Stevens County, Minnesota | |
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 Location within the U.S. state ofMinnesota | |
 Minnesota's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:45°35′N96°00′W / 45.58°N 96°W /45.58; -96 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | February 20, 1862 |
| Named after | Isaac Ingalls Stevens |
| Seat | Morris |
| Largest city | Morris |
| Area | |
• Total | 575 sq mi (1,490 km2) |
| • Land | 564 sq mi (1,460 km2) |
| • Water | 12 sq mi (31 km2) 2.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,671 |
• Estimate (2024) | 9,819 |
| • Density | 17.1/sq mi (6.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
| Website | www |
Stevens County is acounty in theU.S. state ofMinnesota. As of the2020 census, the population was 9,671.[1] Itscounty seat isMorris.[2]
The county was created by act of the Minnesota legislature on February 20, 1862. It was not organized at that time, and no county seat was named. The county was named forIsaac Stevens, who had led a railroad survey party across Minnesota in 1853 and was influential in bringing national attention to the Minnesota Territory.[3] The territorial legislature had intended to thus honor Stevens in 1855 when another county was being created, but a clerical error caused that county to be namedStearns. The error was corrected by the 1862 act; by that time Stevens was a brigadier general for the Union Army in theAmerican Civil War. Stevens was killed later that year.[4] The county government was organized in 1872. Morris, which had been platted in 1869, was named the county seat.[5][6]
TheUniversity of Minnesota Morris is inMorris. It was developed in the early 20th century from theMorris Industrial School for Indians, which opened in 1887 and was originally operated by theRoman CatholicSisters of Mercy under contract to the federal government.
In 1975, a moderateearthquake occurred in the county.
ThePomme de Terre River flows south through central Stevens County, on its way to discharge into theMinnesota River. The county's terrain consists of rolling hills, with the area mostly devoted to agriculture.[7] The terrain generally slopes to the south, although the northeast and southwest portions rise from the central part of the county. The county's highest point is on the eastern portion of the northern border, at 1,250 ft (380 m) ASL.[8] The county has an area of 575 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 564 square miles (1,460 km2) is land and 12 square miles (31 km2) (2.0%) is water.[9]
Source:[7]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 174 | — | |
| 1880 | 3,911 | 2,147.7% | |
| 1890 | 5,251 | 34.3% | |
| 1900 | 8,721 | 66.1% | |
| 1910 | 8,293 | −4.9% | |
| 1920 | 9,778 | 17.9% | |
| 1930 | 10,185 | 4.2% | |
| 1940 | 11,039 | 8.4% | |
| 1950 | 11,106 | 0.6% | |
| 1960 | 11,262 | 1.4% | |
| 1970 | 11,218 | −0.4% | |
| 1980 | 11,322 | 0.9% | |
| 1990 | 10,634 | −6.1% | |
| 2000 | 10,053 | −5.5% | |
| 2010 | 9,726 | −3.3% | |
| 2020 | 9,671 | −0.6% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 9,819 | [11] | 1.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14] 1990-2000[15] 2010-2020[1] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 8,093 | 83.7% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 84 | 0.9% |
| Native American (NH) | 110 | 1.14% |
| Asian (NH) | 68 | 0.7% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 1 | 0.01% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 329 | 3.4% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 986 | 10.2% |
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 10,053 people, 3,751 households, and 2,366 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 17.8 per square mile (6.9/km2). There were 4,074 housing units at an average density of 7.22 per square mile (2.79/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.13%White, 0.92%Black orAfrican American, 0.70%Native American, 0.86%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.38% fromother races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 0.90% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 44.8% were ofGerman, 20.8%Norwegian and 5.4%Irish ancestry.
There were 3,751 households, out of which 28.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.40% weremarried couples living together, 5.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.90% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.99.
The county population contained 21.60% under the age of 18, 20.80% from 18 to 24, 21.60% from 25 to 44, 19.00% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,267, and the median income for a family was $47,518. Males had a median income of $32,045 versus $21,681 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $17,569. About 5.70% of families and 13.60% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 6.50% of those under age 18 and 11.30% of those age 65 or over.
Stevens County has been a swing district for the past several decades. As of 2020 it has selected the Republican candidate in 56% of presidential elections since 1980. In 2016, Stevens County and several other counties in rural Western Minnesota swung sharply to the right. While Minnesota as a whole swung far to the left in 2020, Stevens County swung further right, giving Donald Trump nearly 60% of the vote - the most any party had got since 1952. Trump received nearly 63% of the county's vote in 2024, again the best performance for a Republican presidential candidate since 1952.[17]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 622 | 46.21% | 509 | 37.82% | 215 | 15.97% |
| 1896 | 981 | 57.40% | 685 | 40.08% | 43 | 2.52% |
| 1900 | 1,036 | 58.01% | 682 | 38.19% | 68 | 3.81% |
| 1904 | 1,254 | 75.13% | 362 | 21.69% | 53 | 3.18% |
| 1908 | 877 | 57.93% | 582 | 38.44% | 55 | 3.63% |
| 1912 | 286 | 17.40% | 640 | 38.93% | 718 | 43.67% |
| 1916 | 943 | 52.56% | 787 | 43.87% | 64 | 3.57% |
| 1920 | 2,339 | 79.83% | 457 | 15.60% | 134 | 4.57% |
| 1924 | 1,553 | 48.99% | 238 | 7.51% | 1,379 | 43.50% |
| 1928 | 2,275 | 60.70% | 1,457 | 38.87% | 16 | 0.43% |
| 1932 | 1,396 | 34.99% | 2,552 | 63.96% | 42 | 1.05% |
| 1936 | 1,431 | 36.15% | 2,352 | 59.42% | 175 | 4.42% |
| 1940 | 2,619 | 56.30% | 2,018 | 43.38% | 15 | 0.32% |
| 1944 | 2,377 | 58.23% | 1,693 | 41.47% | 12 | 0.29% |
| 1948 | 1,928 | 45.02% | 2,313 | 54.00% | 42 | 0.98% |
| 1952 | 3,288 | 67.39% | 1,579 | 32.36% | 12 | 0.25% |
| 1956 | 2,606 | 58.83% | 1,822 | 41.13% | 2 | 0.05% |
| 1960 | 2,710 | 52.87% | 2,405 | 46.92% | 11 | 0.21% |
| 1964 | 2,220 | 43.22% | 2,910 | 56.65% | 7 | 0.14% |
| 1968 | 2,560 | 50.57% | 2,247 | 44.39% | 255 | 5.04% |
| 1972 | 2,830 | 48.70% | 2,870 | 49.39% | 111 | 1.91% |
| 1976 | 2,484 | 42.91% | 3,171 | 54.78% | 134 | 2.31% |
| 1980 | 3,283 | 50.69% | 2,559 | 39.52% | 634 | 9.79% |
| 1984 | 3,251 | 56.58% | 2,451 | 42.66% | 44 | 0.77% |
| 1988 | 2,679 | 49.08% | 2,721 | 49.85% | 58 | 1.06% |
| 1992 | 2,229 | 38.33% | 2,466 | 42.40% | 1,121 | 19.27% |
| 1996 | 2,141 | 39.25% | 2,741 | 50.25% | 573 | 10.50% |
| 2000 | 2,831 | 49.22% | 2,434 | 42.32% | 487 | 8.47% |
| 2004 | 3,030 | 50.93% | 2,821 | 47.42% | 98 | 1.65% |
| 2008 | 2,710 | 48.10% | 2,781 | 49.36% | 143 | 2.54% |
| 2012 | 2,766 | 48.94% | 2,742 | 48.51% | 144 | 2.55% |
| 2016 | 2,799 | 51.85% | 2,116 | 39.20% | 483 | 8.95% |
| 2020 | 3,044 | 59.86% | 1,922 | 37.80% | 119 | 2.34% |
| 2024 | 3,213 | 62.52% | 1,827 | 35.55% | 99 | 1.93% |
| Position | Name | District | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioner and Chairperson | Bob Kopitzke | District 1 | |
| Commissioner | Jeanne Ennen | District 2 | |
| Commissioner | Ron Staples | District 3 | |
| Commissioner | Donnie Wohlers | District 4 | |
| Commissioner | Patricia Lesmeister-Nelson | District 5 | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Torrey Westrom[21] | Republican | District 12 | |
| House of Representatives | Jeff Backer[22] | Republican | District 12A | |
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Representatives | Michelle Fischbach[23] | Republican | 7th | |
| Senate | Amy Klobuchar[24] | Democrat | N/A | |
| Senate | Tina Smith[25] | Democrat | N/A | |
Places adjacent to Stevens County, Minnesota | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofStevens County, Minnesota,United States | ||
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| Townships | ||
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