Song of the south metro, in statistics

Scott County has the metro area's highest median income.

South metro residents mostly commute alone and spend a few more minutes in their cars than others do statewide. And more than a third of south metro residents have at least a bachelor's degree.

Those are some of the tidbits about south metro life that can be gleaned from an American Community Survey data released this month.

The survey, which combines the results of U.S. Census Bureau questionnaires from 2005 through 2009, comes with some caution -- it is a compilation of data collected amid economic turmoil -- but it's an appetizer of sorts before the main course, the detailed 2010 census results that will be released next year.

Jane Vanderpoel, a management analyst for Dakota County, said the five-year window of the American Community Survey gives a peek at the characteristics of small towns that was previously available only every 10 years when full census data came out.

"It's better than nothing for some of our smaller communities," she said.

But the most nutritious information will come through the 2010 census.

A slice of the available survey statistics:

Income, poverty

The median income in Scott County was $83,503 -- highest in the metro area. In Dakota County, it was $73,209.

Less than 4 percent of Scott County residents and about 5 percent of Dakota County residents were below the federal poverty level during that time.

For those with mortgages, the median monthly cost was $1,740 in Dakota County and $1,877 in Scott County. Statewide, the median is $1,526.

The south metro area, like Minnesota as a whole, is still very white, but there are pockets of diversity.

About 10 percent of residents in Scott and Dakota counties reported speaking a language other than English at home.

The communities along the Minnesota River are home to more than the average number of immigrants, with Shakopee leading the way with 13 percent of residents reporting that they were born in foreign countries. In more rural areas and cities farther from the core cities, such as Hastings and Prior Lake, less than 4 percent of residents are foreign-born.

Transportation

More than half of Scott and Dakota county residents work outside the counties in which they live.

The average commute for a Dakota County resident is 23 minutes, while Scott County drivers are in their cars about 26 minutes. The statewide average commute is 22 minutes.