Growth overview, 2005 New Germany is expected to ride a future population surge, although its numbers are yet to catch up with neighboring cities in Carver County according to recent census readings. Carver County’s population increased 7.7 percent in just two years according to a United States census bureau estimate, showing the county’s population jumping from 70,205 in 2000 to 75,620 in 2002. New Germany’s population remained stable, although cities to the east gauged healthy increases through the county. No city in the county lost population during that timespan and four of the county’s 11 cities experienced double digit increases. The city of Carver had a 26.3 percent increase in those two years followed by Victoria, Watertown, and Waconia with increases of 19 percent, 12.6 percent, and 11.5 percent respectively. Most of the county’s cities experienced healthy growth. Cologne’s population was up 8.9 percent, Chaska 8.6, Mayer 8.3, and Chanhassen 4.7 percent. Hamburg had an increase of 3.7 percent while Norwood Young America was up by 1.7 percent. Two cities in the county had increases of more than 1,000 people between the year 2000 and 2002. Chaska added 1,512 people and Chanhassen 1,024. Among the county’s townships, growth was not as consistent. On a percentage basis, Chaska Township grew the most with a 3.2 percent gain. Other percentage leaders included Hollywood up 2.5 percent, Hancock up 2.4 percent, Dahlgren gained 2.2 percent, Young America up 2 percent, and San Francisco and Camden both saw an increase of 1.3 percent between the years of 2000 and 2002. Two townships, Watertown and Laketown, lost population. Watertown was down 0.8 percent and Laketown was down 0.9 percent Paul Moline, Carver County planner, offered some reasons for the lesser growth in the townships. Moline noted that rural zoning regulations make it more cumbersome for growth to occur in the country and that the households currently in the various townships have fewer members per household as family sizes shrink. However, if forecasts prepared by the Metropolitan Council for the county for the next 25 years are close to being accurate, all areas of the county will experience tremendous, if not explosive growth. New Germany is expected to have an increase of 139 percent to 830 residents. Carver County as a whole is expected to more than double in the coming decades going from 70,205 in 2000 to 141,020 in the year 2030. The cities in the eastern portion of the county are predicted to see the highest increase in the number of residents in their communities. The population of Chanhassen alone is predicted to increase by 20,179 people to a total of 40,500 by 2030. Chaska is predicted to grow by 16, 951 to a total of 34,400 and Waconia by 8,386 to a total of 15,200 during that same time period. Projections of the cities growth viewed on a percentage basis reveal staggering numbers. Every city will have double digit increases by the year 2030 with seven cities showing triple digit gains. The Metropolitan Council predicts the city of Carver’s population to increase by 247 percent up to 3,134 residents. Mayer will be up 206 percent to 1,700 people, Victoria will have 7,575 residents up 188 percent, Norwood Young America population should be 8,800 people which would represent an increase of 183 percent. These numbers are regarded as conservative, Moline said. If true, Waconia will “only” experience a population increase of 123 percent. There are several factors involved in Carver County’s growth. According to the Census Bureau, at least three times as many people were born in the county as died, following a national trend toward an overall aging population. For example, the Census Bureau lists 297 county residents over the age of 85 in 1980 and 727 people in that same age bracket in the year 2000. Minnesota Planning projections estimate that number to be 1,270 in the year 2020. In addition, it appears that when people come to Carver County, they like it, and plan to stay. In a 2002 Carver County residential survey by Decision Resources Ltd., 71 percent of the people surveyed planned to live in the county for at least six years and 65 percent for 10 years or more. Finally, residents of the county are enjoying a higher standard of living. Figures provided by the Census Bureau show that the median household income in the county went from $39,188 to $65,540 and per capita income rose from $21,063 to $35,496. During the same time period the percent of the population living in poverty fell from 4.9 percent to 3.5 percent. If projections from the Minnesota State Demographic Center are realized in the next census, McLeod County will continue to experience steady growth in the coming years, with the City of Winsted leading the way. The data prepared by the State Demographic Center through the year 2003 estimates the current population of Winsted to be 2,253, a 7.5 percent increase in population over the city’s year 2000 census figure of 2,094. The McLeod County population estimate was 35,872, up from the year 2000 census figure of 34,898, or an increase of 2.7 per cent. The state’s projections indicate that the largest growth is in the northern half of the county, with the largest percentage of population growth occurring in the northeastern portion. Lester Prairie’s estimated percentage of growth is second only to the City of Winsted among all cities and townships in the county. The rate of growth for Lester Prairie, 5.5 percent, was more than double the county’s growth rate. The state estimates that since the year 2000, 76 more people reside in Lester Prairie, making the city’s population 1,453. The area’s townships have experienced significant growth, as well. Bergen Township’s growth rate for the last three years was estimated at 4.8 percent, and Winsted Township’s at 3.6 percent, putting their population figures at 924 and 1023 respectively. Of all townships in the county, Hutchinson Township was the largest at 5.2 percent. Collins Township had an estimated increase of 3.7 percent. Through 2003, the state’s estimated population changes for the county’s other townships were: Acoma 2.7 percent, Rich Valley 2.4 percent, Round Grove 1.4 percent, Sumter 1 percent, Hale 0 percent, Helen -0.9 percent, Glencoe Township -0.17 percent, Lynn -0.6 percent, Penn -2.9 percent, and Hassan Valley -16.3 percent. Of the remaining cities, the state estimated that Hutchinson added 465 people, for a total population of 13,545, or an increase of 3.5 percent. Glencoe was up 3.3 percent to an estimated population of 5,633, Silver Lake 2.8 percent to 783, and Brownton 1.4 percent to 819. The state estimated that Biscay had no population change, that Plato lost 1.4 percent of its residents and that Stewart’s population decreased by 1.9 percent. Phenomenal growth continues to roll through Wright County, according to 2004 state population numbers supplied by the Minnesota State Demographic Center. Numbers generated by the state demographer show no signs that the lengthy growth trend has subsided. “I don’t see that it will slow down any time soon,” Auditor/Treasurer Bob Hiivala said.”We’re constantly getting new plats coming in. We assessed 3,000 new homes last year, and are expecting the same this year.” Wright County’s population surpassed the 100,000 mark in 2003, reaching 98,410 in 2002 to 102,941 in 2003. Otsego garnered the heaviest growth, estimated to be 1,100 in 2003. Monticello grew by nearly 1,000 people. In addition, Wright Ccounty provided its own numbers, trying to extrapolate the population out to the year 2020 and beyond. It is hoped that the numbers can serve as a guideline for the continued growth of the county and help it be spread out more evenly as cities, townships and the county attempt to work together to keep growth in check to some degree. “What we’re hoping to do through cooperation is manage the growth,” Hiivala said. “At times, the cities and townships are at odds over growth issues. We don’t control planning for the cities and can’t tell them they’re not allowed to grow.” As it stands, there is little reason to believe the growth will slow down or level off. “It’s a simple matter of supply and demand,” Hiivala said. “The demand remains strong and we remain in the right location to be the supply.”	Back to: >Guides Menu >herald-journal.com Herald Journal Publishing PO Box 129 Winsted, MN 55395 Local/Metro (320) 485-2535 hj@hjpub.com www.herald-journal.com
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