Nicollet County, Minnesota
County in Minnesota, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nicollet County (/ˈnɪkəlɪt/ NIH-kə-lit)[1] is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,454.[2] Its county seat is St. Peter.[3]
Nicollet County, Minnesota | |
|---|---|
Nicollet County Courthouse | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota | |
| Coordinates: 44°20′N 94°15′W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | March 5, 1853 |
| Named after | Joseph Nicolas Nicollet |
| Seat | St. Peter |
| Largest city | North Mankato |
| Area | |
• Total | 467 sq mi (1,210 km2) |
| • Land | 448 sq mi (1,160 km2) |
| • Water | 18 sq mi (47 km2) 3.9% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 34,454 |
• Estimate (2024) | 34,493  |
| • Density | 76.9/sq mi (29.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Nicollet County is part of the Mankato–North Mankato Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
In 1849 the Minnesota Territory legislature defined the boundaries of nine future counties. One of those, Dakota, contained the area north of the Minnesota River where it altered its flow from southeast to northeast. In 1853 the first settler had homesteaded an area on the northeast run of the river, and the following year the settlement of Saint Peter was platted there. Seeing the inflow of settlers into the areas adjoining the river, on March 5, 1853, the territorial legislature partitioned off the lower portion of Dakota County to form a separate entity. It was named for Joseph Nicolas Nicollet (1786-1843),[4] a French explorer whose maps of the area had been instrumental in the territory's development. The county seat was established at Saint Peter.[5]
Significant fighting occurred in the county during the 1862 Dakota War, most notably at the Battle of Fort Ridgely.
Geography
The Minnesota River flows eastward along the southern border of Nicollet County, from its northwestern corner to its northeastern corner, defining the county's southern line. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, completely devoted to agriculture where possible.[6] The terrain slopes to the east.[7] The county has an area of 467 square miles (1,210 km2), of which 448 square miles (1,160 km2) is land and 18 square miles (47 km2) (3.9%) is water.[8]
Nicollet County's highest point is the lowest high point of all Minnesota counties, with an elevation of 1,065 feet.[9][10] The county's high point is east of Clear Lake and west of the town of Lafayette.
Major highways
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Adjacent counties
- Sibley County - north
- Le Sueur County - east
- Blue Earth County - south
- Brown County - west
- Renville County - northwest
Protected areas
- Fort Ridgely State Park (part)
- Minneopa State Park (part)
- Seven Mile Creek County Park
Lakes
- Annexstad Lake
- Erickson Lake
- Middle Lake
- Oak Leaf Lake
- Overson Lake
- Rice Lake
- Sand Lake
- Swan Lake
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 3,778 | — | |
| 1870 | 8,362 | 121.3% | |
| 1880 | 12,333 | 47.5% | |
| 1890 | 13,382 | 8.5% | |
| 1900 | 14,774 | 10.4% | |
| 1910 | 14,125 | −4.4% | |
| 1920 | 15,036 | 6.4% | |
| 1930 | 16,550 | 10.1% | |
| 1940 | 18,282 | 10.5% | |
| 1950 | 20,929 | 14.5% | |
| 1960 | 23,196 | 10.8% | |
| 1970 | 24,518 | 5.7% | |
| 1980 | 26,929 | 9.8% | |
| 1990 | 28,076 | 4.3% | |
| 2000 | 29,771 | 6.0% | |
| 2010 | 32,727 | 9.9% | |
| 2020 | 34,454 | 5.3% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 34,493 | [12] | 0.1% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] 1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15] 1990-2000[16] 2010-2020[2] | |||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 34,454. The median age was 37.2 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.1 males age 18 and over.[17][18]
The racial makeup of the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.1% from some other race, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.2% of the population.[18]
74.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 25.2% lived in rural areas.[19]
There were 12,728 households in the county, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.6% were married-couple households, 17.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[17]
There were 13,371 housing units, of which 4.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.0% were owner-occupied and 27.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.8%.[17]
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 29,771 people, 10,642 households, and 7,311 families in the county. The population density was 66.5 per square mile (25.7/km2). There were 11,240 housing units at an average density of 25.1 per square mile (9.7/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.37% White, 0.80% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. 1.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 49.2% were of German, 13.3% Norwegian, 6.8% Swedish and 5.4% Irish ancestry.
There were 10,642 households, out of which 35.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.50% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.30% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.05.
The county population contained 24.70% under the age of 18, 16.40% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $46,170, and the median income for a family was $55,694. Males had a median income of $36,236 versus $25,344 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,517. About 4.30% of families and 7.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.70% of those under age 18 and 8.00% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
- Courtland
- Lafayette
- Mankato (partly in Blue Earth County)
- Nicollet
- North Mankato (partly in Blue Earth County)
- St. Peter (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
Ghost town
Townships
Government and politics
Nicollet County has been politically balanced in past decades. Since 1980, the county has selected Democratic and Republican presidential candidates an equal number of times (as of 2024). It has backed the nationwide winner in every election since 1980 except for 2004, and even then, losing Democrat John Kerry only beat incumbent Republican George W. Bush in the county by just 108 votes and a 0.61% margin.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 1,098 | 47.70% | 937 | 40.70% | 267 | 11.60% |
| 1896 | 1,803 | 66.41% | 837 | 30.83% | 75 | 2.76% |
| 1900 | 1,684 | 64.13% | 858 | 32.67% | 84 | 3.20% |
| 1904 | 1,677 | 74.04% | 513 | 22.65% | 75 | 3.31% |
| 1908 | 1,392 | 59.28% | 832 | 35.43% | 124 | 5.28% |
| 1912 | 525 | 21.64% | 929 | 38.29% | 972 | 40.07% |
| 1916 | 1,288 | 58.44% | 814 | 36.93% | 102 | 4.63% |
| 1920 | 4,115 | 83.45% | 556 | 11.28% | 260 | 5.27% |
| 1924 | 2,518 | 50.05% | 287 | 5.70% | 2,226 | 44.25% |
| 1928 | 3,628 | 59.13% | 2,466 | 40.19% | 42 | 0.68% |
| 1932 | 2,217 | 35.03% | 3,960 | 62.58% | 151 | 2.39% |
| 1936 | 2,360 | 33.70% | 4,136 | 59.06% | 507 | 7.24% |
| 1940 | 4,674 | 62.01% | 2,832 | 37.57% | 31 | 0.41% |
| 1944 | 4,345 | 64.83% | 2,321 | 34.63% | 36 | 0.54% |
| 1948 | 3,576 | 48.82% | 3,663 | 50.01% | 86 | 1.17% |
| 1952 | 5,775 | 68.77% | 2,584 | 30.77% | 39 | 0.46% |
| 1956 | 5,322 | 66.81% | 2,636 | 33.09% | 8 | 0.10% |
| 1960 | 5,283 | 57.08% | 3,961 | 42.80% | 11 | 0.12% |
| 1964 | 3,605 | 41.27% | 5,121 | 58.62% | 10 | 0.11% |
| 1968 | 4,671 | 50.58% | 4,244 | 45.96% | 319 | 3.45% |
| 1972 | 6,230 | 56.28% | 4,680 | 42.28% | 159 | 1.44% |
| 1976 | 6,071 | 49.58% | 5,777 | 47.18% | 397 | 3.24% |
| 1980 | 6,436 | 47.25% | 5,400 | 39.64% | 1,786 | 13.11% |
| 1984 | 7,472 | 55.97% | 5,789 | 43.37% | 88 | 0.66% |
| 1988 | 6,878 | 49.92% | 6,786 | 49.25% | 115 | 0.83% |
| 1992 | 5,091 | 33.85% | 6,055 | 40.26% | 3,893 | 25.89% |
| 1996 | 5,057 | 36.53% | 6,772 | 48.92% | 2,013 | 14.54% |
| 2000 | 7,221 | 47.11% | 7,041 | 45.94% | 1,065 | 6.95% |
| 2004 | 8,689 | 48.98% | 8,797 | 49.59% | 255 | 1.44% |
| 2008 | 7,968 | 43.67% | 9,887 | 54.19% | 390 | 2.14% |
| 2012 | 8,214 | 44.75% | 9,652 | 52.58% | 491 | 2.67% |
| 2016 | 8,437 | 46.62% | 7,886 | 43.58% | 1,774 | 9.80% |
| 2020 | 9,018 | 47.15% | 9,622 | 50.31% | 485 | 2.54% |
| 2024 | 9,540 | 49.13% | 9,441 | 48.62% | 436 | 2.25% |
| Position | Name | District | Next election |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioner and chairperson | Marie Dranttel | District 1 | 2028 |
| Commissioner | Nicole Helget | District 2 | 2026 |
| Commissioner | Jack Kolars | District 3 | 2028 |
| Commissioner | Mark Dehen | District 4 | 2026 |
| Commissioner | Kurt Zins | District 5 | 2028 |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Nick Frentz[23] | Democrat | 18 | |
| House of Representatives | Erica Schwartz[24] | Republican | 18A | |
| House of Representatives | Luke Frederick[25] | Democrat | 18B | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Representatives | Brad Finstad[26] | Republican | 1st | |
| Senate | Amy Klobuchar[27] | Democrat | N/A | |
| Senate | Tina Smith[28] | Democrat | N/A | |