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Jeff Hargarten

Interactive Data Journalist | Metro
Phone: 612-673-4642

Jeff Hargarten is a data journalist for the Star Tribune focusing on data-driven reporting and visualization. He has covered elections, technology, criminal justice, demographics and public health.


A Minneapolis native, Hargarten graduated in 2014 from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication with a professional journalism degree. As a student reporter at the Star Tribune, he previously covered public health. His past experience includes work for MinnPost, Pioneer Press, News21 and Minnesota Daily.
Recent content from Jeff Hargarten
credit: Mie Ahmt, iStock Cute baby with “Hello, my name is” name tag on. ORG XMIT: MIN1307161602591158

How popular is your name in Minnesota?

Track the popularity of any first name in Minnesota over the past century.
Ridership on Metro Transit hasn’t fully recovered since it collapsed in early 2020.

How the COVID-19 pandemic has changed Minnesotans' lives

The pandemic caused abrupt and unusual shifts at home, at work, shopping, traveling and more. Life isn't completely back to pre-pandemic normal — and maybe it never will be.
Trees in northern Minnesota sporting colorful fall foliage in 2018.

Does Minnesota have more forests than its neighbors?

The state's immense forests once made it a lumber milling giant.
Officials from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office entered the scene of a fatal shooting Dec. 30, 2022, near U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapo

Violent crime declined in Mpls. last year, but rates still well above norm

Analysts say it's too early to say why it fell, though some credit a return to normalcy in the Twin Cities and around the nation.
A Black Broadband Summit was held in north Minneapolis, where residents were educated about how broadband works and shared their experiences going wit

Internet speed disparities in Minneapolis depend on address

Formerly redlined neighborhoods have the lowest percentages of broadband internet.
Map: How Minnesota voted for governor, precinct by precinct

Map: How Minnesota voted for governor, precinct by precinct

DFL Gov. Tim Walz won re-election in part by winning strong support in areas of the Twin Cities and its suburbs — further cementing Minnesota's urban-rural political divide.
BCA scientists have had to take extra precautions including having doses of Narcan available when processing seized narcotics because of the surge of

As Twin Cities opioid overdoses surge, officials lean into drug prevention, education

Minneapolis calls the surge a public health and safety concern, and St. Paul is grappling with a sevenfold increase in fentanyl overdoses.
A half-mile radius surrounding the North Side intersection, home to Merwin Liquors and a Winner Gas station, is where nearly one out of every 10 killi

Embattled north Mpls. corner long been epicenter for violence

A half-mile radius surrounding a North Side intersection, home to the embattled Merwin Liquors and a Winner Gas station known as the "murder station," is where nearly one out of every 10 killings citywide has taken place since 2010, according to a Star Tribune analysis.
FILE- This combination of file photos shows the logo of Kia Motors, top and Hyundai logo, bottom. Hyundai and Kia are recalling more than 550,000 cars

Kia, Hyundai face lawsuits amid surge in Twin Cities auto thefts

Some residents have responded with a class-action lawsuit, joining more than a dozen similar lawsuits against Kia and Hyundai.
These 50 animals and plants have disappeared from Minnesota

These 50 animals and plants have disappeared from Minnesota

Scientists know the actual number of extirpated species is much larger, but we don't have a full picture of what species have lived here.
Hennepin Avenue late Saturday night.

In Minneapolis, downtown is back. So is the violent crime

Still below 2019 levels, violent offenses are creeping up in the city's downtown west neighborhood as business and night life returns to a semblance of normalcy.
Police Inspector Sean McGinty of the Second Precinct speaks with attendees about safety plans moving forward during a town hall held by Minneapolis Th

After July 4th shooting, Minneapolis braces for more gun violence

Police say low staffing levels hinder their response to calls.
Jon and Karli Neilson with their daughter Parker, 6, in front of their home in St. Paul. They recently discovered the deed to their home contains a ra

Racial covenants found embedded in Ramsey County deeds

The research is far from complete, but the Mapping Prejudice group plans to launch a dialogue about the consequences of racial covenants in Ramsey County as it has in Hennepin County.
Sharon McWhite tucked her keys into a zipper pocket in her purse after entering her office earlier this month in Edina.

Suburbs' increase in violent crime is mostly in a few metro cities

A Star Tribune analysis of data from 50 Twin Cities suburbs shows violent and property crimes jumped notably in some communities last year. But most metro-area suburbs saw little or no increase.
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How popular is your first name (or any other) in Minnesota?

Track the popularity of any first name in Minnesota over the past century.
Brian Wareham, a mechanic at St. Louis Park Municipal Service Center, engraved a catalytic converter with the car’s license plate number. This was p

Catalytic converter thefts soaring in Twin Cities suburbs

The Twin Cities metro area is the riskiest place in the country for such thefts, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Minnesota’s political parties are starting to see the battleground districts that will help decide control of the Legislature in the decade to come.

Six takeaways from Minnesota's new redistricting maps

Last week's release of new congressional and legislative maps has shifted Minnesota's electoral landscape.
Julius Menchikov was busy printing and mounting huge copies of Minnesota’s new redistricting map on Tuesday in St. Paul.

Maps show how redistricting reshapes Minnesota's political borders

Every legislative seat is up for re-election in a redistricting year, meaning control of state government is at stake in the fall election.
Here is where carjackings happened in St. Paul in 2021

Here is where carjackings happened in St. Paul in 2021

There were roughly 100 carjacking incidents in the capital city last year.
8th St. Market owner Woods Halley prepared to open. The market was robbed six times in November and now won’t accept cash from customers.

Store owners wary, weary as robberies climb in Minneapolis

Some stores have been hit several times, making workers quit and scaring away customers.
Police investigated a 2015 carjacking in south Minneapolis. In 2021, police recorded more than 640 attempted or successful carjackings throughout the

A breakdown of 2021 carjackings in Minneapolis by neighborhood

Carjackings swept across Minneapolis last year, mostly concentrated in areas around Midtown and Uptown.
The homicide scene in north Minneapolis where a 25-year-old man was shot at a market on Glenwood Ave., the third murder in a 24-hour period in Septemb

Mpls. closes in on homicide milestone at end of violent year

As 2021 comes to a close, shootings are up by every metric, and the city nears the homicide record set in 1995.
Lt. Richard Zimmerman, the head of the Minneapolis Police Department’s homicide unit, spoke to a sergeant at the scene of a shooting on Washington A

Arrests for most violent and property crimes drop in Mpls.

Homicide arrests are up significantly, by contrast, in a sign Minneapolis police are focusing their resources.
An election judge looked over a blank test ballot at the Elections and Voter Services Office in Minneapolis.

For 19% of Mpls. voters, Frey was the only mayoral choice ranked

New data released after votes were certified offers a deeper look at how voters ranked the mayoral candidates - and why a campaign urging people not to rank the incumbent mayor ultimately lost.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo unveiled changes to the police use of force policy on Aug. 26, 2020.

MPD use-of-force data remain murky a year after changes

Minneapolis overhauled the thresholds for use of force by officers after the murder of George Floyd. But data available on the city's use-of-force dashboard remains incomplete, making it difficult to access the actual effect of the policy changes.
Following the first day of early voting morning rush, poll workers stood outside waiting for more voters at Minneapolis Elections and Voter Services S

Minneapolis' historic election pushed turnout to new high

Voter turnout reached new heights, continuing a trend that's reversed years of declining engagement.
Monica Rojas gets directions from a poll worker on her way to casting her ballot at Sabathani Community Center during municipal elections Tuesday, Nov

Opposition to policing amendment spanned north and south Minneapolis

Through impassioned debates in the nearly 18 months since George Floyd's killing by police, one question was frequently asked: Who would decide the future of policing in Minneapolis? Black residents disproportionately impacted by crime and police use of force, or white voters who often dominate local election turnout?
Precinct-by-precinct look at how Minneapolis voted down police charter question

Precinct-by-precinct look at how Minneapolis voted down police charter question

While other younger, more diverse areas showed stronger support for the failed amendment, precincts on the North Side had narrower results.
A mobile surveillance/light station has been in place for months on the corner of Nicollet Avenue and 14th Street in Minneapolis to deter crime.

Minneapolis on pace for most violent year in a generation

This year is on track to surpass 2020's record-high 9,600 gunfire reports. And the past 20 months now account for almost a quarter of the 70,000 gunshot incidents reported in Minneapolis since 2008.
Noelle Fries, left, and Galen Biel, both of Minneapolis, attended a 2019 rally at the Minnesota Capitol to kick off a year-long drive to try to ensure

5 takeaways from the 2020 census data for Minnesota

Interesting things we're seeing in the 2020 census data released Thursday.
Populations of color are expected to be the main driver of growth over the next three decades.

What will Twin Cities area look like in 2050? Larger, older and more diverse

Met Council's latest population forecast predicts slowdown in growth, but surging diversity.
Crime in Dinkytown and other University of Minnesota neighborhoods rose 40% in the last year.

Decade-high crime surge jars neighborhoods surrounding U

From Sept. 1 to May 31, there were about 2,100 criminal incidents reported across university-area neighborhoods, up 40% from the nearly 1,500 tallied in the prior academic year.
in disrepair: Rachel Jones, with her sons, 20-month-old Rhys Belknap and 3-year-old Finn Belknap, showed her crumbling basement wall.

North Minneapolis renters wage a fight with private equity landlords

An investment firm is area's largest landlord of single-family rentals
Katie Wright, whose son Daunte Wright was shot and killed by a Brooklyn Center police officer, was overcome by emotion during a news conference Friday

Fatal stop brings fresh scrutiny to Brooklyn Center police

Most officers are white, while most residents are people of color. According to the mayor, not one officer lives within city limits.
Students in Commercial and Residential Wiring class have their own wooden cubicles to help promote better social distancing during a full class. ] ALE

After a pandemic year, Minnesota's social distancing tapers off

Data from Google and other sources show a gradual shift toward normal habits.
Rep. Collin Peterson, a Democrat who lost his bid for a 16th term, was a major force in shaping several farm bills and a strong advocate for Midwester

With Peterson's defeat, a longtime DFL stronghold shifts into GOP hands

After years of declining victory margins, one of the few remaining "Blue Dog Democrats" couldn't stave off political changes in his district this time.
Voters stood in line waiting to cast their early votes at the elections and voters services building on 980 Hennepin Ave. East, Friday, October 16, 20

Absentee balloting helped drive Minnesota's highest voter turnout in 6 decades

High rates of early voting help propel Minnesota to one of its strongest voting years ever.
This combination of pictures created on October 22, 2020 shows US President Donald Trump (L) and Democratic Presidential candidate and former US Vice

Biden recaptures lost ground as many Minnesota counties move left

Despite several visits from President Donald Trump hoping to win Minnesota, the electorate favored former vice president Joe Biden, delivering him the win in a handful of counties that evaded Hillary Clinton in 2016. Where Trump prevailed, his win margin was tighter in regional population centers, while it grew in some of the most rural parts of the North Star State.
Todd Gallagher prepares mail-in ballot envelopes including an "I voted" sticker in Minneapolis in July. Absentee ballots are being requested at a reco

An election like no other: Tracking Minnesota's early voting

With nearly 2 million absentee votes already accepted, Minnesotans are trending well ahead of previous election early voting.
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participate in the final presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville,

Minnesotans gave record amounts to campaigns during a chaotic year

More of Minnesota's donors gave more money to political campaigns via platforms like ActBlue and WinRed than ever before.
“I am real with someone exposing our government for what they are,” said Victor Gaten as he cast an early ballot for Trump.

For Black Minnesota voters, equality is on the ballot

A Star Tribune analysis of voting patterns in Minnesota precincts with a majority or plurality of Black voters shows a drop in registered voter turnout from 75% in 2012 to 70% in 2016.
Voters waited at the elections and voters services building at 980 E. Hennepin Av. in Minneapolis on Oct. 16.

With days to go, more than 1.1M Minnesotans have voted so far

The volume of early ballots accepted this year is already almost double the number counted for the entire 2016 election. With 11 days to go until Nov. 3, the mountain of mail ballots is expected to rise.
Todd Gallagher prepares mail in ballot envelopes including an I Voted sticker Wednesday, July 29, 2020 in Minneapolis. Absentee ballots are being requ

Early voting, once regional in Minnesota, has swept across the state

Absentee balloting has shattered records and crossed regions during this pandemic election year.
FILE - In this July 29, 2020, file photo, mail in ballot envelopes including an I Voted sticker are prepared in Minneapolis. Nevada's new vote-by-mail

Minnesota's primary had few late or rejected mail ballots

Higher rates of mail-in ballots were returned by Minnesota voters during the state primary, while relatively fewer were rejected.
Mail-in ballot packages were prepared in July in Minneapolis. More than 1 million Minnesota voters have requested absentee ballots.

Minnesotans across the state overwhelmingly are voting absentee

A heated presidential election and COVID-19 are driving people to vote from home.
A Minneapolis police officer tested out a body camera before the department adopted them in 2017. A new policy prevents Minneapolis officers involved

How Minneapolis policing changed during a historic summer of turmoil

Minneapolis police activity fell dramatically compared to last year as the department faced multiple challenges.
Todd Gallagher prepared mail-in ballots in July in Minneapolis.

6 of 10 Minnesota primary voters cast ballots absentee or by mail, tripling turnout

Check out your county's numbers on our map. The general election on Nov. 3 will likely test Minnesota's capacity to handle an even greater surge of voters.
The scene at the beach at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis on June 17. A cluster of COVID-19 cases tied to young adults drinking at southern Minnesota bars

Summer might be canceled, but Minnesotans are distancing less

Minnesotans are out and about this summer after COVID-19 lockdowns have eased, but daily life remains altered in some ways.
Hundreds of people marched in the "No Bail" 10K March, which started at U.S. Bank and ended up closing the 35W bridge in both directions on May 31.

Following historic unrest, police data show a quieter Minneapolis

Police reports spiked, then dipped surrounding the unrest triggered by George Floyd's death.
Stark racial disparities remain as Mpls. police use-of-force rate rises

Stark racial disparities remain as Mpls. police use-of-force rate rises

After a decade of falling, the share of Minneapolis police incidents involving some form of force has increased in the past three years.
The Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi River was dotted with morning runners.

How Minnesotans are lightening up on social distancing

Typical Minnesota life ground to a halt when Gov. Tim Walz announced a shelter-in-place order in late March. But as summer approaches, fewer are staying home as often.
A router and internet switch.

COVID-19 isolation hits harder for 300,000 Minnesotans who don't have internet

Minnesota's gaps in access to basic technology may leave vulnerable residents even further behind during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minnesotans voted in the presidential primary Tuesday.

How Minnesota voted in the 2020 Democratic primary, precinct by precinct

Explore a detailed map of each precinct's result showing where Joe Biden bested his rivals across Minnesota.
A pedestrian outside the polling place at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis.

Three metrics that suggest who Minnesotans might vote for

Amy Klobuchar had maintained a polling lead in Minnesota's primary before she withdrew from the race, but Bernie Sanders' momentum had been narrowing the gap.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks during the Power of our Pride Town Hall Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, in Los Angeles.

Klobuchar tracker: Super Tuesday scramble in southern states

Klobuchar's campaign may face a challenge reaching November's Democratic debate stage.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks during a Democratic presidential primary debate at the Gaillard Center, Tuesday,

Sanders overtakes Klobuchar in small-dollar Minnesota donations ahead of Super Tuesday

Sanders out-raised Klobuchar among Minnesotans contributing to ActBlue in January.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks at her election night party, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020, in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/

How Amy Klobuchar's surge in New Hampshire might've helped Bernie, too

Some have wondered whether Klobuchar peeled votes away from Buttigieg and benefited Sanders, whose win was slimmer than in 2016.
A precinct-by-precinct look at Klobuchar's Iowa caucus performance

A precinct-by-precinct look at Klobuchar's Iowa caucus performance

After months of campaigning and visiting all 99 Iowa counties, Klobuchar was mostly washed out except for some suburban and sparsely-populated areas.
People stood in the back of the room when an overflow crowd attended the Minneapolis School Board meeting in Minneapolis, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020. Many

How Minneapolis might reshape its school district

Minneapolis has released five proposals to shift schools and students around the district.
Records show that extended, harsh punishment like solitary confinement can make mental illnesses worse.

Minnesota sends black, Native American prisoners to solitary at higher rates than whites

The first-of-its-kind report also reflects some people are staying in isolation for long periods of time.
Denfeld High School senior Rachel Skwira-Brown, 17, helped Laura Macarthur Elementary School second grader Katelynn Mccauley with her reading as part

How Duluth's school boundaries might be reshaped

Google's reach is broad, and now the internet giant wants to get into the financial services industry by offering consumers checking accounts. (Hakan

Minnesotans Googled these Democratic candidates the most in 2019

Google Trends data shows which Democratic candidates Minnesotans have been most curious about over the past year.
A suicide prevention sign in a subway station in Chicago. (Beatrice Preve/Dreamstime/TNS) ORG XMIT: 1342454

Minnesota's veteran suicides continue taking a steady toll

Recent state death records show a downturn in Minnesota veteran suicide rate – though 100 or more former service members still die by suicide annually throughout the state.
ALEX KORMANN/alex.kormann@startribune.com
Election Judges Cheryl Wasmund (left) and Jan Lenes waited to help voters in line on Tuesday morning at Peac

How Duluth voted in its 2019 city elections

In this July 22, 2019 photo, Grace Capati looks at a UFO display outside of the Little A'Le'Inn, in Rachel, Nev., the closest town to Area 51. The U.S

UFOs are back in the news — and Minnesotans are seeing more of them

About half of Minnesota's roughly UFO 1,700 sightings since the 1940s have taken place in this decade.
Take a photo tour of Mpls. in 1907 with astonishing, interactive panorama

Take a photo tour of Mpls. in 1907 with astonishing, interactive panorama

A panoramic photo of the city taken on a large-format camera in 1907 offers an incredible time capsule. "It reveals things that essentially nobody ever saw before. It's so immersive."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) speaks during the first night of the second round of Democratic presidential debates, in Detroit, on Tuesday, July 30, 20

How Minnesota donors have boosted Klobuchar's campaign

Sen. Amy Klobuchar joins a narrowed field of presidential candidates on Thursday night's primary debate stage, and has reached this point partially due to strong support from her Minnesota constituents.
Mason jars for an informal kernel poll of presidential candidates at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on Aug. 9. The crowded and divided Democratic c

As parties court small-dollar donors, undecided Democrats back multiple candidates

Macey Meyer never considered herself the type to donate to a presidential campaign. Then she watched the first Democratic presidential primary debates. The 26-year-old restaurant…
Which Minnesota schools are scoring better than expected?

Which Minnesota schools are scoring better than expected?

A Star Tribune analysis of standardized math and reading test scores can determine whether schools are doing better than their demographics would suggest. Look up whether your school made the cut.
Minnesota faces a labor growth slowdown. This helps explain why.

Minnesota faces a labor growth slowdown. This helps explain why.

Minnesota's labor force growth is projected to slow the next decade, adding to those outside the workforce.
A view of the crash, with the victims' blue pickup truck wrapped around a pole outside of Matt's Bar.

Mpls. police rethink pursuit policy after string of chases

The discussion comes after a string of high-speed police pursuits that ended in crashes involving injuries and even death.
Guns seized during a raid by law enforcement officials.

Access to guns a concern as Mpls. police seize more than 700 in 2018

North Side, Northeast rose so far this year; overall, numbers fell a third in past decade.
Twenty years ago, an auto-immune disease caused Beth Ehresman, right, to have massive heart failure and now she is living on disability. She lives at

As rents rise in the Twin Cities, suburbs embrace affordable housing efforts

With rents rising across the metro, cities find stable options to help, and keep, tenants.
FILE - In this April 20, 2018 file photo, a marijuana plant is seen on Hippie Hill in San Francisco. The San Francisco top prosecutor says his office

The state of marijuana in Minnesota, according to data

As lawmakers reconsider the drug's legal status, here's a look at the current laws, public opinion and criminal justice data related to cannabis in Minnesota.
Aboard her campaign bus, Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) waves to her supporters after winning the Iowa straw poll o

Stassen to Bachmann: A look back at Minnesota's past presidential candidates

A handful of home-grown politicians have run for the highest office in the land, but none have ever progressed to the Oval Office.