Rock County, Minnesota | |
|---|---|
 Rock County Courthouse | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMinnesota | |
| Coordinates:43°40′N96°15′W / 43.67°N 96.25°W /43.67; -96.25 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | May 23, 1857 (created) March 5, 1870 (organized) |
| Named after | Rock outcrop on Rock River |
| Seat | Luverne |
| Largest city | Luverne |
| Area | |
• Total | 483 sq mi (1,250 km2) |
| • Land | 482 sq mi (1,250 km2) |
| • Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.78 km2) 0.06% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,704 |
• Estimate (2024) | 9,525 |
| • Density | 20.1/sq mi (7.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Rock County is acounty located in the southwestern corner of theU.S. state ofMinnesota. According to the2020 census, its population was 9,704.[1] Thecounty seat isLuverne.[2] It is located within theSioux Falls MSA.
The county was established on May 23, 1857, by an act of the territorial legislature, although it was not organized at that time. Originally, the area was designated asPipestone County, and the nameRock County was given to what is nowPipestone County. However, in 1862, the Minnesota state legislature changed the designations, assigning the present names to the respective counties. On March 5, 1870, the state legislature passed an act that finalized the organization of Rock County and designated Luverne as its county seat. The county derived its name from theRock River, which was named after a prominent rocky outcrop referred to as "The Rock" on an 1843 map of the area. This outcrop is composed of reddish-gray quartzite and is located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Luverne. The mound stands out dramatically amidst the surrounding low prairie.[3] Another source suggests that the county's name is attributed to its rocky soil.[4]
Rock County is located at the southwestern corner of Minnesota. Its western border shares a boundary with the eastern border ofSouth Dakota, while its southern border is adjacent to the northern border ofIowa. The county is characterized by the flow of theRock River, which runs southward through its east central part, and Beaver Creek, which flows southward through its west central region. The landscape primarily consists of low rolling hills with various drainages. The county's predominant land use is agriculture.[5] The terrain gradually slopes southward, with the highest point situated near the midpoint of the county's northern boundary, reaching an elevation of 1,759 ft (536 m) above sea level.[6] Rock County spans an area of 483 square miles (1,250 km2), of which 482 square miles (1,250 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (0.06%) is water.[7] The entire county falls within the hot summerhumid continental climate zone (Dfa).
One of Minnesota's nicknames is "Land of 10,000 Lakes", and it is speckled with bodies of water large and small. But four of the state's counties do not contain a natural lake; Rock County is one of them.[9] Rock County did host a manmade lake from 1938 until 2014: aWPA work project constructed a small dam (the "Lower Dam") on Blue Mounds Creek in 1938, creating a small lake inBlue Mounds State Park. This continued until June 2014, when the dam was damaged by rain and floodwaters, allowing the pond to drain.[10] In June 2016 theMinnesota Department of Natural Resources announced its decision not to rebuild the dam.[11]
Source:[6]
Source:[5]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 23 | — | |
| 1870 | 138 | 500.0% | |
| 1880 | 3,669 | 2,558.7% | |
| 1890 | 6,817 | 85.8% | |
| 1900 | 9,668 | 41.8% | |
| 1910 | 10,222 | 5.7% | |
| 1920 | 10,965 | 7.3% | |
| 1930 | 10,962 | 0.0% | |
| 1940 | 10,933 | −0.3% | |
| 1950 | 11,278 | 3.2% | |
| 1960 | 11,864 | 5.2% | |
| 1970 | 11,346 | −4.4% | |
| 1980 | 10,703 | −5.7% | |
| 1990 | 9,806 | −8.4% | |
| 2000 | 9,721 | −0.9% | |
| 2010 | 9,687 | −0.3% | |
| 2020 | 9,704 | 0.2% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 9,525 | [12] | −1.8% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] 1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15] 1990-2000[16] 2010-2020[1] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010[17] | Pop 2020[18] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 9,239 | 8,886 | 95.38% | 91.57% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 58 | 50 | 0.60% | 0.51% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 31 | 48 | 0.32% | 0.50% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 53 | 62 | 0.55% | 0.64% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 1 | 10 | 0.01% | 0.10% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 4 | 0 | 0.04% | 0.00% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 284 | 3,889 | 0.11% | 0.29% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 197 | 364 | 2.03% | 3.75% |
| Total | 9,687 | 9,704 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
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.
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 9,704. The median age was 41.5 years. 25.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.3 males age 18 and over.[19][20]
The racial makeup of the county was 92.7%White, 0.5%Black or African American, 0.6%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Asian, 0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 1.1% from some other race, and 4.3% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.8% of the population.[20]
49.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 50.5% lived in rural areas.[21]
There were 3,892 households in the county, of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 54.9% were married-couple households, 17.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[19]
There were 4,222 housing units, of which 7.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.4% were owner-occupied and 24.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.8%.[19]
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 9,721 people, 3,843 households, and 2,705 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 20.2 per square mile (7.8/km2). There were 4,137 housing units at an average density of 8.58 per square mile (3.31/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.27%White, 0.53%Black orAfrican American, 0.43%Native American, 0.62%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.53% fromother races, and 0.59% from two or more races. 1.28% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 41.4% were ofGerman, 23.8%Dutch and 16.5%Norwegian ancestry.
There were 3,843 households, out of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.10% weremarried couples living together, 5.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.60% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.01.
The county population contained 26.30% under the age of 18, 7.20% from 18 to 24, 24.10% from 25 to 44, 22.00% from 45 to 64, and 20.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $38,102, and the median income for a family was $44,296. Males had a median income of $28,776 versus $22,166 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $17,411. About 5.50% of families and 8.00% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 8.10% of those under age 18 and 8.90% of those age 65 or over.
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Much of the second season ofFargo is set in Luverne and Rock County.
| Position | Name | District |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioner | Gary Overgaard | District 1 |
| Commissioner | Stan Williamson | District 2 |
| Commissioner | Greg Burger | District 3 |
| Commissioner | Sherri Thompson | District 4 |
| Commissioner | Jody Reisch | District 5 |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Bill Weber[23] | Republican | 21 | |
| House of Representatives | Joe Schomacker[24] | Republican | 21A | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Representatives | Brad Finstad[25] | Republican | 1st | |
| Senate | Amy Klobuchar[26] | Democrat | N/A | |
| Senate | Tina Smith[27] | Democrat | N/A | |
Rock County traditionally votes Republican. In no presidential election since 1964 has it selected the Democratic candidate. Along with its northern neighborPipestone County, it was one of only two Minnesota countiesAmy Klobuchar did not win in her2012 Senate race.[28]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 940 | 59.64% | 383 | 24.30% | 253 | 16.05% |
| 1896 | 1,209 | 59.85% | 765 | 37.87% | 46 | 2.28% |
| 1900 | 1,234 | 65.19% | 573 | 30.27% | 86 | 4.54% |
| 1904 | 1,243 | 79.12% | 241 | 15.34% | 87 | 5.54% |
| 1908 | 1,234 | 67.21% | 525 | 28.59% | 77 | 4.19% |
| 1912 | 463 | 25.58% | 466 | 25.75% | 881 | 48.67% |
| 1916 | 1,196 | 59.68% | 705 | 35.18% | 103 | 5.14% |
| 1920 | 3,121 | 84.53% | 442 | 11.97% | 129 | 3.49% |
| 1924 | 2,065 | 51.98% | 261 | 6.57% | 1,647 | 41.45% |
| 1928 | 2,433 | 60.03% | 1,607 | 39.65% | 13 | 0.32% |
| 1932 | 1,452 | 34.56% | 2,695 | 64.15% | 54 | 1.29% |
| 1936 | 1,752 | 36.21% | 2,910 | 60.15% | 176 | 3.64% |
| 1940 | 2,944 | 59.46% | 1,983 | 40.05% | 24 | 0.48% |
| 1944 | 2,584 | 60.66% | 1,649 | 38.71% | 27 | 0.63% |
| 1948 | 2,035 | 48.06% | 2,134 | 50.40% | 65 | 1.54% |
| 1952 | 3,774 | 74.48% | 1,286 | 25.38% | 7 | 0.14% |
| 1956 | 3,267 | 67.19% | 1,591 | 32.72% | 4 | 0.08% |
| 1960 | 3,469 | 65.49% | 1,823 | 34.42% | 5 | 0.09% |
| 1964 | 2,389 | 45.19% | 2,896 | 54.78% | 2 | 0.04% |
| 1968 | 3,056 | 56.87% | 2,084 | 38.78% | 234 | 4.35% |
| 1972 | 3,470 | 61.83% | 2,089 | 37.22% | 53 | 0.94% |
| 1976 | 2,892 | 50.39% | 2,769 | 48.25% | 78 | 1.36% |
| 1980 | 3,164 | 55.38% | 2,089 | 36.57% | 460 | 8.05% |
| 1984 | 2,971 | 57.18% | 2,188 | 42.11% | 37 | 0.71% |
| 1988 | 2,737 | 52.48% | 2,435 | 46.69% | 43 | 0.82% |
| 1992 | 2,065 | 38.68% | 2,006 | 37.58% | 1,267 | 23.74% |
| 1996 | 2,169 | 44.23% | 2,142 | 43.68% | 593 | 12.09% |
| 2000 | 2,772 | 55.33% | 2,081 | 41.54% | 157 | 3.13% |
| 2004 | 3,111 | 59.93% | 2,000 | 38.53% | 80 | 1.54% |
| 2008 | 2,775 | 55.78% | 2,079 | 41.79% | 121 | 2.43% |
| 2012 | 2,810 | 57.99% | 1,946 | 40.16% | 90 | 1.86% |
| 2016 | 3,091 | 63.88% | 1,373 | 28.37% | 375 | 7.75% |
| 2020 | 3,583 | 68.38% | 1,556 | 29.69% | 101 | 1.93% |
| 2024 | 3,690 | 68.68% | 1,585 | 29.50% | 98 | 1.82% |
Places adjacent to Rock County, Minnesota | |
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Municipalities and communities ofRock County, Minnesota,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Townships | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
