Carver County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 106,922. Its county seat is Chaska. Carver County is named for explorer Jonathan Carver, who in 1766–67, traveled from Boston to the Minnesota River and wintered among the Sioux near the site of New Ulm. Carver County is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Statistics

In 2017, Carver County was ranked by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as the healthiest county in the State of Minnesota for the fifth year in a row. The foundation explained health outcomes represent “how healthy counties are within the state,” whereas health factors represent “an estimate of the future health of counties as compared with other counties within a state,” based on health behaviors, clinical care, and other environmental factors. 2019, and 2020.

In 2018, Carver County was ranked as the #1 "Happiest Place in America" according to a study conducted by the data firm Smart Asset. Carver County was one of three United States counties to receive a top 5 ranking for the third straight year.

thumb|right|Soils of Carver CountyThe terrain slopes to the east and south, with its northwest corner at ASL. A small hill northeast of Miller Lake

The county has a total area of , of which is land and (5.8%) is water. It is Minnesota's second-smallest county by land area and third-smallest by total area.

Carver is one of seven southern Minnesota counties with no forest soils; only prairie ecosystems of savannas and prairies can be found in Carver County. It is also one of 17 Minnesota counties where savanna soils dominate.

Lakes

Carver County is home to seven lakes of 235 acres or larger. The largest is Lake Waconia, Minnesota's 73rd largest lake and the Twin Cities' second largest lake, with an area of 2,996 acres.thumb|250px|right|Lake Waconia

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" border="1" style="width: 60%;"

|-

! Township

! Lakes

|-

|Benton Township

|Barlous Lake, Benton Lake, Maria Lake, Meuwissen Lake, Myers Lake, Rice Lake, Winkler Lake

|-

|Camden Township

| Berliner Lake, Eagle Lake, Smith Lake

|-

|Dahlgren Township

|Aue Lake

|-

|Hancock Township

|Assumption Lake, Gaystock Lake, Maria Lake, Miller Lake,

|-

|Hollywood Township

|Lippert Lake

|-

|Laketown Township

|Carl Krey Lake, Lake Auburn, Lake Virginia, Lake Waconia, Lake Zumbra, Lunsten Lake, Marsh Lake, Parley Lake, Piersons Lake, Reitz Lake, Schutz Lake, Stieger Lake, Sunny Lake, Turbid Lake, Wasserman Lake, Lake Bavaria

|-

|San Francisco Township

|Hallquist Lake, Kelly Lake, Long Lake, Scott Lake,

|-

|Waconia Township

|Burandt Lake, Donders Lake, Goose Lake, Hydes Lake, Lake Minnewashta, Lake Patterson, Lake Waconia, Rutz Lake, Swan Lake

|-

|Watertown Township

|Buck Lake, Goose Lake, Lippert Lake, Mud Lake, Oak Lake, Swede Lake

|-

|Young America Township

|Barnes Lake, Brand Lake, Braunworth Lake, Tiger Lake, Young America Lake

|-

|}

Major highways

  • 23px U.S. Highway 212
  • 20px Minnesota State Highway 5
  • 20px Minnesota State Highway 7
  • 20px Minnesota State Highway 25
  • 20px Minnesota State Highway 41
  • 20px Minnesota State Highway 284
  • Carver County Road 10
  • Carver County Road 11
  • Carver County Road 33
  • Other county roads

thumb|right|Soils of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum area

Adjacent counties

  • Wright County – north
  • Hennepin County – northeast
  • Scott County – southeast
  • Sibley County – southwest
  • McLeod County – west

Protected areas

  • Assumption State Wildlife Management Area
  • Carver Park Preserve
  • Gravel Pit State Wildlife Management Area
  • Lake Minnewashta Regional Park
  • Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
  • Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge (part)
  • Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area (part)
  • Waconia State Wildlife Management Area

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, the county had a population of 106,922. The median age was 38.6 years. 27.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.3 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 86.5% White, 2.1% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.3% from some other race, and 5.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.0% of the population.

There were 38,863 households in the county, of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 62.6% were married-couple households, 12.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 19.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

!Pop 1990

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020

!% 1980

!% 1990

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|-

|White alone (NH)

|36,688

|47,008

|66,268

|82,536

|style='background: #ffffe6; |91,443

|99.03%

|98.11%

|94.39%

|90.66%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |85.52%

|-

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|44

|103

|399

|1,068

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,173

|0.12%

|0.21%

|0.57%

|1.17%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.03%

|-

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|66

|101

|119

|186

|style='background: #ffffe6; |193

|0.18%

|0.21%

|0.17%

|0.20%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.18%

|-

|Asian alone (NH)

|106

|438

|1,085

|2,456

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,617

|0.29%

|0.91%

|1.55%

|2.70%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.38%

|-

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|x

|x

|9

|9

|style='background: #ffffe6; |15

|x

|x

|0.01%

|0.01%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.01%

|-

|Other race alone (NH)

|17

|13

|46

|69

|style='background: #ffffe6; |284

|0.05%

|0.03%

|0.07%

|0.08%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.27%

|-

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|x

|x

|488

|1,203

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,889

|x

|x

|0.70%

|1.32%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.64%

|-

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|125

|252

|1,791

|3,515

|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,308

|0.34%

|0.53%

|2.55%

|3.86%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.96%

|-

|Total

|37,046

|47,915

|70,205

|91,042

|style='background: #ffffe6; |106,922

|100.00%

|100.00%

|100.00%

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

|}

2010 census

The ethnic makeup of the county, according to the 2010 census, was the following:

  • 93.7% White
  • 1.5% Black
  • 0.3% American Indian
  • 2.9% Asian
  • 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
  • 1.6% Two or more races
  • 0.3% Other races
  • 4.1% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

There were 33,486 households, out of which 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.22.

The median income for a household in the county was $83,773, and the median income for a family was $96,913. Males had a median income of $66,150 versus $46,696 for females. The per capita income for the county was $37,457. About 3.3% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

thumb|right|2022 US Census [[population pyramid for Carver County, from ACS 5-year estimates]]

As of the census of 2000, there were 70,205 people, 24,356 households, and 18,778 families in the county. The population density was . There were 24,883 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.95% White, 0.59% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 1.56% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.87% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 2.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 44.3% were of German, 12.1% Norwegian, 7.1% Irish and 6.2% Swedish ancestry.

There were 24,356 households, out of which 45.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.40% were married couples living together, 7.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.90% were non-families. 18.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.26.

The county population contained 31.50% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 34.70% from 25 to 44, 19.50% from 45 to 64, and 7.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $65,540, and the median income for a family was $73,577 (these figures had risen to $78,035 and $89,100 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $47,271 versus $32,107 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,486. About 2.30% of families and 3.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.60% of those under age 18 and 6.90% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

According to the county's comprehensive annual financial reports, the top employers by number of employees in the county are the following. ("NR" indicates the employer was not ranked among the top ten employers that year.)

{|class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! Employer

! Employees<br />(2022)

! Employees<br/>(2012)

{| class="wikitable"

! District

! Commissioner

! In office since

! Next election

!Area served

|-

|1st || Gayle Degler (Chair)|| 2002 || 2024

|Chaska, Chanhassen

|-

|2nd || Tom Workman || 2002 || 2026

|Chanhassen, Victoria

|-

|3rd || Matt Udermann || 2020 || 2024

|Chaska, Victoria

|-

|4th || Tim Lynch || 2004 || 2026

|Hollywood Twp, Watertown Twp, Waconia Twp, Mayer, Waconia, Watertown

|-

|5th || John P. Fahey (Vice Chair)|| 2020 || 2026

|Benton Twp, Camden Twp, Dahlgren Twp, Hancock Twp, Laketown Twp, San Francisco Twp, Young America Twp, Carver, Cologne, Hamburg, New Germany, Norwood Young America

|-

|}

Politics

Carver County is located in Minnesota's 6th congressional district (CPVI R+12), represented by Republican Tom Emmer.

<!-- PresRow should be -->

{| class="wikitable"

|+State Legislature (2023–2025)

! colspan="2" |Position

!Name

!Affiliation

!District

|-

| style="background-color:" |

|Senate

|Glenn Gruenhagen

|Republican

|District 17

|-

| style="background-color:" |

|Senate

|Julia Coleman

|Republican

|District 48

|-

| style="background-color:" |

|House of Representatives

|Bobbie Harder

|Republican

|District 17B

|-

| style="background-color:" |

|House of Representatives

|Jim Nash

|Republican

|District 48A

|-

| style="background-color:" |

|House of Representatives

|Lucy Rehm

|DFL

|District 48B

|}

{| class="wikitable"

|+U.S. Congress (2023–2025)

! colspan="2" |Position

!Name

!Affiliation

!District

|-

| style="background-color:" |

|House of Representatives

|Tom Emmer

|Republican

|6th

|-

| style="background-color:" |

|Senate

|Amy Klobuchar

|Democratic

|N/A

|-

| style="background-color:" |

|Senate

|Tina Smith

|Democratic

|N/A

|}

Communities

Cities

  • Carver
  • Chanhassen (Partly in Hennepin County)
  • Chaska (county seat)
  • Cologne
  • Hamburg
  • Mayer
  • New Germany
  • Norwood Young America
  • Victoria
  • Waconia
  • Watertown

Census-designated place

  • Crown College

Crown College is in a census-designated place, in Laketown Township in the county. It has a St. Bonifacius post office address, but is not in the same county as the city, and is not in the city limits.

Unincorporated communities

  • Assumption
  • Augusta
  • Bongards
  • Coney Island
  • Dahlgren
  • East Union
  • Gotha
  • Hazelton
  • Hollywood
  • Maple
  • Oster
  • San Francisco (ghost town)
  • Belle Plaine Public School District
  • Central Public School District
  • Eastern Carver County Public Schools
  • Glencoe-Silver Lake School District
  • Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted School District
  • Lester Prairie Public School District
  • Minnetonka Public School District
  • Waconia Public Schools
  • Watertown-Mayer Public School District

See also

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

References

  • Carver County government’s website
  • Macaroni Kid Carver – family friendly events newsletter