Census Data for North Branch

Population ...

The most recent Census Estimate<1> was for 2019 and it gave North Branch a population of 10,762 people.

The last Decennial Census<2> was in 2010, which gave North Branch a population of 10,125 people.

The city of North Branch is located in Chisago County. The 2010 Census gave Chisago County; a population of 53,904 people. This means that North Branch had 18.78% of the county's total population, making it Chisago's most populous community.

At the same time, Minnesota had a population of 5,303,925 people, meaning that North Branch had 0.19% of the total population of Minnesota - making it the state's 94th most populous community.

Area ...

The 2010 Census shows that the sampling area for North Branch has a total area of 36.04 square miles [93.3 km²]. Of this total, 35.6 square miles [92.2 km²] is land, with the balance (1.21%) being water (0.44 square miles [1.1 km²]).

Chisago County has a land area of 414.9 square miles [1,074.5 km²]. At 35.6 square miles [92.2 km²], North Branch has 8.58% of the county's total land area.

• Continue Reading ...
  • When the Census Bureau conducts a census for a city like North Branch, they draw a boundary around the area in which they are going to conduct their count - this defines the sampling area (usually a polygon). The shape of the sampling area can be quite complex and it's important to keep in mind that the boundaries of the sampling area may or may not match the recognized boundaries of the city.
  • Things like population, area and housing for North Branch reflect the sampling area. Since the shape of the sampling area and the actual boundaries of North Branch might be different, it's best to check with the U.S. Census Bureau to resolve any difference between the two.
  • Not only does the sampling area define boundaries, it also has a GPS location (latitude & longitude) that indicates a point within the sampling area (usually the center of the polygon, known as the centroid). At the time of the 2010 Census, the sampling area was located at:
  • Lat:   45° 30' 39"   (or 45.51°)
  • Lon:   -92° 56' 39"   (or -92.94°)
  • More information on this topic and the changes between the 2000 Census and the 2010 Census can be found in the section for our Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).

Housing Units ...

At the time of the 2010 Census, North Branch had 3,767 Housing Units<3> and with its population of 10,125 people, this averages 2.69 people per Housing Unit.

• Continue Reading ...
  • The 2010 Census shows North Branch had a land area of 35.6 square miles [92.2 km²]. This translates to 104.5 Housing Units per square mile [40.36 housing units/km²].
  • From the Census of 2000: North Branch had 2,900 Housing Units, a population of 8,023 people and a land area of 35.68 square miles [92.4 km²]. This gives a density of 2.77 people per Housing Unit and 80.5 Housing Units per square mile [31.09 housing units/km²].
  • Note: Repeating the caution above (under Population Density), be aware that when comparing Housing Units between the 2010 Census and the 2000 Census, there were changes in the sampling area for North Branch and you need to be careful when comparing values between the censuses. More information about the nature of these the changes can be found in the section called Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).

Chisago County ...

The community of North Branch is located in Chisago County<4>.

The county had a population of 53,904 people at the 2010 Census. With it's population of 10,125 people, North Branch represented 18.78% of the county's total.

In addition, where the city of North Branch has a population density of 280.9 people per square mile [108.5 people/km²], Chisago County averages 129.9 people per square mile [50.2 people/km²].

For more information, please visit our Census Page for Chisago County.

Census-to-Census Observations ...

Introduction ...

When the Census Bureau takes a census count (or enumeration) for North Branch, they start by specifying the boundaries of the area to be counted. This area (or sampling area) is a polygon and its shape can be quite complex - it may or may not match the geographical boundaries of North Branch. It's important to note that from one Census to the next, the shape and location of the polygon can change.

• Continue Reading ...
  • Although we don't have specific information about the shape of the polygon for North Branch or how it changed has over time, there is some information that can give us some hints. For example, since the shape of the sampling area is directly related to the shape of the polygon, any change to area probably indicates a new shape for the polygon.
  • If you need precision or details about the methodology of the Census, you should visit the U.S. Census Bureau for a definitive answer.

Location ...

While generally coinciding with the GPS location (latitude/longitude) of North Branch, the latitude and longitude given by the Census Bureau actually indicates the GPS location of the polygon for North Branch.

• Continue Reading ...
  • For the 2010 Census, the location was given as:
  • Lat:   45.510939°   (or 45°30'39" N)
  • Lon:   -92.944286°   (or -92°56'39" W)
  • For the 2000 Census, the location given was:
  • Lat:   45.511944°   (or 45°30'42" N)
  • Lon:   -92.980365°   (or -92°58'49" W)
  • The difference indicates that the U.S. Census Bureau moved the location of the polygon for the 2010 Census 9,225 feet to the east<5> of the location that was used in the 2000 Census.
  • The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) have assigned a unique GNIS identifier (#2395250) to North Branch. This identifier also marks a GPS point on the map, and that point lies within the boundaries of North Branch. The GNIS point has been mapped to the latitude/longitude:
  • Lat:   45.513731°   (or 45°30'49" N)
  • Lon:   -92.960108°   (or -92°57'36" W)
  • The GPS location given for the 2010 Census lies 4,168 feet to the east<6> of the point given by the GNIS for North Branch. For more information about this and the relationship of the various Federal Codes, please visit our Misc Page for North Branch.

Miscellaneous Information for North Branch ...

The Federal government has assigned various identifying codes to each community, county and state. At one time or another, the US Census Bureau has used one (or more) of the following identifiers when referring to either Chisago County or the city of North Branch:

• The GNIS Codes ...
  • The current system of identification is called the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). The following GNIS codes relate to North Branch:
  • GNIS ID for North Branch: 2395250
  • GNIS ID for Chisago County: 659458
  • GNIS ID for State of Minnesota: 662849

• The FIPS Codes ...
  • An earlier (and largely obsolete) identification method was called the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS):
  • State Code: 27 (Minnesota)
  • County Code: 025 (Chisago County)
  • Place Code: 46798 (North Branch)
  • State & County Code: 27/025 (Minnesota / Chisago County)
  • State & Place Code: 27/46798 (Minnesota / North Branch)

• Misc. Census Codes ...
  • North Branch is located in Census Region #2 (the Midwest Region) and Division #4 (the West North-Central Division).

• The US Postal Service ZIP Code ...
  • While some people have used a ZIP code to identify a community, the purpose of the ZIP code was to make mail delivery more efficient by grouping addresses together. Although the ZIP Code doesn't specifically identify a city like North Branch, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) North Branch. It's important to remember that the boundaries of a ZIP Code can be changed, re-assigned or overlapped with other ZIP Codes.
  • The ZIP code for North Branch:55056<7>

• Census ZCTA Codes ...
  • The US Census Bureau created statistical entities that they call ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) and these ZCTAs are frequently confused with the ZIP codes that come from the US Postal Service (USPS).
  • ZCTAs were first created for the 2000 Census and at that time, they were based upon the USPS ZIP codes. While largely covering the same areas, the boundaries of a ZCTA do not necessarily match the boundaries of a postal ZIP code with the same number. For example, while a postal ZIP code can cross a county or state line, a Census ZCTA can not. They should be treated as separate entities with no correlation between them.

For more information about the various Federal identification codes, please visit our Misc Page for North Branch.

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for North Branch: www.ci.north-branch.mn.us/

The official website for Chisago County: www.co.chisago.mn.us/

The official website for State of Minnesota: https://mn.gov/

The official website of the U.S. Census Bureau

The official website of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN)

The official website of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)