# Rice County, Minnesota *County in south central Minnesota; seat is Faribault* Rice County is one of the counties of [[Minnesota]], in the south-central part of the state.[^1] The 2020 census counted 67,097 residents, and the county seat is Faribault.[^2] The county makes up the Faribault–Northfield, MN Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the [[Minneapolis]]–St. Paul, MN-WI Combined Statistical Area.[^3] The county was established on March 5, 1853, and takes its name from Henry Mower Rice, a fur trader who had a central part in creating the [[Minnesota Territory]] and in its later development.[^4] In presidential elections it voted for the Democratic nominee in every contest from 1964 through 2012 except 1972. It has backed the Republican nominee in each of the three elections since 2016.[^5] ## History Rice County was created on March 5, 1853.[^4] Its namesake, Henry Mower Rice, was a fur trader. The snapshot credits him with an instrumental part in forming the Minnesota Territory and in the territory's growth.[^4] ## Geography Three rivers cross or rise in the county. The Cannon River runs northeast through its center and continues to Red Wing, where it empties into the [[Mississippi River]].[^6] The Straight River enters from Steele County flowing north and joins the Cannon at Faribault.[^6] The North Fork of the Zumbro River has its source within the county and runs east into Goodhue County, reaching the Mississippi east of Kellogg. The snapshot places those headwaters in the south-central part of the county in one passage and in the southeastern part in another.[^6] The county covers 516 square miles (1,340 km²). Of that, 496 square miles (1,280 km²) is land and 20 square miles (52 km²), or 3.9%, is water.[^7] The land is low rolling hills given over entirely to farming and interspersed with lakes. It falls away toward the east and north. The highest point is near the southeast corner, at 1,263 feet (385 m) above sea level.[^7] Savanna soils outnumber both prairie and forest soils in Rice County, which places it among the 17 Minnesota counties classed as savanna counties.[^7] The county is served by Interstate 35 and I-35 BL and by Minnesota State Highways 3, 13, 19, 21, 60, 99, 246, 298 and 299.[^8] The neighbouring counties are: - Dakota County to the northeast - Goodhue County to the east - Dodge County to the southeast - Steele County to the south - Waseca County to the southwest - Le Sueur County to the west - Scott County to the northwest[^9] The protected areas named in the snapshot include Cannon Lake Wilderness Area, Cannon River Trout Lily Scientific and Natural Area, Faribault State Wildlife Management Area, Nerstrand Big Woods State Park and River Bend Nature Area. The snapshot's list is cut off after these entries.[^10] ## Demographics The 2020 census recorded 67,097 people in the county, with a median age of 37.4 years.[^11] Residents under 18 made up 22.2% of the population, and those 65 or older made up 16.4%. There were 101.8 males for every 100 females, and 101.1 males for every 100 females aged 18 and over.[^11] By race, the 2020 population was: - 78.4% White - 6.5% Black or African American - 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native - 2.3% Asian - under 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander - 5.7% some other race - 6.3% two or more races[^12] Residents of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race, accounted for 10.1%. Urban areas held 67.8% of residents and rural areas 32.2%.[^12] The census counted 23,416 households. Of these, 30.9% included children under 18 and 52.1% were married couples.[^13] Male householders with no spouse or partner present headed 17.2% of households, and female householders in the same position headed 23.3%. Single-person households were 26.3% of the total. In 11.9% of households, a person aged 65 or older lived alone.[^13] Of 25,018 housing units, 6.4% stood vacant. Owners occupied 75.2% of occupied units and renters 24.8%, with vacancy rates of 0.9% for homeowner units and 5.2% for rentals.[^13] The 2000 census had counted 56,665 people, 18,888 households and 13,353 families. Population density was 114 per square mile. There were 20,061 housing units, an average of 40.4 per square mile.[^14] ## Parks and recreation The county parks listed in the snapshot are: - Ackman Park, 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Faribault - Albers Park, in Webster - Cannon River Wilderness Area Park, between Faribault and Cannon City - Caron Park, in Cannon City - Circle Lake Park, near Millersburg - Falls Creek Park, 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Faribault - Heron Island, in Shieldsville - Hirdler Park, 10 miles (16 km) west of Faribault - King Mill Park, in Faribault - McCullough Park and Campground - Shields Lake[^15] ## Communities The county's cities are Dennison (partly in Goodhue County), Dundas, Faribault (the county seat), Lonsdale, Morristown, Nerstrand and Northfield (partly in Dakota County).[^16] Warsaw is a census-designated place.[^16] The unincorporated communities are Cannon City, Epsom, Hazelwood, Little Chicago, Millersburg, Moland (partly in Steele County), Prairieville, Ruskin, Shieldsville, Veseli, Webster and Wheatland.[^16] The fourteen townships are Bridgewater, Cannon City, Erin, Forest, Morristown, Northfield, Richland, Shieldsville, Walcott, Warsaw, Webster, Wells, Wheatland and Wheeling.[^17] ## Politics Rice County first took part in a presidential election in 1860. Through 1960 it backed the Republican nominee every time except in three elections.[^18] In 1912 it went to Theodore Roosevelt, a former Republican president running as the Bull Moose nominee. In 1932 and 1936 it went to Franklin Roosevelt in his landslides.[^18] From 1964 to 2012 the county supported the Democratic nominee in every election except Richard Nixon's 1972 landslide.[^18] In 2016 the county voted Republican for the first time since 1972. The win was a plurality rather than a majority, and 7.9% of the vote went to third parties.[^19] The snapshot also records it as the county's first vote since 1960 for a Republican who did not win a majority of the national popular vote.[^19] The county voted Republican again in 2020, by 62 votes out of more than 35,000 cast, as the third-party share fell to 2.3%.[^19] That made 2016 and 2020 the county's first consecutive Republican votes since 1956 and 1960.[^19] In 2024 the county voted Republican for a third time. Donald Trump received more than 50% of its vote, his first absolute majority there in any of his three campaigns.[^20] ## Education The school districts serving the county are: - Faribault Public Schools - Kenyon-Wanamingo School District - Medford Public School District - New Prague Area Schools - Northfield Public School District - Tri-City United School District - Waseca Public School District - Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Public School District[^21] The state operates two schools in the county, the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind and the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf.[^21] Shattuck-Saint Mary's School is listed as a private school. South Central Community College is the listed tertiary institution, and the Thomas Scott Buckham Memorial Library is the listed library.[^21] ## Notes [^1]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — location of the county in south central Minnesota. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^2]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — 2020 census population of 67,097; county seat Faribault. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^3]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — Faribault–Northfield Micropolitan Statistical Area within the Minneapolis–St. Paul Combined Statistical Area. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^4]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — founding on March 5, 1853; naming for Henry Mower Rice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^5]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — presidential voting pattern 1964–2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^6]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — courses of the Cannon, Straight and North Fork Zumbro rivers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^7]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — area, terrain, elevation and savanna-soil classification. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^8]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — major highways. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^9]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — adjacent counties. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^10]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — protected areas (list truncated in snapshot). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^11]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — 2020 census population, age and sex ratios. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^12]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — 2020 census racial and ethnic composition; urban and rural shares. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^13]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — 2020 census households and housing units. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^14]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — 2000 census population, households, families, density and housing units. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^15]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — county parks and their locations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^16]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — cities, census-designated place and unincorporated communities. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^17]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — townships. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^18]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — presidential voting 1860–2012. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^19]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — 2016 and 2020 presidential results, third-party shares and 62-vote margin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^20]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — 2024 presidential result. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota [^21]: Wikipedia contributors, *Rice County, Minnesota* (revision 1375306561, retrieved 2026-10-25) — school districts, state-operated, private and tertiary schools, library. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_County,_Minnesota