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<br />City of Arden Hills - Comprehensive Plan - DRAFT <br /> <br />2. COMMUNITY PROFILE <br /> <br />In order to plan for the future of Arden Hills, it is important to understand where the <br />City has been, where the City is now, and how the City is likely to change. <br />Understanding the history of Arden Hills and the trends that affect the City can <br />provides a basis from which to make belter decisions. Although the past is not a <br />perfect indicator of future changes, it does give perspective on the status of the <br />community and suggests where Arden Hills may be heading. <br /> <br />Since 1990, population has increased by nearly five percent, the median household <br />income has increased, more residents have a higher education, and the number of <br />jobs in the City has increased. Arden Hills is a stable community and many <br />residents are choosing to remain in Arden Hills as long as possible. However, high <br />property values and the relative lack of turnover in the housing stock have made it <br />difficult for younger households to move into the City. Between 1990 and 2000, the <br />age 25-34 age group decreased by 32 percent in Arden Hills compared to just <br />twelve percent in the metropolitan area. The number of families with children <br />increased by ten percent in the metropolitan area but decreased by seventeen <br />percent in Arden Hills. <br /> <br />The remainder of this chapter provides additional demographic and economic <br />information about Arden Hills and some of the changes the community has seen in <br />the last ten, twenty, and thirty years. While there is the tendency to only look within <br />the City borders, Arden Hills is part of a larger metropolitan area of seven counties <br />that include 184 municipalities and three townships. Therefore, a comparison of <br />Arden Hills' demographic information to adjacent municipalities, Ramsey County, <br />and the metropolitan area is provided where appropriate. The comparison helps <br />provide context for this Plan, and helps explain the role that Arden Hills plays in the <br />larger metropolitan community. <br /> <br />Data from the Metropolitan Council and the Unites States Census Bureau provides <br />the basis for most of the comparisons in this Chapter. The Metropolitan Council has <br />prepared population, household, and employment forecasts for the cities and <br />townships in the metropolitan area. <br /> <br />DRAFT <br />4/18/2008 <br /> <br />7 <br />