Red Wing saw steady, gradual growth

Red Wing had 16,116 residents in 2000 and 16,459 in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The 343-person increase was just slightly more than the predictions, said Brian Peterson, Red Wing Planning Director.

Red Wing has typically been a "moderate growth" community, Peterson said, showing a modest population increase after each census in the past 30 years or so. But the growth rate gradually has been slowing recently, he said.

Much of that can be attributed to the fact that Red Wing has a generally older population, Peterson said, and that as the baby boomer population is aging, many of their children are leaving town.

While there has been an increase in the number of households in Red Wing, the household size has been declining.

Minnesota as a whole saw a significant increase in its minority population, but while there was a roughly 34 percent increase in the number of Hispanic or Latino residents in Red Wing, black and American Indian populations increase of less than 1 percent, and the Asian population decreased slightly.

Goodhue County has grown by more than 2,000 people in the past decade, according to the data, from 44,127 in 2000 to 46,183 in 2010.

However, while all cities in the county grew, many township populations stayed roughly the same or decreased slightly. Eight townships gained residents, while 13 saw populations decrease.

The county as a whole has been growing slowly over time, county Planning Supervisor Mike Wozniak said.

"The county has been typically growing from decade to decade, but very modestly - so it fits right within what we've already been experiencing," he said.

The trending decrease in township populations is also on track with county expectations, Wozniak said, especially due to an aging population in rural areas.

Overall, rural Goodhue County lost about 87 people between 2000 and 2010. The townships that were biggest in 2000 also saw the biggest population shifts in the past 10 years. Florence Township had the largest increase - 131 people - while Cannon Falls Township lost 166 people.

And the county, like Red Wing and other cities, has had an increase in the number of households but decreasing household sizes.

Tags: community guide, about red wing