Medford ( ) is a city in Steele 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 1,239 at the 2010 census.

History

Medford 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 1856, and named for Medford Colling, the son of an early settler. A post office has been in operation at Medford since 1855.

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. The Straight River flows through the city.

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican bo ...

and Steele County Roads 1, 12, 22, 23, and 45 are the main routes in the community.

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 1,239 people, 450 households, and 336 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 470 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.3%

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 ...

, 0.9%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.4% 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 5.2% of the population. There were 450 households, of which 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% 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, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.3% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.19. The median age in the city was 34.4 years. 31.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.2% were from 25 to 44; 21.7% were from 45 to 64; and 10.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.9% male and 49.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 984 people, 377 households, and 275 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 388 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.00%

, 0.10%

, 0.10% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 4.37% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 6.40% of the population. There were 377 households, out of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were

living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.01. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $50,000, and the median income for a family was $55,714. Males had a median income of $31,628 versus $24,318 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 $18,886. About 3.3% of families and 4.4% 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 ...

, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Medford, Minnesota is a statutory plan "A" city - it has a weak mayor/city council structure. As of 2022, the mayor of the City of Medford is Danny Thomas. Members of the City Council in 2020 are: Chad Merritt, Manda Mueller, Chad Langeslag and Grace Bartlett.

Landmarks

The "Medford Bridge" runs over the Medford Park just at the end of Steele County Road 45 entering the city. An apartment complex now occupies the area where one of the oldest school buildings that was used up until 2003. The town had decided that the old school was not large enough for the growing student body and a new school was to be built. The school now sits on the eastern edge of the city. It is presently operating at capacity of nearly 800 students, with many coming from outside the district through open enrollment. On the edge of town is the 1877 Daniel S. Piper House, Minnesota's only surviving example of a New England-style interconnected farmstead. It is 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 ...

Notable person

Lynn Frazier Lynn Joseph Frazier (December 21, 1874January 11, 1947) was an American educator and politician who served as the 12th governor of North Dakota from 1917 until being 1921 North Dakota gubernatorial recall election, recalled in 1921 and later serv ...

– (1874–1947), former

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

; first governor ever recalled. Born in Medford.

References

{{authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Steele County, Minnesota