History

Mankato, Minnesota is a major regional center that has been designated as a Metropolitan Statistical Area and has earned several livability awards. Recently, it was reported that Mankato’s economic growth leads Minnesota and among the top in the nation. Low office and energy costs and productive workforce make Mankato one of the least expensive places to do business in the Upper Midwest; and, in the top 17 percent of the nation. View a video about Mankato, Minnesota–an economic engine of the Midwest.
Mankato’s recent population estimate is *40,641. The city has a contiguous population area of 96,740. The estimated number of households is *15,784. There is a trade area population of more than 300,000 and there are 1.6 million people who live within 60 miles of Mankato. View U.S. Census quick facts about Mankato, Minn.

Demographics

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 39,309 people, 14,851 households, and 7,093 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,194.8 inhabitants per square mile (847.4/km2). There were 15,784 housing units at an average density of 881.3 per square mile (340.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 89.9% White, 4.0% African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population.

There were 14,851 households out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 52.2% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.91.

The median age in the city was 25.4 years. 16.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 32.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 16.6% were from 45 to 64; and 10.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.

Education

The Mankato Area Public Schools are consolidated to include the cities of Mankato, North Mankato, Eagle Lake, and Madison Lake. There are ten elementary schools (Franklin, Eagle Lake, Kennedy, Washington, Roosevelt, Jefferson, Monroe, Hoover, Rosa Parks, and Bridges); two middle schools (Dakota Meadows Middle School and Prairie Winds Middle School); and two high schools (Mankato West High School and Mankato East High School).

Mankato has four parochial schools: Loyola Catholic School, Immanuel Lutheran Grade School and High School (K–12), Mount Olive Lutheran School (K–8) and Risen Savior Lutheran School (K–8). There is also a public charter school, Kato Public Charter School. Another educational option available to the community is the alternative school Central High, on Fulton Street.

Notable people
Adrienne Armstrong, record producer; married to Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong
Adam Thielen, NFL wide receiver, Minnesota Vikings, graduated from Minnesota State University
Walter Jackson Bate, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, born in Mankato in 1918
Daniel Buck, Minnesota jurist and politician
Con Bunde, Alaska state legislator and educator
Frederick Russell Burnham, “father of the international scouting movement,” born near Mankato on 11 May 1861
Joseph Francis Busch Roman Catholic Prelate, Diocese of Lead now Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota, Diocese of Saint Cloud, Minnesota
Howard Burnham, mining engineer and a spy for the government of France, born near Mankato on 27 May 1870
Jimmy Chin, professional climber, mountaineer, skier, director and photographer, Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Feature
George Contant, outlaw of the American West, brother of John Sontag; later lectured against a life of crime
Marvel Cooke, African-American journalist, writer and civil rights activist
Craig Dahl, NFL safety, New York Giants
Adolph Olson Eberhart, seventeenth Governor of Minnesota
Clifford Fagan, basketball referee, member of the Basketball Hall of Fame
Kelly Gage, Minnesota legislator and lawyer
Albert P. Halfhill, father of the tuna packing industry.
Justin Hartwig, former NFL center
Robert Louis Hodapp, Roman Catholic bishop
Ron Johnson, Republican U.S. Senator from Wisconsin
Sinclair Lewis, author
Maud Hart Lovelace, author of the Betsy-Tacy series of books
Bob Paffrath, professional football player
Mike Ploog, comic book and film-production artist
Dudley Riggs, Brave New Workshop Grauated from Minnesota State University Mankato
Joseph Rosser, Secretary of Minnesota Territory and lawyer
Daniel L. Ryan, Roman Catholic bishop
Wes Schuck, film and music producer
Julia Sears, pioneering feminist and suffragette
John Sontag, outlaw, born in Mankato; crimes in Minnesota and California
Glen Taylor, businessman and owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx basketball teams
Arthur S. Thomas, Chief of Chaplains of the US Air Force
Alma Wagen, first female guide at Mount Rainier National Park
Timothy J. Walz, former teacher at Mankato West High School, forty-first Governor of Minnesota, and former US Representative for Minnesota’s first congressional district
Cedric Yarbrough, actor who graduated from Minnesota State University
Steve Zahn, actor and comedian, was raised in Mankato