| Official Name: | Lester Prairie, Minnesota |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Coordinates: | 44.8836°N -94.0372°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name1: | Minnesota |
| Subdivision Name2: | McLeod |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 2.32 |
| Area Land Km2: | 2.32 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 1.00 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 1.00 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population Total: | 1894 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Density Km2: | 817.36 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 2116.20 |
| Elevation Ft: | 981 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 55354 |
| Area Code: | 320 |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 27-36728[3] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2395687 |
Lester Prairie is a city in McLeod County, Minnesota, United States, along the South Fork of the Crow River. The population was 1,894 at the 2020 census.[2]
Lester Prairie was platted in 1886 and named for John N. Lester, an original owner of the town site.[4] A post office has been in operation at Lester Prairie since 1888.[5] Lester Prairie was incorporated in 1888.
The city is in eastern McLeod County. Minnesota State Highway 7 passes north of the city, leading west to Hutchinson and east to Minneapolis. Glencoe, the McLeod county seat, is to the southwest. McLeod County Roads 1, 9, and 23 are the main local routes in the community. A bike trail running east–west through the middle of town, the Dakota Rail Regional Trail, connects Lester Prairie to the Twin Cities.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Lester Prairie has a total area of 1sqmi, of which 0.001sqmi, or 0.1%, are water.[1] The South Fork of the Crow River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, flows past the southeast corner of the city.
As of the census[6] of 2010, there were 1,730 people, 654 households, and 463 families living in the city. The population density was 2011.6PD/sqmi. There were 704 housing units at an average density of 818.6/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 93.9% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.1% Asian, 3.8% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.3% of the population.
There were 654 households, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.2% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.11.
The median age in the city was 33.8 years. 28% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.5% were from 45 to 64; and 11.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,377 people, 516 households, and 379 families living in the city. The population density was 1910.4sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 531 housing units at an average density of 736.7sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 97.68% White, 0.07% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 1.89% from other races, and 0.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.94% of the population.
There were 516 households, out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.2% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.9% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $44,271, and the median income for a family was $52,417. Males had a median income of $35,463 versus $25,313 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,223. About 2.9% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
| + 2012 Precinct Results Spreadsheet[8] | + 2008 Precinct Results Spreadsheet[9] | + 2004 Precinct Results Spreadsheet[10] | + 2000 Precinct Results Spreadsheet[11] | + 1996 Precinct Results[12] | + 1992 Precinct Results[13] | + 1988 Precinct Results[14] | + 1984 Precinct Results[15] | + 1980 Precinct Results[16] | + 1976 Precinct Results[17] | + 1968 Precinct Results[18] | + 1964 Precinct Results[19] | + 1960 Precinct Results[20] |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third parties | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 72.7% 719 | 26.1% 258 | 1.2% 12 | |||||||||
| 2016 | 69.8% 615 | 22.6% 199 | 7.6% 67 | |||||||||
| 2012 | 63.0% 539 | 34.5% 295 | 2.5% 22 | |||||||||
| 2008 | 59.8% 515 | 36.9% 318 | 3.3% 28 | |||||||||
| 2004 | 68.8% 529 | 29.8% 229 | 1.4% 11 | |||||||||
| 2000 | 58.6% 360 | 31.3% 192 | 10.1% 62 | |||||||||
| 1996 | 38.4% 222 | 43.4% 251 | 18.2% 105 | |||||||||
| 1992 | 39.1% 245 | 30.4% 190 | 30.5% 191 | |||||||||
| 1988 | 61.4% 344 | 38.6% 216 | 0.0% 0 | |||||||||
| 1984 | 70.5% 404 | 29.5% 169 | 0.0% 0 | |||||||||
| 1980 | 61.8% 375 | 30.0% 176 | 9.2% 56 | |||||||||
| 1976 | 53.2% 268 | 44.2% 223 | 2.6% 13 | |||||||||
| 1968 | 68.3% 319 | 29.1% 136 | 2.6% 12 | |||||||||
| 1964 | 62.6% 278 | 37.4% 166 | 0.0% 0 | |||||||||
| 1960 | 82.8% 362 | 16.9% 74 | 0.3% 1 |
Lester Prairie is home to ISD #424 Lester Prairie Schools. The school is a K-12 school with both elementary and high school located in one building. There are approximately 400 students enrolled. Dr. Melissa Radeke is the district's superintendent. Mike Lee is the K-12 principal.