The Territorial Legislature of Minnesota established Hennepin County on March 6, 1852,[9] and two years later Minneapolis was named the county seat.Louis Hennepin's name was chosen because he originally namedSaint Anthony Falls and recorded some of the earliest accounts of the area for the Western world. In January 1855, the first bridge over theMississippi River was built over St. Anthony Falls.[10]
Waterpower built the city of Minneapolis and Hennepin County. The water of streams and rivers provided power to grist mills and sawmills throughout the county. By the late 1860s, more than a dozen mills were churning out lumber near St. Anthony Falls and the county's population had surpassed 12,000.
In many ways, the falls' power was the vital link between the central city and the farmsteads throughout the county. Farms produced vegetables, fruits, grains and dairy products for city dwellers, while Minneapolis industries produced lumber, furniture, farm implements and clothing.
By 1883, railroads united Minneapolis with both the East and West coasts, and technical developments, especially in flour milling, brought rapid progress to the area. The major Minneapolis millers wereWashburn,Pillsbury, Bell,Dunwoody andCrosby. For a decade, the "Mill City" was the flour-milling capital of the world and one of the largest lumber producers. Minneapolis, with a population of 165,000 by 1890, had become a major American city, and by 1900, was firmly established as the hub of the Upper Midwest's industry and commerce.
Hennepin County's farm economy was also substantial. In 1910, farmland in the county totaled 284,000 acres, about 72% of its area.[11][12] The principal crops were wheat, corn, garden vegetables, and apples. The number of acres in production remained high for the next 30 years. By 1950, the amount of land devoted to agriculture had declined to 132,000 acres as development progressed in the suburbs.
During the 1950s and 1960s, many suburbs grew rapidly as housing developments, shopping centers, large school systems and growing industrialization replaced much of the open farmland. By 1970, Hennepin County's suburban population outnumbered the cities for the first time. Minneapolis's population declined by 10 percent from 1960 to 1970, while the suburban population grew by nearly 50 percent.
Another wave of immigration—which began after theVietnam War in the mid-1970s—marked a major change in the county's ethnic makeup. This wave peaked in the 1980s when hundreds of refugees from Southeast Asia, often aided by local churches, resettled in Hennepin County. Its population surpassed one million in 1989.[13]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 606.749 square miles (1,571.47 km2), of which 554.019 square miles (1,434.90 km2) is land and 52.730 square miles (136.57 km2) (8.69%) is water.[15] It is the 60th largest county in Minnesota by total area.
Hennepin is one of 17 Minnesota counties with more savanna soils than either prairie or forest soils, and one of two Minnesota counties with more than 75% of its area in savanna soils (the other is the adjacentWright County).
The highestwaterfall on theMississippi River,Saint Anthony Falls (discovered by Louis Hennepin), is in Hennepin County next to downtown Minneapolis, but in the 19th century, the falls were converted to a series ofdams. Barges and boats now pass throughlocks to move between the parts of the river above and below the dams.
Part of central and eastern Hennepin County on July 1, 2022, taken from the International Space Station. North is oriented mostly towards the right and somewhat up. The border between Anoka and Hennepin counties is visible along and near the Mississippi River.
U.S. Decennial Census[17] 1790–1960[18] 1900–1990[19] 1990–2000[20] 2010–2020[2]
As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Hennepin County was $398,850.[21]
As of the 2023American Community Survey, there are 534,573 estimated households in Hennepin County with an average of 2.32 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $96,339. Approximately 10.1% of the county's population lives at or below thepoverty line. Hennepin County has an estimated 71.4% employment rate, with 53.3% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 94.0% holding a high school diploma.[2]
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (82.3%), Spanish (6.0%), Indo-European (2.9%), Asian and Pacific Islander (4.3%), and Other (4.5%).
Hennepin County's racial and ethnic composition has evolved significantly over time. Initially, the region was inhabited by Native American tribes, primarily the Dakota Sioux. Beginning in the early 19th century, European settlement brought a demographic shift, with a predominantly white population of Northern European descent.[22] The county witnessed further diversification throughout the 20th century with the arrival of African Americans during theGreat Migration, as well as Latino, Asian, and other immigrant groups in the latter half of the century.[23]
Hennepin County, Minnesota – racial and ethnic composition 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 may be of any race.
As of the 2023 estimate, there were 1,258,713 people and 534,573 households residing in the county. There were 579,806 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 72.9% White(66.5% NH White), 14.7% African American, 1.2% Native American, 7.6% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 3.6% from two or more races (% NH Multiracial). Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 7.9% of the population.[30]
In the 2021 estimate, Hennepin County is the 2nd wealthiest county in Minnesota and 65th wealthiest county of the 100highest-income counties in the United States. $50,478 for per capita income in 2021.
As of the2020 census, there were 1,281,565 people, 528,547 households, and 297,806 families residing in the county.[31] Thepopulation density was 2,313.1 inhabitants per square mile (893.1/km2). There were 555,779 housing units at an average density of 1,003.1 per square mile (387.3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 66.72%White, 13.38%African American, 0.93%Native American, 7.64%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 4.22% from some other races and 7.07% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 7.67% of the population.[32]
As of the2010 census, there were 1,152,425 people, 475,913 households, and 272,885 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,081.7 inhabitants per square mile (803.7/km2). There were 509,458 housing units at an average density of 920.3 per square mile (355.3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 74.35%White, 11.82%African American, 0.92%Native American, 6.24%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 3.37% from some other races and 3.25% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.74% of the population.
As of the2000 census, there were 1,116,200 people, 456,129 households, and 267,291 families residing in the county. The population density was 774.0 inhabitants per square mile (298.8/km2). There were 468,824 housing units at an average density of 325.0 per square mile (125.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 80.53%White, 8.95%African American, 1.00%Native American, 4.80%Asian, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 2.06% from some other races and 2.60% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.07% of the population.
There were 456,129 households out of which 28.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.30% weremarried couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.40% were non-families. 31.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.00% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 33.70% from 25 to 44, 21.70% from 45 to 64, and 11.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 97.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $51,711, and the median income for a family was $65,985. Males had a median income of $42,466 versus $32,400 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $28,789. About 5.00% of families and 8.30% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 10.50% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over.
Besides English, languages with significant numbers of speakers in Hennepin County include Arabic,Hmong,Khmer,Lao, Russian,Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese.[33]
In 2010, Hennepin County's largest religious group was theArchdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, with 215,205 Catholics worshipping at 73 parishes, followed by 124,732ELCA Lutherans with 106 congregations, 59,811non-denominational adherents with 103 congregations, 20,286UMC Methodists with 42 congregations, 18,836Missouri Synod Lutherans with 34 congregations, 16,941PC-USA Presbyterians with 21 congregations, 16,230Converge Baptists with 26 congregations, 16,128AoG Pentecostals with 32 congregations, 12,307UCC Christians with 20 congregations, and 8,608Reform Jews with three congregations. Altogether, religious congregations claimed 54.3% of the population as members, though members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information.[34] In 2014, Hennepin County had 708 religious organizations, the 16th-most of all U.S. counties.[35]
Hennepin County's normal operations are coordinated by the County Administrator David Hough, Assistant County Administrator for Human Services Jodi Wentland, Assistant County Administrator for Operations Dan Rogan, Assistant County Administrator for Public Works Lisa Cerney, Assistant County Administrator for Disparity Reduction May Xiong, and Assistant County Administrator for Public Safety Chela Guzman-Wiegert.[42]
TheHennepin County Sheriff manages the county jail, patrols waterways, provides security for the District Court, handles home foreclosures, participates in homeland security activities and in law enforcement, and by state law is responsible for handling applications for permits to carry a firearm for county residents. The current county sheriff is Dawanna Witt, who was elected in 2022.[43]
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office is responsible for investigating all unexpected deaths in Hennepin County as well as neighboringDakota andScott counties. The office determines who and why a person died, which may lead to criminal charges being filed by prosecutors. Upon request, the office may provide services for other jurisdictions.[44]
The Hennepin County Attorney sets policies and priorities for prosecuting criminal cases, oversees child protection and child support cases, and provides legal advice and representation to county government. The current County Attorney isMary Moriarty, who was elected in2022.[43]
Like most urban counties nationwide, Hennepin County is a Democratic stronghold. It has voted Democratic in every election since 1964, except for 1972, whenRichard Nixon won the county as part of a national landslide. It is also a state bellwether county, having voted for Minnesota's statewide winner in every election since 1964, the longest such streak in the state. In2020,Joe Biden won 70% of the vote in the county, the largest percentage for any candidate since 1904. At the state level, the county is no less Democratic. For governor and U.S. Senate, the last Republicans to win the county wereArne Carlson in1994 andDavid Durenberger in1988, respectively.
As the economic center of Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, Hennepin County is home to many major companies in a diverse section of industries. As of the 2018 estimate, there are twelve Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Hennepin County, five of which are located in Minneapolis.
Tree Map of Employment by Industries in Hennepin County (2015)
Hennepin County is also home to several major private companies such asCarlson andCargill, both located in Minnetonka, the latter of which is the largest privately owned company in the United States.[47]
Along with these major companies, Hennepin County also contains several large employers, as listed below. According to the 2016American Community Survey, the largest overall industries in Hennepin County are healthcare and social assistance (96,511 workers), manufacturing (80,324), and retail trade (75,861).[48]
According to the 2016 American Community Survey, the average household income in Hennepin County is $71,200. TheGINI Index for 2016 was 0.461, lower than the national average of 0.485.[48] As of 2016, nearly 132,000 residents of Hennepin County were living under the poverty line, 10.9% of the county population.[48] This figure is lower than the national average of 14%.
Outside Minneapolis, Hennepin County is part of theThree Rivers Park District, a park system containing 20 parks and 10 trails spanning the Twin Cities metro area.
^Warner, George E.; Foote, C. M. (1976).History of Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis. Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota; Outlines of the History of Minnesota. Marceline, MO: Walsworth. p. iv, 713.OCLC2890166.
^Delton, Jennifer A. (2002). Anne J. Aby (ed.). "Labor, Politics, and African American Identity in Minneapolis, 1930–1950".The North Star State: A Minnesota History Reader. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society. pp. 316–332.
^“Great City Parks.” Great City Parks, by Alan Tate, Spon Press, 2004, pp. 187–192.
^Cameron, Mark (December 1996). "Reviews : The American City: What Works, What Doesn't Alexander Garvin McGraw-Hill. New York, New York 1995. 475 pages. $59.95".Journal of Planning Education and Research.16 (2):148–149.doi:10.1177/0739456x9601600210.ISSN0739-456X.S2CID144995220.
^Any ancestry includes individuals identifying with either a single ethnic group (full ancestry) or with a mixed heritage from multiple groups (partial ancestry).
^Full ancestry only includes those who identify with a single group, without any mixed heritage.
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