Swift County, Minnesota
Swift County | |
|---|---|
 Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota | |
 Minnesota's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 45°17′N 95°41′W / 45.29°N 95.68°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| Founded | February 18, 1870 [1] |
| Named for | Henry Adoniram Swift, Governor of Minnesota in 1863. |
| Seat | Benson |
| Largest city | Benson |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 11,956 |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Website | www |
Swift County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2000, the population is 11,956. Its county seat is Benson6.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,949 km² (752 mi²). 1,926 km² (744 mi²) of it is land and 23 km² (9 mi²) of it (1.17%) is water.
Major Highways
Adjacent counties
- Stevens County and Pope County (north)
- Kandiyohi County (east)
- Chippewa County (south)
- Lac qui Parle County (southwest)
- Big Stone County (west)
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 11,956 people, 4,353 households, and 2,881 families residing in the county. The population density was 6/km² (16/mi²). There were 4,821 housing units at an average density of 2/km² (6/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.67% White, 2.69% Black or African American, 0.50% Native American, 1.43% Asian, 1.52% Pacific Islander, 1.40% from other races, and 1.79% from two or more races. 2.68% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Swift County has the highest percentage of Pacific Islander natives out of any U.S. county outside Hawaii. 34.4% were of German, 30.5% Norwegian, 5.2% Swedish and 5.1% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 4,353 households out of which 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.90% were married couples living together, 6.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.80% were non-families. 30.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.00% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 29.60% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 18.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 120.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 124.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $34,820, and the median income for a family was $44,208. Males had a median income of $29,362 versus $21,667 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,360. About 5.30% of families and 8.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.90% of those under age 18 and 13.80% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
| Cities | Townships | |
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