Waseca County, Minnesota

Waseca County
County
Waseca County Courthouse in 2007
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°01′N 93°35′W / 44.02°N 93.59°W / 44.02; -93.59
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Founded	February 27, 1857[1]
Named for	Waseca (settlement)
Seat	Waseca
Largest city	Waseca
Area
• Total	433 sq mi (1,120 km2)
• Land	423 sq mi (1,100 km2)
• Water	9.6 sq mi (25 km2)  2.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	18,968
• Estimate  (2023)	18,981
• Density	44/sq mi (17/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	1st
Website	www.co.waseca.mn.us

Waseca County (/wəˈsiːkə/)^[2] is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,968.^[3] Its county seat is Waseca.^[4]

In 1849, the newly organized Minnesota Territory legislature authorized nine counties across the territory. One of those, Dakota, was partially subdivided in 1853 to create Blue Earth, Le Sueur, and Rice counties. In 1855, parts of those counties were partitioned to create Steele. On February 27, 1857, the territorial legislature authorized partitioning western Steele County to create Waseca County, with its seat at Wilton, a settlement which began in 1854. The county name was taken from the area's first farming settlement, started in 1855, near the present location of the city of Waseca. That settlement name came from the Dakota word meaning "rich," a reference to the fertile soil in the area.

The Winona and Saint Peter Railroad line past the town of Waseca was completed in the latter half of the 1860s, causing the town to bloom. By 1870 the vote was taken to relocate the county seat to that settlement.^[5]

Waseca County's boundaries have not changed since its creation.

The Le Sueur River flows westward through the county toward its confluence with the Blue Earth River in Blue Earth County. It is augmented by the Little Le Sueur, which drains the southeast part of the county. Bull Run Creek flows westward from Silver Lake through the lower central part of the county into Blue Earth County; the Little Cobb River rises in southern Waseca County and flows westward into Blue Earth County to its confluence with the Cobb River.

The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, carved by drainages and dotted with lakes. The area is devoted to agriculture wherever possible.^[7] The terrain slopes to the north and west, with its highest point near its southeast corner, at 1,240 ft (380 m) ASL.^[8] The county has an area of 433 square miles (1,120 km²), of which 423 square miles (1,100 km²) is land and 9.6 square miles (25 km²) (2.2%) is water.^[9]

Waseca is one of seven southern Minnesota counties that have no forest ecosystems, only prairie and savanna soils.

• Southern Minnesota Area Rural Transit

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	2,601		—
1870	7,854		202.0%
1880	12,385		57.7%
1890	13,313		7.5%
1900	14,760		10.9%
1910	13,466		−8.8%
1920	14,133		5.0%
1930	14,412		2.0%
1940	15,186		5.4%
1950	14,957		−1.5%
1960	16,041		7.2%
1970	16,663		3.9%
1980	18,448		10.7%
1990	18,079		−2.0%
2000	19,526		8.0%
2010	19,136		−2.0%
2020	18,968		−0.9%
2023 (est.)	18,981	[10]	0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13] 1990-2000[14] 2010-2020[3]

Waseca County Racial Composition^[15]

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (NH)	16,538	87.2%
Black or African American (NH)	336	1.8%
Native American (NH)	114	0.6%
Asian (NH)	111	0.6%
Pacific Islander (NH)	12	0.06%
Other/Mixed (NH)	586	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	1,271	6.7%

As of the census of 2000, there were 19,526 people, 7,059 households, and 4,990 families in the county. The population density was 46.2 per square mile (17.8/km²). There were 7,427 housing units at an average density of 17.6 per square mile (6.8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.65% White, 2.26% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.29% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. 2.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 47.6% were of German, 15.5% Norwegian, 7.4% Irish and 5.5% American ancestry.

There were 7,059 households, of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.07.

The county population contained 25.8% under 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 36. For every 100 females there were 109.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 111.3 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,440, and the median income for a family was $50,081. Males had a median income of $34,380 versus $22,630 for females. The per capita income was $18,631. About 4.5% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under 18 and 5.8% of those 65 or over.

Waseca County has traditionally voted Republican. In only three presidential elections since 1936 has the county selected the Democratic nominee (as of 2020).

State Legislature (2021–2023)

Position		Name	Affiliation	District
	Senate	Julie Rosen[16]	Republican	District 23
	Senate	John Jasinski[17]	Republican	District 24
	House of Representatives	Jeremy Munson[18]	Republican	District 23B
	House of Representatives	John Petersburg[19]	Republican	District 24A

U.S Congress (2021–2023)

Position		Name	Affiliation	District
	House of Representatives	Brad Finstad[20]	Republican	1st
	Senate	Amy Klobuchar[21]	Democrat	N/A
	Senate	Tina Smith[22]	Democrat	N/A

United States presidential election results for Waseca County, Minnesota^[23][24]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	6,624	63.76%	3,496	33.65%	269	2.59%
2016	5,967	61.81%	2,838	29.40%	848	8.78%
2012	5,116	52.49%	4,370	44.83%	261	2.68%
2008	5,211	52.70%	4,401	44.51%	276	2.79%
2004	5,457	55.68%	4,179	42.64%	164	1.67%
2000	4,608	51.99%	3,694	41.67%	562	6.34%
1996	3,171	37.43%	3,819	45.08%	1,482	17.49%
1992	3,118	34.62%	3,146	34.93%	2,742	30.45%
1988	4,471	53.95%	3,721	44.90%	95	1.15%
1984	5,509	60.60%	3,527	38.80%	55	0.60%
1980	4,801	51.62%	3,535	38.01%	965	10.38%
1976	4,582	52.04%	4,002	45.45%	221	2.51%
1972	5,064	63.89%	2,767	34.91%	95	1.20%
1968	4,292	56.44%	3,057	40.20%	256	3.37%
1964	3,570	49.47%	3,633	50.34%	14	0.19%
1960	4,838	63.36%	2,793	36.58%	5	0.07%
1956	4,663	67.69%	2,215	32.15%	11	0.16%
1952	4,962	69.76%	2,132	29.97%	19	0.27%
1948	3,511	52.56%	3,120	46.71%	49	0.73%
1944	4,146	65.04%	2,207	34.62%	22	0.35%
1940	4,515	62.60%	2,673	37.06%	25	0.35%
1936	2,482	39.10%	3,520	55.45%	346	5.45%
1932	2,012	34.08%	3,805	64.46%	86	1.46%
1928	3,251	56.94%	2,418	42.35%	41	0.72%
1924	2,081	37.13%	442	7.89%	3,082	54.99%
1920	3,626	71.79%	1,257	24.89%	168	3.33%
1916	1,522	54.11%	1,178	41.88%	113	4.02%
1912	553	20.53%	1,062	39.42%	1,079	40.05%
1908	1,455	54.99%	1,085	41.01%	106	4.01%
1904	1,714	70.13%	631	25.82%	99	4.05%
1900	1,744	58.46%	1,155	38.72%	84	2.82%
1896	1,902	58.79%	1,244	38.45%	89	2.75%
1892	1,090	44.86%	1,042	42.88%	298	12.26%

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Waseca County, Minnesota

• Waseca.com - Waseca's Information Site
• Waseca County government’s website

44°01′N 93°35′W / 44.02°N 93.59°W / 44.02; -93.59