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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> 1 <br />SHERBURNE COUNTY <br />Understanding the Economy <br />Sherburne County Minnesota is a community of 96,000 people located in Central Minnesota. The <br />county actively pursues economic and community development efforts. To be effective in these <br />efforts, the Sherburne County Economic Development Authority (EDA) contracted with University <br />of Minnesota Extension to assist in understanding the county’s economy. With sound knowledge <br />of its economic assets, strengths, and weaknesses, the EDA is equipped to make informed <br />decisions regarding resources and targeted economic development initiatives. <br />The Sherburne County EDA and Extension engaged in a four-month, three-stage process to <br />understand the economy. Steps included identifying relevant economic data, discussing the <br />information with the EDA, and preparing this summary report, which will serve as a resource. <br />There are multiple methods for measuring and describing an economy. This project, however, <br />intentionally focused on Sherburne County’s competitive advantages. During the process, dozens <br />of data sources and points were considered. The data included in this report provides a broad <br />overview of Sherburne County’s economy with a specific focus on its strengths. <br />A full list of the data sources used in this report is provided at the end of the report. In addition, <br />links to each resource are provided. <br />ECONOMIC CHANGES, TRENDS, AND COMPARISONS <br />Sherburne County’s job growth has been solid and is outperforming most neighboring <br />counties. <br /> <br />Sherburne County, measured in jobs, has recovered from the Great Recession of 2008-2009. <br />Overall employment continues to grow (Chart 1). Between 2001 and 2019, the number of jobs in <br />Sherburne County increased by 28 percent. The only neighboring county with a higher growth rate <br />was Wright County with a 44 percent increase. Most neighboring counties posted rates in the <br />range of 10 to 20 percent. They include Stearns County (12 percent), Anoka County (14 percent), <br />and Benton County (19 percent). Mille Lacs County’s growth rate was essentially zero. This data <br />comes from the EMSI database.