Karlstad is a city in
Kittson County,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, United States. The population was 710 at the
2020 census.
U.S. Route 59 and
Minnesota State Highway 11
Minnesota State Highway 11 (MN 11) is a highway in northwest and north-central Minnesota, which runs from North Dakota Highway 66 at the North Dakota state line (near Drayton, North Dakota) and continues east to its eastern terminus at the commun ...
are two of the main arterial routes in the city. The city's slogan is "The Moose Capital of the North".
History
A post office called Karlstad has been in operation since 1905. The city was named after
Karlstad,
Sweden.
Enterprise
Karlstad's largest employers are Wikstrom Telephone Company (Wiktel) and
Mattracks. Wiktel provides internet and phone services for much of northwestern Minnesota, including the regional telephone directory. The company has a long history in Karlstad, dating to the early 1900s. It was founded by the Wikstrom family. Mattracks manufactures and markets track conversion systems. Other businesses include
Hardware Hank, Germundson's Home Furnishings, Tony's Supermarket, Kim's Shear Design & Tanning, Nordisk Hemslojd, a Scandinavian gifts shop, a few restaurants and bars, and insurance and accounting services. In addition, the local community is primarily a farming one.
From 1951 through 1995, the town had its own hospital.
Events
Karlstad holds an annual
Kick'n Up Kountry Music Festival and Moosefest.
Education
Karlstad has two schools:
Tri-County Public Schools and Heritage Christian School. Both serve grades K-12. Tri-County combines with Marshall County Central Schools of
Newfolden, Minnesota, 17 miles south, for its athletic programs. The name of the consolidated team is the Northern Freeze. Girls and boys track are also combined with Badger School and Greenbush Middle River School. Baseball and softball have included
Stephen-Argyle School District in their sports coops. The Northern Freeze coop has proved a success for all schools involved. The Freeze, since the coop, have advanced to the State Tournament three times: in volleyball (2006, sixth place), baseball (2009) and girls' basketball (2010, fourth place).
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the city has an area of , all land.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2010, there were 760 people, 331 households, and 189 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was . There were 399 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.1%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.3%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.1%
Native American, 0.3%
Asian, and 0.3% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.4% of the population.
There were 331 households, of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were
married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.9% were non-families. 39.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.92.
The median age in the city was 47.5 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 27.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.4% male and 54.6% female.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 794 people, 340 households, and 199 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 394 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.86%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.63%
Native American, 0.13% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.39% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.38% of the population. 47.5% were of
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
, 19.9%
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
and 9.9%
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
ancestry.
There were 340 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were
married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.2% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 27.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45. For every 100 females, there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,208, and the median income for a family was $35,469. Males had a median income of $29,444 versus $20,893 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $13,274. About 9.2% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.
Notable person
*
Ned Beatty - American actor
References
External links
City of KarlstadHeritage Christian SchoolTri-County Schools
{{Authority control
Cities in Minnesota
Cities in Kittson County, Minnesota