Howard Lake is a city in Wright County, Minnesota, United States. It hosts the annual Wright County fair. The population was 2,071 at the 2020 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of ; is land and is water.
The town of Howard Lake sits on the south shore of Howard Lake. Other area lakes include Mallard Pass Lake, Lake Ann, Dutch Lake, and Smith Lake.
Infrastructure
Transportation
U.S. Highway 12 serves as a main route in Howard Lake. Running parallel with Route 12 is a freight rail line.
History
The area was first settled by the Dakota, then, in 1855, by Morgan V. Cochran, who sold his land to Charles Goodsell in 1863. Howard Lake developed as a railroad station. A post office was established under the name Howard in 1870; the post office was renamed Howard Lake in 1892 and remains in operation. One property in Howard Lake, the 1904 Howard Lake City Hall, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Howard Lake had a population of 2,071. The median age was 38.5 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.7 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 847 households in Howard Lake, of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.4% were married-couple households, 18.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 1,962 people, 786 households, and 518 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 865 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.5% White, 0.6% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.5% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.7% of the population.
There were 786 households, of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.1% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98.
The median age in the city was 36.5 years. 27.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.5% were from 25 to 44; 22.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.
2000 census
As of the census
|+ 2016 Precinct Results Spreadsheet
|+ 2012 Precinct Results Spreadsheet
|+ 2008 Precinct Results Spreadsheet
|+ 2004 Precinct Results Spreadsheet
|+ 2000 Precinct Results Spreadsheet
|+ 1996 Precinct Results
|+ 1992 Precinct Results
|+ 1988 Precinct Results
|+ 1984 Precinct Results
|+ 1980 Precinct Results
|+ 1976 Precinct Results
|+ 1968 Precinct Results
|+ 1964 Precinct Results
|+ 1960 Precinct Results
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! Republican
! Democratic
! Third parties
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2020
| style="text-align:center;" |65.9% 802
| style="text-align:center;" |30.8% 375
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.3% 40
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2016
| style="text-align:center;" |64.8% 614
| style="text-align:center;" |26.1% 247
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|9.1% 86
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2012
| style="text-align:center;" |58.8% 570
| style="text-align:center;" |37.5% 364
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.7% 36
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2008
| style="text-align:center;" |56.7% 554
| style="text-align:center;" |39.9% 390
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.4% 33
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2004
| style="text-align:center;" |60.2% 621
| style="text-align:center;" |37.5% 387
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.3% 23
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2000
| style="text-align:center;" |54.0% 442
| style="text-align:center;" |35.9% 294
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|10.1% 83
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1996
| style="text-align:center;" |39.7% 288
| style="text-align:center;" |45.7% 332
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|43.6% 106
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1992
| style="text-align:center;" |34.9% 225
| style="text-align:center;" |38.6% 249
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|26.5% 171
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1988
| style="text-align:center;" |55.6% 321
| style="text-align:center;" |44.4% 256
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.0% 0
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1984
| style="text-align:center;" |58.8% 357
| style="text-align:center;" |41.2% 250
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.0% 0
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1980
| style="text-align:center;" |48.9% 292
| style="text-align:center;" |42.2% 252
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.9% 53
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1976
| style="text-align:center;" |50.2% 311
| style="text-align:center;" |49.0% 304
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.8% 5
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1968
| style="text-align:center;" |41.2% 220
| style="text-align:center;" |55.4% 296
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.4% 18
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1964
| style="text-align:center;" |40.5% 202
| style="text-align:center;" |59.3% 296
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.2% 1
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1960
| style="text-align:center;" |74.4% 390
| style="text-align:center;" |25.4% 133
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.2% 1
|}
Economy
The Dura Supreme Cabinetry headquarters is in Howard Lake.
Principal employer
The city's principal employer is:
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! #
! Employer
! # of Employees
|-
|1
| Dura Supreme Cabinetry
|450
|}
Notable people
- Harold J. Dahl, Minnesota state legislator, judge, and lawyer, lived in Howard Lake
- Paul L. Eddy, Minnesota state legislator
- Tim Foecke, metallurgist, graduated from Howard Lake–Waverly High School