Becker, Minnesota

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Becker is a city in Sherburne County, Minnesota, between the Mississippi and Elk Rivers. The population was 2,673 at the 2000 census.

Xcel Energy operates the Sherco power plant within the city. This plant is the largest coal-fired power plant 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. A proposed change in property tax law for utilities could end this windfall, however. ^[1]

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Major Roads
4 Media
5 Education
6 External links
7 References

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.5 km² (9.1 mi²). 22.4 km² (8.7 mi²) of it is land and 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (4.73%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 2,673 people, 929 households, and 728 families residing in the city. The population density was 119.2/km² (308.6/mi²). There were 967 housing units at an average density of 43.1/km² (111.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.20% White, 0.34% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic 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 married couples 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 for the city was $19,333. About 3.4% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Major Roads

U.S. Highway 10 is the only national road running through Becker. It plays a considerable role in the economy of Becker, as many of Becker's businesses are along Highway 10. MN County Road 23 also makes its starting point in Becker. In town though, its called Sherburne Avenue.