Ever so slightly, the population within Ely’s city limits is on the rise.
For the third year in a row, the city of Ely has recorded a slight increase in population, according to updated census numbers provided by the Minnesota State Demographic Center.
Those totals show that Ely’s estimated population, as of April 1 of 2025, is 3,304.
That’s 28 people more than were estimated on that date the previous year, 55 more than two years prior, and 95 more than the 2020 census estimate of 3,209.
The figures were released Tuesday, at the regular city council meeting.
Communication from the state was included as part of the agenda and was accepted without comment, but the numbers show an ever so slight reversal after decades of population decline within the city limits.
Since 2020, the population has jumped by roughly three percent, and comes after a seven percent drop the previous decade.
According to U.S. Census data, population in Ely fell from 3,460 in 2010 to 3,209 in 2020.
Dating back a half century the city’s population has tumbled by over 40 percent, from roughly 5,400 in 1970.
At the time of the most recent census, some at City Hall questioned whether Ely was undercounted, and the latest numbers from the state demographer show a reversal in the population declines that have been prevalent.
Official census numbers are released once every 10 years and are used by the government to determine county, state legislative and Congressional districts. The data is also key in dividing federal and state funds that are determined by population.
E ly’s population also dipped seven percent from 2000 to 2010, going from 3,724 to 3,460.
In 1990, Ely’s population was certified at 3,968.
