Becker is a city in Sherburne 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 ...

, between the

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

and

Elk The elk (: ''elk'' or ''elks''; ''Cervus canadensis'') or wapiti, is the second largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. ...

Rivers. The population was 4,877 at the 2020 census. Becker is located 46 miles northwest of

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

and 19 miles southeast of St. Cloud. U.S. Highway 10 serves as a main route in Becker. The city is home to the Sherburne County Generating Station (Sherco) which accounted for 77% of the city's tax base in 2019 and two thirds of taxes generated for the city in 2023. Homeowners have considerable lower property taxes than surrounding communities due to taxes paid by the power plant.

History

Becker was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

ted in 1867, and named for

George Loomis Becker George Loomis Becker (February 4, 1829 – January 6, 1904) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who served as the sixth mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Early life and education Becker was born in Locke, New York, in 1829. He atten ...

, a state legislator. A post office called Becker has been in operation since 1870.

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 ; 9.1sq. mi is land and is water.

Business

Xcel Energy Xcel Energy Inc. is a U.S. regulated electric utility and natural gas delivery company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving more than 3.7 million electric customers and 2.1 million natural gas customers across parts of eight states (Color ...

operates the Sherburne County Generating Station (Sherco) within the city. This plant is the largest

coal-fired power plant A coal-fired power station or coal power plant is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity. Worldwide there are about 2,500 coal-fired power stations, on average capable of generating a gigawatt each. They generate a ...

in Minnesota. Because the power plant pays a large amount in property taxes, Becker residents pay considerably less in property taxes than in nearby communities. The city has relied on property taxes from the power plant with about 2/3 of the cities taxes coming from the plant. There have been proposals to close portions of the power plant since 2015 and the city has worked to develop plans should that property tax revenue fall. In 2023, Becker successfully lobbied the Minnesota legislature for aid in expectation of reduced taxes. Becker Minnesota's zip code, 55308, was listed by the

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is a Minnesota state agency that monitors environmental quality, offers technical and financial assistance, and enforces environmental regulations for the State of Minnesota. The MPCA finds and clean ...

in 2020 as the state's largest single source of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent emissions from 'air permitted facilities'. Sherco operator Excel Energy has announced plans to close the plants by the end of the decade.

Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...

originally planned to build a

data center A data center is a building, a dedicated space within a building, or a group of buildings used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. Since IT operations are crucial for busines ...

in Becker, the company would've become one of Xcel Energy's largest customers. Although

ended up backing out in late 2022. Instead on February 12th 2024

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...

ended up buying 300 acres of land originally planned for the

site.

will be building a data center in this area, the time period is unknown at this time. In late February 2020, firefighters responded to a report of a fire at Northern Metals Recycling in Becker. Northern Metals Recycling moved its operations from Minneapolis to Becker the year before, after being ordered to shut down by the Pollution Control Agency due to high levels of air pollution. The fire was reported to have started under a pile of cars. The fire lasted several days, and caused schools to close in order to conduct air quality testing. More than three dozen fire departments were reported to have been on scene. Eventually, it was decided in tandem with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Health that the best course of action would be to let the fire burn out. This decision was also influenced by the fact that water resources were being quickly depleted from Becker and the neighboring vicinity.

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 4,538 people, 1,526 households, and 1,164 families residing 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 1,644 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.6%

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 ...

, 0.5%

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, 0.9% Asian, 0.1%

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 ...

, 0.2% from other races, and 1.6% 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 1.7% of the population. There were 1,526 households, of which 50.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% 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, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 23.7% were non-families. 18.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.35. The median age in the city was 30.7 years. 34.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 32.2% were from 25 to 44; 17% were from 45 to 64; and 9.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,673 people, 929 households, and 728 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 967 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.20%

, 0.34%

, 0.45% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.79% of the population. There were 929 households, out of which 49.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were

living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 15.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.21. In the city, the population was spread out, with 34.0% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 35.7% from 25 to 44, 13.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $50,714, and the median income for a family was $51,940. Males had a median income of $37,038 versus $26,622 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 $19,333. About 3.4% of families and 4.1% 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 ...

, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Becker is represented by Andrew Mathews in the

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Minnesota Legislature, Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any State legislature (Unite ...

and Shane Mekeland in the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the U.S. state of Minnesota's Minnesota Legislature, legislature. It operates in conjunction with the Minnesota Senate, the state's upper chamber, to write and pass legislation, whic ...

. Both are members of the

Republican Party of Minnesota The Republican Party of Minnesota is the state affiliate of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party in Minnesota and the oldest active political party in the state. Founded in 1855, the party is headquartered in Edina, Minnesota, E ...

. On a federal level, Becker is located in Minnesota's 6th congressional district, represented by

Tom Emmer Thomas Earl Emmer Jr. (born March 3, 1961) is an American attorney, lobbyist, and politician who has served as majority whip in the United States House of Representatives since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he has represented since 2 ...

Attractions

Parks

Becker contains nine city parks, including the Becker City Park which sits on over 100 acres. In 2020 a dog park was added onto the City Park. The other city parks include the Becker Athletic Complex (BAC), the Becker Community Center, Carl E. Johnson park, Kolbinger Park, Pleasant Valley park, River's Edge Park, Snuffy's Landing, and the Tot Lot.

Golf Course

Becker is home to Pebble Creek Golf Course, a 27-hole course which is open to the public.

Public Library

The Becker Public Library is a branch of Great River Regional Library. The library is located within the community center on County Road 23 (Sherburne Avenue).

Transportation

U.S. Highway 10 ( co-signed and

Minnesota State Highway 25 Minnesota State Highway 25 (MN 25) is a highway in Minnesota, which runs from its interchange with U.S. Highway 169 in Belle Plaine and continues north to its intersection with State Highway 210 in Brainerd. Route description State Hi ...

) are the primary highway routes through Becker. U.S. Highway 10 plays a considerable role in the economy of the city, as many of Becker's businesses are located along it. County Road 23 (Sherburne Avenue) also makes its starting point in Becker.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

’s ''

Empire Builder The ''Empire Builder'' is a daily long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great North ...

'', which operates between

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

and

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, passes through the town on

BNSF BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that provide ...

tracks, but makes no stop. The nearest station is located in St. Cloud, to the northwest. The proposed extension of the

Northstar Commuter Rail The Northstar Line is a commuter rail route in the US state of Minnesota. Northstar runs from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis at Target Field using existing track and right-of-way owned by the BNSF Railway. Passenger service began on Nove ...

to St. Cloud would include a stop in Becker. It is currently served by Northstar Link Commuter Bus between Big Lake and St. Cloud.

Media

Becker is home to one newspaper, the Patriot. Previously the Citizen-Tribune, the Patriot is a self-described "full-service medium to avid readers in Central Minnesota." It is also served by the Saint Cloud Times and the Star Tribune.

Education

Becker is served by the Independent School District 726. The four schools, listed below, have a total enrollment of 2,697 students
Search for Schools and Colleges
* Becker Primary School (K-2) * Becker Intermediate School (3-5) * Becker Middle School (6-8) * Becker High School (9-12)

Sports

Football

The Becker High School Football program was started by Dwight Lundeen in 1970. Coach Lundeen remains the only head coach in the history of the program. The Becker program won the class AAA championship in 2005 and class AAAA championships in 2014 and 2015. They are now currently in class AAAA and in the Mississippi 8 conference. They have 19 conference championships, 14 section championship, 16 state tournament appearances, and have also appeared in seven prep bowls, making Becker Football one of the most successful football programs in Minnesota.

Robotics

Becker is home to 4 time MSHSL State Champion FRC 4607 Coalition of Independent Students (CIS) which competes in the

FIRST Robotics Competition FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international high school robotics competition operated by ''FIRST''®. Each year, teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors work to build robots capable of competing in that year's game. Robots c ...

. The Robotics team was established in March 31st, 2012, with the founders being Alex Jurek, a Technology Education teacher at Becker High School, and Mark Kolbinger, an English Teacher at Becker Middle School. Team history. CIS 4607. (n.d.). https://sites.google.com/frc4607cis.com/cis4607/about/team-history

References

External links

City of Becker – Official Website

''Sherburne County Citizen'' - newspaper site
{{authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Sherburne County, Minnesota Minnesota populated places on the Mississippi River