Prior Lake, Minnesota
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Prior Lake is a city located in Scott County, Minnesota. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 15,917. The Shakopee-Mdewakanton Indian Reservation is within the city.
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Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 41.5 km² (16.0 mi²). 35.0 km² (13.5 mi²) of it is land and 6.6 km² (2.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 15.77% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 15,917 people, 5,645 households, and 4,386 families residing in the city. The population density is 454.9/km² (1,178.4/mi²). There are 5,791 housing units at an average density of 165.5/km² (428.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 94.53% White, 0.77% African American, 2.08% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. 1.11% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 5,645 households out of which 44.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% are married couples living together, 7.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% are non-families. 15.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 3.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.82 and the average family size is 3.17.
In the city the population is spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 37.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 4.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 102.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $75,363, and the median income for a family is $81,011. Males have a median income of $52,061 versus $34,837 for females. The per capita income for the city is $32,089. 3.6% of the population and 1.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Local Issues
The City of Prior Lake (http://www.cityofpriorlake.com) contains a lake after the same name that is divided into Upper Prior Lake and Lower Prior Lake. Prior Lake is the largest lake in the south of the river Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area and the city is generally considered to be an exurb of Minneapolis St. Paul. The lake attracts large beach homes that increases the wealth of the surrounding area. Add this with Mystic Lake Casino which is on the Shakopee-Mdewakanton Indian Reservation and operated by the Shakopee-Mdewakanton tribe Prior Lake is one of the wealthier cities in Minnesota. As a result the students of Prior Lake High School have gained a notoriety for prevalent drug and alcohol abuse. The Prior Lake American (http://www.plamerican.com) ,the city newspaper, is one of the best sources of documentation of the abuse. After the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School, author Elinor Burkett wrote a book, Another Planet (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060505850/qid=1115443509/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/102-9474167-2762552?v=glance&s=books&n=507846/), detailing her experience following several students around for one school year at Prior Lake High School.
The City of Prior Lake will continue to quickly grow as a fourth ring suburb of Minneapolis-St.Paul. Nearby Burnsville has nearly completely depleted available residential zones as urban sprawl pushes south.
Politics
Prior Lake is in the 2nd Congressional District of Minnesota represented by Congressman John Kline, a Republican first elected in 2002. Prior Lake is in the Minnesota Legislative District 35A. The district 35 Senator is Claire Robling (R). The district 35A Representative is Michael Beard (R)