Waconia, Minnesota

Waconia, a city in Carver County, Minnesota, United States, is located about 35 miles southwest of Minneapolis. Waconia surged in suburban development recently and grew to a population of 10,697 (according to the 2010 census). The town is home to the Waconia Wildcats Sports Teams. Thousands of nearby city residents attend the Carver County Fair which is held in Waconia.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.4 km²), of which, 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.41%) is water. Minnesota State Highways 5 and 284 are two of the main routes.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,814 people, 2,568 households, and 1,848 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,432.0 people per square mile (939.6/km²). There were 2,646 housing units at an average density of 944.4 per square mile (364.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.06% White, 0.34% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.00% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population.

There were 2,568 households out of which 40.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were occupied by one person and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.12.

The city population had a wide age variety; with 29.9% being under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $55,705, and the median income for a family was $67,703. Males had a median income of $43,535 versus $29,488 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,996. About 2.9% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Waconia has a total of 4 public schools and 2 private schools:
 * Southview Elementary, grades K-4
 * Bayview Elementary, grades K-4
 * Clearwater Middle School, grades 5-8
 * St. Joseph Catholic Education Center, grades PreK-8
 * Trinity Lutheran School, grades K-8
 * Waconia High School, grades 9-12

National Register of Historic Places gallery
Waconia has several buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Notable Natives

 * Don Herbert; Mr. Wizard - Star of Mr. Wizard's World