Pine County is now Minnesota’s fastest growing as the state population remains stable

Minnesota’s population grew the most in Dakota County in 2023, expanded fastest in Pine County and nudged up in Hennepin County for the first time in two years, according to U.S. census data estimates released Thursday.

On the other end of the scale, the state’s two smallest counties -- Traverse County in west-central Minnesota and Lake of the Woods County on the Canadian border -- shrank even more from 2022 to 2023 as their populations fell 3.3% and 2.8%, respectively, marking the steepest declines in the state, the census data showed.

Statewide population remained relatively flat, ticking up a scant 0.4% to 5,737,915 residents as of July 1, 2023, the data said.

More than half of the state’s counties -- 47 of 87 -- saw population growth. Dakota County in the south metro saw the most, adding 4,168 residents. Anoka County followed with an increase of 3,333 people; Wright, 3,032; Washington, 2,767; and Sherburne, 1,666, the data showed.

Hennepin County, the state’s most populous, grew to 1,258,713 with an increase of 1,647 people. That ended two straight years of population declines but was still about 23,000 residents below its 2020 total, the Census Bureau said.

Across the Mississippi River, Ramsey County -- home to St. Paul and the State Capitol -- saw its population fall by 1,228 to just more than 536,000. It was the only metro-area county to experience a population loss. Scott County recorded a 1,391 increase, while Carver County’s population rose 937, the data said.

While sheer numbers were largest in the metro area, population growth happened at the fastest rate in Pine County in east-central Minnesota. The county along Interstate 35 between the Twin Cities and Duluth added 664 people last year. That marked 2.2% growth, making it the fastest-growing county in the state.

Most of Minnesota’s growth occurred in the metro and counties just beyond. Wright County saw its population rise by 2% to 151,000 while Sherburne County was up 1.7% and the populations of Chisago and Isanti counties rose by 1.1%. The outlier was Stevens County in western Minnesota, where population increased 1.2%.

Along with Traverse and Lake of the Woods counties, the largest declines were in western, southwestern, northwestern and far northeastern Minnesota. The population fell 1.4% in Cook County in the Arrowhead region, 1.1 % in Mahnomen and Nobles counties, 1% in Lincoln and Polk counties and 0.9% in Pipestone, Renville and Marshall counties, the data said.

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