| Ramsey County, Minnesota | ||
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Location in the state of Minnesota |
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Minnesota's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | October 27, 1849 [1] | |
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| Named for | Alexander Ramsey | |
| Seat | St. Paul | |
| Largest city | St. Paul | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
170.13 sq mi (441 km²) 155.78 sq mi (403 km²) 14.36 sq mi (37 km²), 8.44% |
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| Population - (2010) - Density |
508,640 3,281/sq mi (1,267/km²) |
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| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 | |
| Website | www.co.ramsey.mn.us | |
Ramsey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, founded in 1849.[2] As of 2010, the population was 508,640.[3] Its county seat is St. Paul,[4] which is also Minnesota's state capital. The county is named for Alexander Ramsey (W), the first governor of the Minnesota Territory. It is one of the 11 counties in the Minneapolis – Saint Paul Metropolitan Area, and is the smallest and most densely populated county in Minnesota, as well as one of the most densely populated counties in the United States.[5]
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According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 170.13 square miles (440.6 km2), of which 155.78 square miles (403.5 km2) (or 91.57%) is land and 14.36 square miles (37.2 km2) (or 8.44%) is water.[6] It has been considered completely urbanized since the 1990 United States Census.[7]
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| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 2,227 |
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| 1860 | 12,150 | 445.6% | |
| 1870 | 23,085 | 90.0% | |
| 1880 | 45,890 | 98.8% | |
| 1890 | 139,796 | 204.6% | |
| 1900 | 170,554 | 22.0% | |
| 1910 | 223,675 | 31.1% | |
| 1920 | 244,554 | 9.3% | |
| 1930 | 286,721 | 17.2% | |
| 1940 | 309,935 | 8.1% | |
| 1950 | 355,332 | 14.6% | |
| 1960 | 422,525 | 18.9% | |
| 1970 | 476,255 | 12.7% | |
| 1980 | 459,784 | −3.5% | |
| 1990 | 485,765 | 5.7% | |
| 2000 | 511,035 | 5.2% | |
| 2010 | 508,640 | −0.5% | |
| Source: [8][9] | |||
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 511,035 people, 201,236 households, and 119,936 families residing in the county. The population density was 3,281 people per square mile (1,267/km²). There were 206,448 housing units at an average density of 1,325 per square mile (512/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 77.37% White, 7.61% Black or African American, 0.83% Native American, 8.77% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.45% from other races, and 2.90% from two or more races. 5.28% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race, according to the Census 2000.
In terms of people who specified European ancestry in the 2005-2007 American Community Survey, the county was 31.2% German, 14.3% Irish, 11.3% Norwegian, 9.5% Swedish, 7.2% English, and 5.9% French and/or French Canadian. There is also a visible community of people of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, representing 2.9% of Ramsey County's population.[10]
There were 201,236 households out of which 29.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.00% were married couples living together, 11.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.40% were non-families. 32.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.60% under the age of 18, 11.30% from 18 to 24, 30.70% from 25 to 44, 20.70% from 45 to 64, and 11.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,722, and the median income for a family was $57,747. (These figures had risen to $53,141 and $71,485, respectively, as of 2008.[11]) Males had a median income of $39,806 versus $30,814 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,536. About 7.40% of families and 10.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.70% of those under age 18 and 6.80% of those age 65 or over.
The county commission elects a chair who presides at meetings. Commissioners as of November 2011
| District | Commissioner | In office since | Current term expires in January |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Tony Bennett | 1997 | 2013 |
| 2nd | Jan Parker | 1997 | 2013 |
| 3rd | Janice Rettman | 1997 | 2013 |
| 4th | Toni Carter | 2005 | 2013 |
| 5th | Rafael Ortega | 1995 | 2013 |
| 6th | Jim McDonough | ? | 2013 |
| 7th | Victoria Reinhardt (Chair) | 1997 | 2013 |
| Cities | Townships | |
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† Based in another county, but partially extending into Ramsey County.
‡ A small part of this city extends into Washington County.
| Anoka County | ||||
| Hennepin County | Washington County | |||
| Ramsey County, Minnesota | ||||
| Dakota County |
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