Recent content from MaryJo Webster
Minnesotans see first census count of same-sex married couples as sign of acceptance
Before the addition of the new box in 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau had a history of altering data reported by same-sex married couples.
Minnesota's high school grad rates rebounded in 2022. See your school's results
Four-year completion rate nears pre-pandemic high, plus three more takeaways and charts.
New rules created to make baseball faster and more fun add to buzz of Twins opener
When the Twins play their home opener today, much of the ballpark buzz is expected to come from the new rules created to make baseball faster and more fun.
Hennepin, Ramsey counties lose residents: 'Ripples' of pandemic
While not as dramatic as during the pandemic, more people are still moving out of the core counties.
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.
New report shows stark economic inequalities among Minnesota's cultural groups
Key findings relied on survey data collected between 2016 and 2020 and show disparities in homeownership, employment, education levels and individual earnings.
Looking for an affordable starter home in the Twin Cities area? Good luck
Years of record price gains have fueled the demise of the $300,000 starter house, making houses in every price range more expensive.
Why didn't Minneapolis gobble up its suburbs?
Annexation once seemed likely. Instead, the Twin Cities became a region of fragmented local governments.
Minnesota's public schools lost students again this year
Charter schools and private schools saw more modest gains in enrollment after a brief pandemic surge.
Top offensive player? Yes. All-time great? Jefferson's stats help answer
How far along does Justin Jefferson's 2022 season move the chains toward placing him among football's best receivers ever? These five charts from his superb 2022 season offer evidence.
As homebuyers flock to suburbs, Lake Elmo becomes hottest market in Twin Cities area
The hottest city in the Twin Cities metro area for home buyers last year was also one of the most inconspicuous.
![The home of the Brockshus family Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023, in Lake Elmo, Minn. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ • carlos.gonzalez@startribune.com.](https://chorus.stimg.co/24404466/merlin_69693413.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
See where your city ranks in the Twin Cities area's hottest housing markets
Home buyers seeking more space made several outer-ring suburbs the hottest markets in 2022.
State's eviction filings soared in 2022, continue into new year
Eviction filings remained higher than pre-pandemic levels throughout the last six months of 2022, leaping again in December and showing no signs of letting up in January — a time of year when filings usually drop.
Words can't explain the wild Vikings season, but these 6 charts can
Close wins, big losses and last-minute victories leave skeptics questioning how the team will do in the playoffs
Tracking coronavirus in Minnesota
See how COVID-19 has spread in Minnesota and across the United States.
Minnesota's juvenile justice system is broken. Colorado shows how it could be better.
In Minnesota, as in much of the country, alternative approaches to handling youth crimes have been slow to gain public support. But Colorado has overcome these obstacles through a series of hard-won legislative victories and a commitment to measuring outcomes.
Minnesota's population growth sees 'concerning' stall for a second year
The U.S. Census Bureau released the new estimates Thursday.
How extended probation for young Minnesotans can become a 'backdoor to prison'
Extended youth probation was once heralded as an innovative alternative to prison for adolescents who commit violent crimes. Instead, an alarming number end up incarcerated for minor probation offenses.
9 charts explain Vikings' stunning turnaround from last season
Last year, the Vikings lost one close game after another. Why are they winning those games this season? The data shows that there are reasons up and down the roster.
6 maps that take a deeper look at Minnesota's election results
From the attorney general race to a razor-thin upset of an incumbent in the Arrowhead, there were a few notable takeaways.
Minnesota youth most in need of juvenile system help have nowhere to go
As youth detention centers close, Minnesota runs out of places to rehabilitate kids who commit serious crimes.
Minnesotans are 'driving like crazy,' and it's killing people
Motorists surveyed say they are speeding more than ever, at the same time many law enforcement agencies are scaling back or even eliminating speed enforcement as they shift diminished staffs to more pressing law enforcement work.
Minnesota students' low test scores offer glimpse of pandemic challenges
New state data provides the first substantive look at how the pandemic disrupted learning. Fewer than half of Minnesota students are proficient in math, and reading skills have declined.
Minnesota identifies hundreds of schools in need of additional support
More information, including statewide test scores, will be released Thursday.
Two cousins with diverging fates show promise, failure of youth rehabilitation in Minn.
Each day, Minnesota judges and prosecutors make life-altering decisions about children who break the law. Most kids end up entangled in the county court system, but some youth are offered an alternative, known as diversion. A child's future can hinge on the path that is chosen.
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.
Did the Twin Cities population grow or shrink during the pandemic?
Two new datasets showing city-level population estimates give quite different results.
Census overcount of Minnesota's population may have aided political win
Data released Thursday helped explain how the state narrowly retained its last congressional seat.
How popular is your first name (or any other) in Minnesota?
Track the popularity of any first name in Minnesota over the past century.
Minnesota eviction filings soared in April
Court filings last month were not only higher than March, but far above pre-pandemic levels.
Minnesota's juvenile justice system failing youth, families, victims
A Star Tribune examination of hundreds of juvenile court records finds that the system is failing to effectively intervene in the lives of Minnesota's most troubled youth, often despite anguished pleas from parents.
Minnesota's graduation rate dipped slightly in 2021, but Black students see gains
State education leaders say the pandemic led the class of 2021 to face unprecedented challenges in crossing the finish line.
Hennepin, Ramsey counties show population declines in 2021
State demographer says early retirements and college disruptions due to COVID-19 played a role.
These are Minnesota's top greenhouse gas polluters
About 100 facilities in Minnesota generate about 25% of the state's total greenhouse gases.
Ethanol's clean air benefits clouded by greenhouse gas emissions
Corn ethanol's per-gallon carbon output shrinks, but greenhouse gas from plants remains high.
Minn. 2021 death toll well above expected total despite vaccine
More than 5,000 COVID-19 deaths in the state last year account for most of the increase.
Twin Cities homebuyers flocked to these neighborhoods in 2021
The most dynamic neighborhood in Minneapolis for home buyers last year was in the northeast corner of the city, according to the Star Tribune's Hot Housing Index.
Minnesota public school enrollment drops, but decline is less severe than previous year
Kindergarten enrollment, which fell during the pandemic, has bounced back somewhat.
Six takeaways from Minnesota's new redistricting maps
Last week's release of new congressional and legislative maps has shifted Minnesota's electoral landscape.
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.
Where buyers have best odds in Twin Cities area housing market
These communities had the most listings, lowest price increases and least amount of competition, according to a Star Tribune list of the best markets for home buyers.
Hottest Twin Cities housing markets were far out from cities
The exurbs rose in popularity and price as the pandemic unfolded in 2020, and then they took all 10 hottest spots this past year.
Exurbs rise to the top in ranking of Twin Cities area's hottest housing markets
Space and lower prices helped cities on the edge climb to the top of the Star Tribune's latest Hot Housing Index.
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.
Minnesota student math, reading scores drop in pandemic year
More than 20% of eligible students did not take statewide tests.
5 takeaways from the 2020 census data for Minnesota
Interesting things we're seeing in the 2020 census data released Thursday.
How Twin Cities housing rules keep the metro segregated
Decades of zoning policies that prioritize single-family homes have perpetuated more racially explicit discrimination.
Minnesota legislators aim to spur creation of more entry-level housing
Proposed bill follows Star Tribune report examining zoning restrictions.
Homeownership gap in the Twin Cities is highest in the nation
A surge in single-family rentals in Hennepin and Ramsey counties is eliminating options for minority and low-income buyers.
Minnesota's public school enrollment drops 2% as parents explore pandemic options
Enrollment is down by 2% statewide, with bigger drops in kindergarten and the other early grades.
COVID-19 fuels highest annual Minnesota death count
Increases in all causes of mortality in Minnesota in 2020 refute claims that pandemic only killed people who already were going to die.
Inequities persist in St. Paul and Ramsey County COVID relief
Despite efforts to be fair, some historically underserved areas of the capital city still came out behind as $12.7 million in emergency funds were given out.
What were the hottest housing markets in the Twin Cities metro area?
With mortgage rates falling to record lows and a pandemic upending how and where people want to live, sales exceeded new listings throughout much of the metro. Find out how your community fared in our searchable Hot Housing Index for 2020.
Young and social North Loop sees rapid rise in COVID cases
The Minneapolis neighborhood has the city's third highest growth rate in new coronavirus cases, which tracks with the large number of young adults who live there and were more likely to socialize and dine out.
Minneapolis police overtime in 2 weeks after Floyd death: $3.3M
Costs associated with the summer unrest doubled the Minneapolis Police Department's allotted overtime budget for 2020.
New look shows violent crime's spread across Mpls. this summer
The surge in violent crime this summer included more prosperous neighborhoods that typically experience few such incidents while continuing to exact the heaviest toll in the city's poor areas, according to a Star Tribune analysis of police statistics.
How COVID-19 case rates will affect each Minn. school district's reopening plan
The state's Safe Learning Plan relies on many variables.
People of color hit harder by COVID-19 in Twin Cities, data confirm
Black and Hispanic Minnesotans are far more likely to be infected than white Minnesotans, state data show.
Minnesota's online schools attract interest amid pandemic
State concerned about online charter schools' math scores.
Pandemic leads to 20% increase in overall deaths in Minnesota
In just seven weeks, the additional fatalities have cut into generations and communities, especially the elderly and people of color.
Minnesota parents tell us what they really think of online learning
We asked parents to fill out a survey about how K-12 online learning is going as a result of the pandemic. Comments ranged from intense enthusiasm and gratitude for what teachers have done to immense frustration.
Minnesota parents, educators stress need to maintain personal connection with students
A Star Tribune survey of parents shows that the more frequent the live video sessions between staff and students, the greater their satisfaction with their children's learning.
Minnesota schools will have to detail how they spend aid for struggling students
Legislative Auditor's Office says more disclosure is needed for aid intended to shrink achievement gap.
Minnesota, how is remote learning going for your family?
Do you have children between kindergarten and 12th grade participating in online learning through their Minnesota school during this stay-at-home order period? We’d like to…
COVID-related reforms bring cautious optimism from Twin Cities activists
The novel coronavirus has already seriously disrupted police and court systems in the Twin Cities, as elsewhere.
On Census Day, about 44% of Minn. households have said: We're here
Officials hope more Minnesotans will complete the form online.
Minnesota eviction numbers see dramatic decline in past decade
The number statewide has dropped 33% since the foreclosure crisis.
Downtown East leads Mpls. neighborhoods in crime increase
The area, also known as East Town, was part of the nearly two-thirds of the city's 81 neighborhoods that saw an increase in overall crime in 2019, from the previous four-year average.
Once-obscure suburbs are the new hot housing markets
First-time buyers and baby boomers are getting priced out of newer, more expensive suburbs and popular urban neighborhoods.
How Minneapolis might reshape its school district
Minneapolis has released five proposals to shift schools and students around the district.
Violent crime dropped in St. Paul last year, despite record gun deaths
A Star Tribune analysis of newly released police data shows that while homicides soared in 2019, reports of aggravated assaults, rapes and robberies decreased, contributing to a reduction in overall violent crime.
Minnesotans' income grew faster than inflation last year, while inequality expanded slightly
Latest Census survey shows more effects from retiring baby boomers.
More Minnesota students opt out of state tests, create a dilemma
Around the state, the rate of students choosing to bypass the state's largest standardized exams has risen steadily for more than a decade.
How did Minn. become one of the most racially inequitable states?
By almost any measurement, Minnesota is plagued by racial disparities — in unemployment, in poverty, in homeownership. Readers want to know what's behind the inequities.
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.
