United States › Minnesota › Clearwater County COUNTY
Clearwater County Minnesota · 8,647 residents (2025 est.) · 999 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Clearwater County is home to 8,616 people in Minnesota. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 20% of adults. Owners hold 80% of the housing stock. Density works out to 9 people per square mile. 1% of locals were born outside the United States. The typical home is worth $192,100, having roughly tripled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
20% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 71%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 8,423 in 2000
8,647 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 8 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 39.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
8K 8K 9K 9K 9K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Clearwater County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $64,475
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,517 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $15,694 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 17.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 15.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.421 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 5.4%
Professional, scientific, technical 4.8%
Public administration 2.6%
Education & health services 1.5%
Transportation & warehousing 1.1%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.9%
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$192,100
+71%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $61,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$742
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $340 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 81.6% in 2000
19.9% rent
from 22.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.41 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 27.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 37.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.9 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 89.1%(7,507)
Hispanic / Latino 0.8%(65)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 83.6%(7,203)
Hispanic / Latino 0.9%(81)
from 27 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 24 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 23 more ancestry groups with data from 14.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 76.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 16.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 80.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 10.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 61.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 74.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 22.9% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 27.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 15.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 17.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 15.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 68.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 85.1% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 90.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 95.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 1.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 31.9%(1,111)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 15.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 45.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 14.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 22.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 26.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 4.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 59.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 46.2% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 15.4%(91)
Gulf War (1990s) 16.2%(96)
Share of the 591 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Clearwater County Head to head
Compare Clearwater County to nearby counties CLEARWATER COUNTY VS
Mahnomen County
Income $59,441 −8%
Home value $161,900 −16%
Population 5,153 −40%
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CLEARWATER COUNTY VS
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Income $68,975 +7%
Home value $237,500 +24%
Population 47,055 +444%
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CLEARWATER COUNTY VS
Red Lake County
Income $77,188 +20%
Home value $162,000 −16%
Population 3,940 −54%
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CLEARWATER COUNTY VS
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Income $71,995 +12%
Home value $282,600 +47%
Population 22,369 +159%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Clearwater County, Minnesota? Clearwater County, Minnesota has about 8,616 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Clearwater County, Minnesota? The typical household in Clearwater County, Minnesota earns about $64,475 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Clearwater County, Minnesota expensive? In Clearwater County, Minnesota, the median home is worth about $192,100, and the typical rent is about $742 a month.
How educated are people in Clearwater County, Minnesota? About 19.8% of adults age 25 and over in Clearwater County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Clearwater County, Minnesota? About 12.6% of people in Clearwater County, Minnesota live below the federal poverty line.
Has Clearwater County, Minnesota grown since 1990? Yes, Clearwater County, Minnesota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 307 residents, a change of about 4 percent over that period.
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