Caledonia is a city and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Houston 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 List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

, United States and is part of the

La Crosse La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population as of the 2020 census wa ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

. The population was 2,847 at the 2020 census.

History

Caledonia 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 Surveys to show the distance and bea ...

ted in 1854–1855. The town was named by founder Col. Samuel McPhail for the ancient Roman word for ''Scotland''. A post office has been in operation at Caledonia since 1855. Caledonia was incorporated in 1870, and was reincorporated in 1889.

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 An economy is an area of th ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. Caledonia is located 17 miles southwest of

. Minnesota Highway 44 and Minnesota Highway 76 are two of the main routes in the community.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 2,847. 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 1,366 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.6%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 1.2%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.4%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.3%

Native American Native Americans or Native American may refer to: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North and South America and their descendants * Native Americans in the United States * Indigenous peoples in Cana ...

, 0.1% 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 3.4% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.6%

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 for ...

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.

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 2,868 people, 1,247 households, and 740 families living in the city. The

was . There were 1,344 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.8%

, 1.3%

, 0.3%

, 0.7%

, 0.1% from

, and 0.8% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.6% of the population. There were 1,247 households, of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.7% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age in the city was 40.5 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 20.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,965 people, 1,223 households, and 754 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,286 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.35%

, 0.40%

, 0.17%

, 0.30%

, 0.03% from

, and 0.74% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.54% of the population. There were 1,223 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were

living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,455, and the median income for a family was $45,679. Males had a median income of $30,302 versus $20,091 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 $16,953. About 5.2% of families and 8.7% 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 7.8% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Caledonia is home to

Caledonia High School Caledonia High School (CHS) is a public high school located in Caledonia, Minnesota, United States, that serves Caledonia as well as the surrounding communities of Brownsville, Eitzen, Freeburg, and Reno. Caledonia High School's mascot is ...

. St. Mary's Catholic School (K-8) and St. John's Lutheran School (Pre-K-8) are private schools.

Transportation

The Houston County Airport serves

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation service ...

in the region.

References

External links

City of Caledonia
{{authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Houston County, Minnesota County seats in Minnesota