northeasterly through the center of the county, on its way to discharge into the Mississippi River at Red Wing. The Straight River flows northerly into the county from Steele County to its discharge point into the Cannon River at Faribault. The North Fork of the Zumbro River rises in south-central Rice County, and flows eastward into Goodhue County on its way to discharge into the Mississippi east of Kellogg.
The county terrain consists of low, rolling hills, entirely devoted to agriculture, and dotted with lakes. The county slopes to the east and north; its highest point is near its SE corner, at ASL. The county has an area of , of which is land and (3.9%) is water. The Cannon River flows northeastwardly through the county, collecting the Straight River in Faribault. The North Fork of the Zumbro River has its headwaters in the county's southeastern part. Rice is one of 17 Minnesota savanna counties with more savanna soils than either prairie or forest soils.
Major highways
Interstate 35
Minnesota State Highway 3
Minnesota State Highway 13
Minnesota State Highway 19
Minnesota State Highway 21
Minnesota State Highway 60
Minnesota State Highway 99
Minnesota State Highway 246
Minnesota State Highway 298
Minnesota State Highway 299
Adjacent counties
Dakota County - northeast
Goodhue County - east
Dodge County - southeast
Steele County - south
Waseca County - southwest
Le Sueur County - west
Scott County - northwest
Protected areas
Cannon Lake Wilderness Area
Cannon River Trout Lily Scientific and Natural Area
Faribault State Wildlife Management Area
Nerstrand Big Woods State Park
River Bend Nature Area
Sakatah Lake State Park (part)
Shager Park
Townsend Woods Scientific and Natural Area
Whitney Island Scientific and Natural Area
Lakes
Cannon Lake
Caron Lake
Cedar Lake
Circle Lake
Crystal Lake
Duban Lake
Dudley Lake
Fox Lake
French Lake
Hatch Lake
Horseshoe Lake (part)
Hunt Lake
Kelly Lake
Mazaska Lake
Metogga Lake
Mud Lake
Phelps Lake
Rice Lake
Roberds Lake
Sakatah Lake (part)
Shields Lake
Sprague Lake
Union Lake
Weinberger Lake
Wells Lake
Willing Lake
Demographics
2020 Census
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 56,665 people, 18,888 households, and 13,353 families in the county. The population density was . There were 20,061 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 93.59% White, 1.31% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 1.46% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.87% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. 5.50% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.1% were of German, 14.7% Norwegian, 7.2% Irish and 5.3% Czech ancestry.
There were 18,888 households, out of which 36.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.10% were married couples living together, 8.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.30% were non-families. 23.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.14.
The county population contained 25.30% under the age of 18, 15.80% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 20.20% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 101.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.30 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $48,651, and the median income for a family was $56,407. Males had a median income of $36,771 versus $26,151 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,695. About 4.00% of families and 6.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.70% of those under age 18 and 10.70% of those age 65 or over.
Parks and recreation
Ackman Park west of Faribault
Albers Park in Webster
Caron Park in Cannon City
Falls Creek Park east of Faribault
Heron Island in Shieldsville
Hirdler Park west of Faribault
Kalina Park in Wheatland
King Mill Park in Faribault
Communities
Cities
Dennison (partly in Goodhue County)
Dundas
Faribault (county seat)
Lonsdale
Morristown
Nerstrand
Northfield (partly in Dakota County)
Census-designated place
Warsaw
Unincorporated communities
Cannon City
Epsom
Hazelwood
Little Chicago
Millersburg
Moland (partly in Steele County)
Prairieville
Ruskin
Shieldsville
Veseli
Webster
Wheatland
Townships
Bridgewater Township
Cannon City Township
Erin Township
Forest Township
Morristown Township
Northfield Township
Richland Township
Shieldsville Township
Walcott Township
Warsaw Township
Webster Township
Wells Township
Wheatland Township
Wheeling Township
Politics
From its first participating election in 1860 through 1960, Rice County was traditionally Republican, voting for the Republican nominee in every election save 1912 (when it voted for Bull Moose nominee and former Republican president Theodore Roosevelt) and Franklin Roosevelt's 1932 and 1936 landslides. From 1964 through 2012, it became a Democratic stronghold, voting for the Democratic nominee in every election save Richard Nixon's 1972 landslide. In 2016, it voted for a Republican for the first time since 1972 (and for a Republican who was not winning a majority of the national popular vote for the first time since 1960), although it gave him only a plurality, with 7.9% voting third party. However, in 2020, with the third party vote sinking to 2.3%, it voted Republican again, making it the first time since 1956 and 1960 that the county has voted Republican two elections in a row (although the Republican margin was only 62 votes out of over 35,000 cast).
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Rice County, Minnesota
References
External links
Rice County government’s website
Minnesota counties
1853 establishments in Minnesota Territory
Populated places established in 1853