Sleepy Eye, Springfield show slow growth
By FRITZ BUSCH Journal Staff WriterFact Box
New Ulm showed a
population loss of 26,
0.2 percent, to 13,568
SLEEPY EYE - The population of Sleepy Eye and Springfield grew slightly from 2000 to 2007, according to State Demographer Tom Gillaspy.
Speaking at the Brown County Congress of Elected and Appointed Officials Friday at the Brown County REA building, Gillaspy said Sleepy Eye grew by 66 people, 1.9 percent, to 3,581 over the seven-year period.
Springfield grew by 15 people, 0.7 percent, to 2,230.
Other Brown County cities showed slight declines since 2000.
New Ulm showed a population loss of 26, 0.2 percent, to 13,568. Hanska lost 33 people, to 410. Comfrey lost 13 people to 344.
Brown County townships showed the biggest decline, losing 559 people, 8.4 percent.
According to Gillaspy, Brown County's population will bottom out around 2010 and climb slightly through 2030.
Statewide, Minnesota ranks first in the nation in home ownership, 75.2 percent; health insurance, and second in state healthiness, according to the United Health Foundation.
Greatest population gains from 2000-2004 were in counties surrounding Minneapolis and St. Paul plus the cities of St. Cloud, Rochester and Mankato.
"Scott and Carver counties are among the fastest-growing counties in the nation. Minnesota is the fastest-growing state in the frost belt," said Gillaspy.
Counties west of Brown County are declining in population all the way to western Montana and western Wyoming.
"It's a rural America phenomenon, Gillaspy said. "Most young people have decided big cities have better opportunities."
He added that a similar situations exist in rural Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
Gillaspy said wise decisions are needed for future state prosperity.
Four mega forces that will shape Minnesota's future economy are globalization, technology, energy prices and demography.
The three biggest Minnesota demographic trends are suburbanization with central city and rural population decline; plus increasing racial, ethnic and cultural diversity; an older population with fewer young people, since birth rates are declining.
Brown County high school classes in grades 10-12 are 29 percent larger than grades 1-3.
From 2010 to 2020, Minnesota will see large increases in people in their 50s and 60s.
Gillaspy said in the future, more and more workers will remain in the workforce past age 62.
He added that the biggest labor shortages exist for medical doctors, dentists, nurses and tool and dye makers in rural areas across the Midwest and West.
For more information, visit www.mn2020census.org
Fritz Busch can be e-mailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.
