Bloomington, Minnesota
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Bloomington is a city located in Hennepin County, Minnesota, a suburb south of Minneapolis. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 85,172, making it the largest Twin Cities suburb. It is the site of the United States' largest—and the world's second-largest—shopping center, the Mall of America.
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Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 99.4 km² (38.4 mi²). 91.9 km² (35.5 mi²) of it is land and 7.5 km² (2.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 7.53% water.
There are three primary land types in the city. The northeastern part of the city is a sand plain, low hills dominate the western portion of the city, and the far south lies within the valley of the Minnesota River.
About 1/3 of the city is permanently reserved for park purposes, including two large natural areas -- the Minnesota River lowlands (controlled by the City and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service) and the Hyland Park Reserve (controlled by the Three Rivers Park District).
Water bodies in the city include the Minnesota River, Long Meadow Lake, Bush Lake, Nine Mile Creek, and about 100 small lakes and ponds.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 85,172 people, 36,400 households, and 22,750 families residing in the city. The population density is 926.9/km² (2,400.5/mi²). There are 37,104 housing units at an average density of 403.8/km² (1,045.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 88.12% White, 3.42% African American, 0.35% Native American, 5.09% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.25% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. 2.69% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 36,400 households out of which 25.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% are married couples living together, 8.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% are non-families. 29.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.30 and the average family size is 2.87.
In the city the population is spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $54,628, and the median income for a family is $67,135. Males have a median income of $42,924 versus $32,606 for females. The per capita income for the city is $29,782. 4.0% of the population and 2.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 4.2% of those under the age of 18 and 3.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Local Information
Bloomington is culturally split into two areas by US Interstate 35W. The highway creates a geographic barrier which carries through into most of the daily life and language of residents. The area west of I-35W is locally known as "West Bloomington," and the area east is called "East Bloomington." West Bloomington functions largely as a bedroom community—East Bloomington contains most of the industry, as well as lower-income housing, and the Mall of America. Lower income here, however, has to be taken into context as both median income and home prices in Bloomington are substantially higher than the average for the metro area it lies within.
Most locals will refer to themselves as either from "East" or "West" Bloomington, when they describe where they live. East and West Bloomington have separate high schools, John F. Kennedy and Thomas Jefferson, respectively.
Bloomington's third high school, Lincoln Senior High School, was sold to the Control Data Corporation in the mid 1980s. Now controlled by General Dynamics, it is used primarily for defense contracting work although Bloomington Public Schools is now a tenant.
Normandale Community College is a two-year college, with 8,500 full and part-time students, that has been in Bloomington since 1968. It is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system.
Bloomington was the home from 1961 to 1981 for the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins at Metropolitan Stadium (now the site of the Mall of America), and the Minnesota North Stars at the Met Center from 1967 to 1993.
The city is a longstanding favorite location for employers, hosting more than 100,000 jobs. Benefiting from its location near major transportation routes and the international airport, Bloomington is a major hospitality center with about 7000 hotel rooms.
City Government
Bloomington, Minnesota is governed by a seven member part-time City Council. Members include the mayor and six Council members, four of whom are elected from districts and two who are elected at-large. Members are elected to four year terms, except during redistricting when all district councilmembers have a two year term. Elections are non-partisan.
City operations are controlled by three interrelated entities the City itself, the Port Authority, and the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). The Port Authority is responsible for managing development in the Airport South district, in which the Mall of America is located. The HRA handles low income housing in the city and manages the city's redevelopment activities. Membership on the boards of the Port Authority and HRA are controlled by the City Council.
Public schools
The 15 public schools in Bloomington are operated by Bloomington Public Schools. Goverened by a seven member elected school board, public schools in the city have a good reputation for quality. Voters traditionally have supported the schools financially; in 1999 they approved the (then) largest school bond issue in Minnesota history, funding a $107 million school expansion and renovation project.
see List of mayors of Bloomington, Minnesota
External link
- Bloomington Online (http://www.ci.bloomington.mn.us/)
- Thomas Jefferson Sr. High (http://www.bloomington.k12.mn.us/indschool/TJ/index.htm)
- John F. Kennedy Sr. High (http://rschooltoday.com/se3bin/clientschool.cgi?schoolname=school6)
