County Development
Stearns County is the 7th most populous county in the state, the 14th largest by area. Because of its central location in the state, and the St. Cloud metropolitan area’s role as a regional center, the county’s population and economy will continue to grow at a healthy pace. This growth scattered across the County's 28 cities and 36 townships, will be concentrated in the eastern half of the county. Learn more about our cities and townships. From 2000 to 2010, Stearns County gained about 17,500 people, a 13.1% increase, and a much faster growth than the 7.8% statewide increase. St. Cloud is the 8th largest city in Minnesota. An 11.4% growth from 2000 - 2010 made it the 4th fastest growing large city in the state. In addition to St. Cloud, other large cities in Stearns County include Sauk Centre with 4,317 people, Cold Spring with 4,025 people, Melrose at 3,598, Albany, 2,561, Rockville with 2,448 and Paynesville with 2,432.
Agriculture, manufacturing,
retail and service industries are the backbone of our economy. Stearns County leads the state in agriculture and has become Minnesota's top county for organic farming. The granite industry has also played a major role in the Stearns County economy. Granite from this area has been shipped all over the world.
Promoting a strong business environment, the St. Cloud area offers a regional airport, Northstar Link commuter bus service, Amtrak rail transportation,
Greyhound Bus service, taxi service and metro bus service. There are several event centers across the county, including the newly renovated 150,000 square foot River's Edge Convention Center in downtown St. Cloud.
Stearns
County is lined against the Mississippi River and runs parallel with
Interstate-94, one of Minnesota’s major corridors. Our location and
reasonable driving distance from the Twin Cities makes the County
attractive to businesses seeking affordable land and labor. Residents
are also within easy driving distance to the many world-class events
that take place in the larger Twin Cities metro area.
We have a
growing economy, friendly communities, an affordable cost of living and
quality health care. The area’s high schools rank as some of the best
in the nation; we have high graduation rates and high SAT scores. We
are home to St. John’s University, the College of St. Benedict, St.
Cloud State University and numerous other technical and business
colleges. There are ample year-round recreational, cultural and social
opportunities, with the Chain of Lakes, parks and trails, theater,
shopping and dining.
With a broad vision for its future, Stearns County establishes policy frameworks for land use changes, public investments, infrastructure improvements and intergovernmental cooperation to improve the lives of citizens and prospective citizens of the County.