1. Cities of the United States
  2. The Midwest
  3. Minnesota

MINNESOTA

Duluth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275

Minneapolis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Rochester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295

Saint Paul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305

Minnesota

The State in Brief

Nickname: North Star State

Motto: L'etoile du nord (Star of the north)

Flower: Pink and white lady's slipper

Bird: Common loon

Area: 86,938 square miles (2000; U.S. rank: 12th)

Elevation: Ranges from 600 feet to 2,301 feet above sea level

Climate: North part of state lies in the moist Great Lakes storm belt; western border is at the edge of the semi-arid Great Plains; spring is brief; summer is short, hot, and humid; winter is long and severe with heavy snowfall.

Admitted to Union: May 11, 1858

Capital: Saint Paul

Head Official: Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) (until 2007)

Population

1980: 4,076,000

1990: 4,432,000

2000: 4,919,492

2004 estimate: 5,100,958

Percent change, 1990–2000: 12.4%

U.S. rank in 2004: 21st

Percent of residents born in state: 70.2% (2000)

Density: 61.8 people per square mile (2000)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 177,454

Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)

White: 4,400,282

Black or African American: 171,731

American Indian and Alaska Native: 54,967

Asian: 141,968

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 1,979

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 143,382

Other: 65,810

Age Characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 329,594

Population 5 to 19 years old: 1,105,251

Percent of population 65 years and over: 12.1%

Median age: 35.4 years (2000)

Vital Statistics

Total number of births (2003): 70,248

Total number of deaths (2003): 37,558 (infant deaths, 325)

AIDS cases reported through 2003: 1,900

Economy

Major industries: Manufacturing; trade; finance, insurance, and real estate; agriculture; services

Unemployment rate: 4.4% (March 2005)

Per capita income: $34,039 (2003; U.S. rank: 9th)

Median household income: $54,480 (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Percentage of persons below poverty level: 7.1% (3-year average, 2001-2003)

Income tax rate: 3.0%

Sales tax rate: 6.25%