View source for Meriden Township, Steele County, Minnesota

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Meriden Township, Minnesota
|settlement_type          = [[Township (United States)|Township]]
|nickname                 =
|motto                    =
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|pushpin_map            =Minnesota#USA
|pushpin_label_position =left <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption    =Location within the state of Minnesota
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|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Minnesota]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Minnesota|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Steele County, Minnesota|Steele]]
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|unit_pref  =  Imperial
|area_footnotes           =
|area_magnitude           =
|area_total_km2           = 93.6
|area_land_km2            = 93.5
|area_water_km2           = 0.2
|area_total_sq_mi         = 36.2
|area_land_sq_mi          = 36.1
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.1
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|population_as_of         = [[United States Census, 2000|2000]]
|population_footnotes     =
|population_total         = 631
|population_density_km2   = 6.8
|population_density_sq_mi = 17.5
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|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      =
|elevation_m              = 354
|elevation_ft             = 1161
|coordinates              = {{coord|44|4|28|N|93|20|50|W|region:US-MN|display=inline,title}}
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|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 27-41750<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0664960<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=2007-10-25}}</ref>
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'''Meriden Township''' is a township in [[Steele County, Minnesota|Steele County]], [[Minnesota]], United States. The population was 631 at the 2000 census.
==History==
Meriden Township was organized in 1858, and named after [[Meriden, Connecticut]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Upham|first=Warren|title=Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance|url=https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog|year=1920|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|page=[https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog/page/n550 533]}}</ref>
==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of 36.2&nbsp;square miles (93.7&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 36.1&nbsp;square miles (93.5&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is land and 0.1&nbsp;square mile (0.2&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (0.19%) is water.
==Demographics==
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 631 people, 224 households, and 172 families residing in the township. The population density was {{convert|17.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 231 housing units at an average density of {{convert|6.4|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the township was 98.89% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.79% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 0.32% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.16% of the population.
There were 224 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.8% were non-families. 15.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the township the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.9 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $51,477, and the median income for a family was $55,625. Males had a median income of $34,286 versus $24,545 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $21,162.  About 2.8% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
==Notable person==
* [[Hiram Drache]], historian-in-residence at [[Concordia College (Moorhead)|Concordia College]], [[Moorhead, Minnesota|Moorhead]], [[Minnesota]] and author on agriculture and the history of [[North Dakota]].{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Steele County, Minnesota}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Townships in Steele County, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Townships in Minnesota]]