Population

• The total population of the St. Croix River Valley counties fall into three groups – Washington County is, by far, the most populous; Pierce, Polk, St. Croix and Chisago fall into a middle group with between 40,000 and 95,000 people; Burnett County is, by far, the least populous.

• Minnesota and its St. Croix River Valley counties have had faster population growth since 2010; for perspective, the U.S. population grew by 8% between 2010 and 2022.
• Wisconsin, with a population of 5.88 million according to the American Community Survey (ACS) estimates for 2022, has grown at less than half the rate of Minnesota with its slightly smaller population (5.69 million).
• Washington and St. Croix counties have grown relatively rapidly because of their proximity to the Twin Cities.
• All St. Croix River Valley Counties have had a positive population growth rate in the last 13 years, but in Pierce and Polk counties had a slower growth rate compared to other counties in the region.
• After showing a population decrease between 2010 and 2019, Polk and Burnett counties have observed a significant population growth in the last four years, with their population now surpassing the 2010 estimates.

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