Posted 4/11/01 People are filling up Chisago County at 98 persons per square mile By MaryHelen Swanson Chisago County has 418 square miles of territory and according to the 2000 census figures, there are 98.3 persons per square mile in this county. And thatís considerably more than the state overall which fills up at the rate of 61.8 persons per square mile (79,610 total square miles). Why is Chisago Countyís rate so much higher? Perhaps because the population increased 34.7 percent since 1990 - now reaching 41,101. Of that figure, 97.2 percent consider themselves caucasian, .5 percent black or African American, .5 percent American Indian, .7 percent Asian, and .3 percent some other race. Persons reporting two or more races were .8 percent and persons of Hispanic or Latino origin number 1.2 percent. Census data available to date also tells us that of the 41,101, 30 percent are under 18. Chisago Countyís 41,000 is part of Minnesotaís 4,919,470 which saw an overall increase in population of 12.4 percent. And of that, 89 percent checked white, while 3.5 percent are black, 1.1 percent American Indian, 2.9 percent Asian, 1.3 percent ěsome other raceî and 1.7 percent two or more races. Statewide more than one quarter of the population (26.2 percent) is under age 18. Neither Chisago County, however, nor any city within its borders, fall into the 10 largest places ranked by the Census 2000 figures. They are Minneapolis, (382,618) St. Paul, Duluth, Rochester, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Plymouth, Eagan, Coon Rapids and Burnsville. Nor does this county fall in the 10 smallest places: Wolf Lake, Hillman, Strathcona, Leonard, Louisburg, Barry, Kinbrae, Ronneby, Funkley and Tenney with a population of six, up two from 1990. While the Census Bureau warns that not all data is complete and that it may take up to two years to relay all information gathered in this last census, here are the changes it is reporting in local cities: ©Post Review