Wright County, Minnesota

Wright County, Minnesota
Wright County is a county in the East Central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 141,337. Its county seat is Buffalo. The county was founded in 1855. Wright County is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. In terms of population, Wright County is the tenth-largest county in Minnesota and the fastest growing.
History
The county was established in 1855, and was named for New York politician Silas Wright. The first county seat was Monticello; in 1868 the county seat was changed to Buffalo. Most of the area's first settlers were of German and Swedish origin. The county's population in 1860 was 3,729; in 1875, it was 13,775.
The 1998 thriller A Simple Plan was set in Wright County, though it does not mention a specific town.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (7.4%) is water. The terrain is undulating and contains numerous small lakes. The county is bounded on the northeast by the Mississippi River. Wright is one of 17 Minnesota savanna region counties with more savanna soils than either prairie or forest soils, and one of only two Minnesota counties where savanna soils make up more than 75% of the county area (the other is Hennepin County).
Major highways
Interstate 94
U.S. Highway 12
U.S. Highway 52 (runs hidden with I-94)
Minnesota State Highway 24
Minnesota State Highway 25
Minnesota State Highway 55
Minnesota State Highway 101
Minnesota State Highway 241
Adjacent counties
Sherburne County - northeast
Hennepin County - east
Carver County - southeast
McLeod County - southwest
Meeker County - west
Stearns County - northwest
Anoka County - northeast
Demographics
2020 census
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
2010
The ethnic makeup of the county, according to the 2010 United States census, was the following:
95.04% White
1.06% Black
0.34% Native American
1.19% Asian
0.04% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
1.53% Two or more races
0.81% Other races
2.45% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 89,986 people, 31,465 households, and 23,913 families in the county. The population density was . There were 34,355 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.85% White, 0.26% Black or African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 42.3% were of German, 11.9% Norwegian, 7.4% Swedish and 6.6% Irish ancestry.
There were 31465 households, out of which 42.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.50% were married couples living together, 7.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.00% were non-families. 18.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.26.
The county population contained 31.10% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 32.60% from 25 to 44, 19.90% from 45 to 64, and 8.80% over age 64. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 101.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $53,945, and the median income for a family was $60,940. Males had a median income of $40,630 versus $28,201 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,844. About 3.60% of families and 4.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.50% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
Communities
Cities
Albertville
Annandale
Buffalo (county seat)
Clearwater
Cokato
Dayton (Mostly in Hennepin County)
Delano
Hanover (Small portion in Hennepin County)
Howard Lake
Maple Lake
Monticello
Montrose
Otsego
Rockford (Partly in Hennepin County)
South Haven
St. Michael
Waverly
Townships
Albion
Buffalo
Chatham
Clearwater
Cokato
Corinna
Franklin
French Lake
Maple Lake
Marysville
Middleville
Monticello
Rockford
Silver Creek
Southside
Stockholm
Victor
Woodland
Census-designated place
Silver Creek
Other unincorporated communities
Albion Center
Albright
Enfield
French Lake
Hasty
Highland
Knapp
Oster
Rassat
Rice Lake
Smith Lake
Stockholm
West Albion
Ghost town
Dickinson
Largest cities in Wright County
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Wright County, Minnesota
References
External links
Wright County government’s website
Wright County community website
Minneapolis–Saint Paul
Minnesota counties
Minnesota counties on the Mississippi River
1855 establishments in Minnesota Territory
Populated places established in 1855