Minnesota population, 1910-2020

This series of maps shows the changes in the total population of Minnesota's counties that have occurred between 1910 and 1990, as well as the projected population of Minnesota's counties in the years 2000, 2010, and 2020. All of the maps in this series use the same legend categories so that it is possible to compare the maps in order to see how the population of a given county has changed.

Each of the maps in this library varies in size between 10 K and 12 K.

Between 1910 and 1950, there is no noticeable change in the populations of Minnesota's counties. Although some of the maps do indicate a slight growth in population around counties with large urban areas (near the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, or Duluth, for instance), there is no systematic pattern in these changes.

Between 1960 and 1990, the populations of counties with large urban areas increased rapidly (especially near the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, and Rochester), while the populations of many rural counties (especially those in northwestern and southwestern Minnesota) showed a noticeable decline. This pattern is due to a number of factors, such as the economic recovery after World War II, rapid population growth due to the baby boom, and the increase in automobile ownership in the 1950s and 1960s which made the formation of suburban areas possible.

The population projections created by the Office of the State Demographer (a branch of Minnesota Planning) for 2000, 2010, and 2020 suggest that the patterns observed between 1950 and 1990 will continue over the next 30 years, creating increased population in counties with large urban areas and decreased population in more rural counties.

Total State Population

1910	2,075,700
1920	2,434,935
1930	2,563,953
1940	2,792,300
1950	3,181,513
1960	3,413,864
1970	3,806,103
1980	4,075,970
1990	4,375,099
2000	4,651,160
2010	4,863,060
2020	5,056,320

Documentation

Data Source:

For Total Population 1910-1990: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 1910-1990
For Projected Total Population 2000-2020: Office of the State Demographer, Minnesota Planning

Map Created by: Land Management Information Center. Datanet.
Explanation and Comments: The data displayed in the maps for 1910 through 1990 is Census data on total population from the Census in that same year. The population projections for 2000, 2010, and 2020 are based on the 1990 Census data. These projections assume that the survival rate will increase slightly, the fertility rate will decrease slightly, and that migration will gradually decrease over the next 30 years.