Minnesota Population 2023

Situated in the north midwest area of the US, Minnesota is the 12th largest state in the country in terms of pure surface area. In terms of population, it ranks 21st.

At the time of the last census in 2010, it was confirmed that there were 5,303,925 people living in the state, and a year later in 2011, an estimate suggested that those numbers had risen to 5,344,861. The state currently has a population growth rate of 0.71%, which ranks 29th in the country. With these new numbers, Minnesota is now the 21st most populous state in the US.

Minnesota Area and Population Density

Minnesota is the northernmost state outside of Alaska. The overall geography of Minnesota lends itself to a relatively sparse population. The northern part of the state has thick forests, rocky ledges, and the state's highest point, Eagle Mountain. The southernwest part of the state is characterized by glacial deposits of clay and gravel while the southeastern part has stream-cut valleys and high bluffs, and was the only part of the state not affected by glaciers during the previous ice age. Parts of the Great Lakes cross into Minnesotan territory. This vast rural landscape means that the state is only the 31st most densely populated in the entire country. The total surface area in Minnesota equates to 86,939 square miles or 225,181 square kilometers, and for every square mile of territory, there is an average of 66.6 people.

There are three cities in Minnesota with a population of more than 100,000. Minneapolis is by far the largest, home to 410,939 people. Following behind are Saint Paul (300,851) and Rochester (112,225). About 60% of Minnesota's population lives in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, while 40% are spread throughout the remainder of the state. This is the result of a migration of the jobs from farming, mining and logging into professional, service and office jobs which are concentrated in the cities. The most populated counties in Minnesota are Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Hennepin has over one million residents, while Ramsey is home to just over 500,000 residents.

Minnesota Gender and Religion Statistics

The median age in Minnesota is approximately 37.8 years of age. The gender ratio is split at 50.3% females and 49.3% males in the state.

When it comes to religious preferences, the Minnesota population comes in at 74% Christian based faiths, 5% non-Christian based faiths, and 20% not affiliated with any religion.

Minnesota Boundary, Census, and Statehood History

Northeastern Minnesota, east of the Mississippi River and a line drawn northward from its source to Canada, was part of the Northwest Territory (1787) and later of Indiana Territory (1800), Illinois Territory (1809), Michigan Territory (1818), and Wisconsin Territory (1838). Most of the rest of the State was part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, and included in Louisiana Territory (1805), renamed Missouri Territory in 1812. Both these parts of the present State were included in Michigan Territory from 1834 to 1836, and then in Wisconsin Territory until 1838. The portion west of the Mississippi then became part of Iowa Territory, until Minnesota Territory was established in 1849, including the whole present-day State and the Dakotas generally east of the Missouri River. Minnesota was admitted as a State on May 11, 1858 with essentially its present boundaries.

There was only limited census coverage of the present area of the State prior to 1850. In 1830 a few persons near Lake Superior may have been enumerated in Chippewa County, Michigan Territory; in 1840 some persons in northeastern Minnesota were enumerated in St. Croix County, Wisconsin Territory, and two settlements on the Mississippi River were enumerated as part of Clayton County, Iowa Territory. In 1850 coverage of Minnesota Territory did not extend beyond the present State except for a few settlers near the Red River in what is now North Dakota. In 1860 the census covered virtually the whole State.

Minnesota Population History

Minnesota was the 32nd US state to be incorporated into the union on May 11, 1858, and that heralded an explosion in population figures.

By the time of the 1860 Census, it was confirmed that Minnesota had 172,023 residents, and just ten years later, that figure had risen by over 150% to 439,706. Although this was the biggest population increase in Minnesota’s history, further significant rises meant that by the start of the 20th century, the population within the state had grown to over 1.75 million.

Those increases slowed down further through the 20th century, but the overall picture remains one of sustained growth and as a result, the population of Minnesota in 2016 is edging toward the 5.5 million figure.

Minnesota Population Growth

Minnesota, like much of the United States, has a relatively older population with a median age of 37.7. According to projections, Minnesota will see a rise in one-person households, while the number of married couple families will decline. While the state is growing steadily, it is not enjoying the rapid growth of many Southern and Western states with a younger population.

The rate of population growth, as well as age and gender distributions, are very close to the national average. Most of the state's counties are projected to lose population between now and the next census, with losses of at least 15% in many southwestern and western parts of the state, while moderate growth is projected for the lakes region in north-central Minnesota. Rural areas will continue to be older than the growing urban areas, and increased diversity is projected with the populations of color and Hispanic origin increasing faster than the white population. Very fast growth is expected for African Americans, Latinos and Asians in particular, stemming from foreign migration.

Minnesota Population Projections

With healthy natural growth, increases in the Minnesota population over the decades tend to average out at the 8% mark for the last four censuses. As a result, it will be interesting to see how close the population will reach toward 6 million by the time of the next survey in 2020. It's projected that the population of Minnesota will grow 24% from 2005 to 2035, passing the 6 million mark by 2032.

Minnesota has always been thought of as a racially homogenous state. However, in recent years, the state's population has become more diverse. From 2000 to 2010, there was an increase in the Hispanic population by 74.5%. The state also has a high percentage of Asian American residents, ranking 14th in terms of the overall percentage of Asians when compared to the total population.

In addition to the increase in Hispanics, the state has also seen an increase in immigration of Somalis, Vietnamese and Hmong. However, non-Hispanic whites are still the majority, with 72.33% of births being to non-Hispanic white parents, according to data from 2011.

Over 75% of the state's residents are of European descent. The principal ancestries of Minnesota residents are:

• 38.6% German
• 17.0% Norwegian
• 11.9% Irish
• 9.8% Swedish

• French explorers and trappers discovered Minnesota, and the land was claimed for France in 1679.
• Minnesota is home to more golfers per capita than any other state in the US.
• The Mall of America is located in Bloomington. This shopping center -- which features stores, restaurants and an amusement park -- is a whopping 9.5 million square feet.
• The state has one recreational boat per every six people, exceeding the number of any other state.
• St. Paul was originally called "Pigs Eye" and was named after Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant, the first white settler to live within what is now Saint Paul.
• The first bus line was started back in 1914 in Hibbing. The line originally ran from Hibbing to Alice and cost 15 cents per ride. That bus line went on to become known as Greyhound Lines.