While the United States Census Bureau has yet to release its final national head count numbers to the public, the Minnesota Secretary of State’s has been releasing numbers on its website and, as expected, Wright County continues to grow at a fast pace.

Wright County was the third-fast growing county in Minnesota over the last decade, growing from 124,700 in the 2010 Census to 141,337 in the 2020 Census – an increase of 13.3 percent. Here are some of the facts coming out of the preliminary numbers, as well as a full listing of cities and township populations.

• The only counties that grew at a faster rate than Wright County were Scott and Carver.
• Because of its continued growth over the last 50 years, the 13.3 percent increase in population is the lowest since the 1960 Census. Since then, the growth rate in 1970 was 30.1 percent, 50.7 percent in 1980, 17.1 percent in 1990, 31.0 percent in 2000 and 38.6 percent in 2010.
• Since 1990, the population of Wright County has gone from 68,710 to 141,337 – an increase of 206 percent.
• Otsego was the 14^th fastest growing city in the state, growing from 13,571 residents in 2010 to 19,966 in 2020 – an increase of 6,395 residents (47.1 percent).
• Six cities grew at or above the county rate of 13.3 percent – Otsego (47.1 percent), Waverly (40.0 percent), Montrose (32.6 percent), Hanover (23.7 percent), Delano (18.7 percent) and Monticello (13.3 percent).
• Since becoming the county seat in 1868, for almost 150 years Buffalo was the largest city in Wright County. That changed in 2010 when St. Michael surpassed Buffalo in population. Buffalo now ranks third behind Otsego and St. Michael – largely because Buffalo grew by just 4.6 percent over the last 10 years.
• There are now more than 100,000 people living in Wright County cities. A total of 108,318 residents live in Wright County’s 17 cities – an increase of 16.4 percent from 2010.
• Township population grew just 4.3 percent over the last 10 years – from 31,668 to 33,019.
• Only three jurisdictions saw a reduction in population from 2010 to 2020 – Marysville Township (from 2,147 to 2,020) Dayton (from 54 to 50) and South Haven (from 187 to 185).
• Two townships grew by more than 9 percent (more than double the county average) – Silver Creek Township (9.6 percent) and Corinna Township (9.4 percent).

CITY/TOWNSHIP               2010 POP.      2020 POP.      DIFFERENCE

Albertville City                       7,044               7,896               852 (12.1 percent)

Albion Township                    1,255               1,264               9 (0.7 percent)

Annandale City                       3,228               3,330               102 (3.2 percent)

Buffalo City                            15,453             16,168             715 (4.6 percent)

Buffalo Township                   1,804               1,883               79 (4.4 percent)

Chatham Township                 1,302               1,362               60 (4.6 percent)

Clearwater City                       1,735               1,918               183 (10.5 percent)

Clearwater Township              1,306               1,372               66 (5.1 percent)

Cokato City                             2,694               2,799               105 (3.9 percent)

Cokato Township                    1,311               1,369               58 (4.4 percent)

Corinna Township                  2,322               2,540               218 (9.4 percent)

Dayton City                            54                    50                    -4 (-7.4 percent)

Delano City                             5,464               6,484               1,020 (18.7 percent)

Franklin Township                  2,760               2,885               125 (4.5 percent)

French Lake Township           1,172               1,213               41 (3.5 percent)

Hanover City                          2,329               2,882               553 (23.7 percent)

Howard Lake City                  1,962               2,071               109 (5.6 percent)

Maple Lake City                     2,059               2,159               100 (4.9 percent)

Maple Lake Township            2,048               2,144               96 (4.7 percent)

Marysville Township              2,147               2,020               -127 (-5.9 percent)

Middleville Township             937                  1,009               72 (7.7 percent)

Monticello City                       12,759             14,455             1,696 (13.3 percent)

Monticello Township              3,181               3,309               128 (4.0 percent)

Montrose City                         2,847               3,775               928 (32.6 percent)

Otsego City                             13,571             19,966             6,395 (47.1 percent)

Rockford City                         3,890               4,045               155 (4.0 percent)

Rockford Township                3,194               3,371               177 (5.5 percent)

St. Michael City                      16,399             18,235             1,836 (11.2 percent)

Silver Creek Township           2,335               2,559               224 (9.6 percent)

South Haven City                   187                  185                  -2 (-1.1 percent)

Southside Township                1,521               1,526               5 (0.3 percent)

Stockholm Township              959                  986                  27 (2.8 percent)

Victor Township                     1,032               1,053               21 (2.0 percent)

Waverly City                          1,357               1,900               543 (40.0 percent)

Woodland Township               1,082               1,154               72 (6.7 percent)

TOTAL                                  124,700           141,337           16,637 (13.3 percent)

CITY TOTAL                       93,032             108,318           15,286 (16.4 percent) 

TOWNSHIP TOTAL           31,668             33,019             1,351 (4.3 percent)