Wells is a city in Faribault County,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, United States. The population was 2,343 at the 2010 census.

History

Wells was laid out in 1869. The city was named for J.W. Wells, father in law of Clark W. Thompson. The city contains a property listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

: the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Depot and Lunchroom.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. Minnesota State Highways 22 and 109 are two of the main routes in the city.

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...

is located six miles south of Wells on Highway 22.

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 2,343 people, 1,013 households, and 635 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 1,133 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.2%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 7.3% of the population. There were 1,013 households, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.3% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age in the city was 45.3 years. 22.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.6% were from 45 to 64; and 22.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,494 people, 1,032 households, and 665 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,097 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.31%

, 0.04%

, 0.16% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.00%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 2.17% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. 4.73% of the population were

or Latino of any race. There were 1,032 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were

living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.94. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 26.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $26,463, and the median income for a family was $38,523. Males had a median income of $27,969 versus $19,873 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $15,614. 9.8% of the population and 5.9% of families 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 ...

. 7.4% of those under the age of 18 and 15.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Transportation

Land was purchased in 1964 to build an airport. The Wells Municipal Airport opened in August 1966.

Notable people

* Larry Buendorf, US Secret Service agent who subdued Squeaky Fromme. * David M. Carey, Veterinarian and Minnesota state senator * Remember L. H. Lord, businessman and Minnesota state legislatorMinnesota Legislators: Past & Present-Remember L. H. Lord
/ref> * Eric Oren, Minnesota state legislator and businessman * Charles Leonard Todd, Minnesota state senator, farmer, and businessman *

Frederic Warde Frederic Warde (July 29, 1894 – July 31, 1939) was a book designer, editor, and typography designer. One of the great book designers of the twentieth century, Will Ransom described him as "a curious blend of romantic idealism and meticulou ...

, printer, type and book designer.

References

External links

City of Wells, MN -- Official siteUnited South Central Schools site
{{authority control Cities in Faribault County, Minnesota Cities in Minnesota