by Mike Knaak
news@thenewsleaders.com
Sartell’s population grew by 22 percent during the last decade, according to data from the 2020 Census released Aug 12.
Sartell has 19,351 people as of April 1, 2020, up from 15,876 in 2010. More detailed results, including statistics on age, sex, race and ethnicity, will be released by Sept. 30.
Census data will be used to redraw local, state and national political boundaries, including the state legislature and U.S. House of Representatives districts.
The data was collected during the spring and summer of 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic surged. Officials worried those conditions would affect participation and accuracy of the results. Minnesota led the nation with a self-response rate, meaning no Census worker would have to visit the residence, of 75.1 percent. In Sartell, 83.3 percent of people self-reported by mail or online.
Minnesota’s population grew just enough to keep all eight of its congressional districts. Had the census counted 89 more New Yorkers, or just 26 fewer Minnesotans, Minnesota would have lost a seat to New York. Congressional district boundaries will need to be redrawn to balance districts that added people with those with fewer people. The 6th District added more than 20,600 people since 2010, which means it will need to shrink geographically.
The same balancing will need to take place in the state House and Senate. District 13B, represented by Tim O’Driscoll, added population while surrounding areas, including the rest of Senate District 13, lost people. District 13B’s population stands at 44,067 while District 13A has 39,749 people.
Stearns County’s population increased by 5.1 percent to 158,292. Benton County counted 41,379 people in 2020, up 7.6 percent. Minnesota’s population increased to 5,706,494 people, a change of 7.6 percent. Most of the growth took place in the Twin Cities metro area.
