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COUNTY

Dakota County

Minnesota · 457,710 residents (2025 est.) · 562.557 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#97Lowest poverty rateof 3,1445.8%#109Most work-from-homeof 3,14421.3%#116Highest median household incomeof 3,143$106,318
The short version

Dakota County is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $106,318. Population has grown 25% since 2000. 45% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $381,000. Poverty is rare here, at 5.8% of residents. It ranks in the top 1% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.6
US median: 38.9
More educated
45% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 41%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
445,771
+25%since 2000
from 355,904 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
792 / sq mi
+14%since 2009
from 692 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
38.6
+15%since 2000
from 33.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:457,710 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
258K309K360K412K463K1990201020202024Dakota County
2024446K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56%(26,589)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.6%(29,588)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147%(31,366)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.5%(28,931)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.6%(24,861)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.7%(56,593)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.3%(63,692)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.4%(55,064)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.1%(58,300)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.5%(42,563)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.6%(20,650)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(7,574)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$106,318
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $61,863 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$52,084
+93%since 2000
from $27,008 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
66.0%
+17.3 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
5.8%
+2.2 ptssince 2000
from 3.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.414
+5%since 2010
from 0.395 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade11.1%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.8%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services9.7%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration8.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance6%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade5.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$381,000
+41%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $148,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,548
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $722 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
74.9%
−3.3 ptssince 2000
from 78.2% in 2000
25.1% rent
Vacancy rate
2.5%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
18.0%
−10.3 ptssince 2009
from 28.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
48.0%
+4.0 ptssince 2009
from 44.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.6
+7%since 2009
from 3.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
42
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Dakota County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic90%(320,242)
Black2.2%(7,941)
Hispanic / Latino2.9%(10,459)
Asian2.9%(10,220)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic72.7%(324,220)
Black7.7%(34,141)
Hispanic / Latino8.7%(38,684)
Asian5.2%(23,061)
Other5.8%(25,665)
Diversity Score
56
+69%since 2009
from 33 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
27
−5%since 2020
from 28 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

Hispanic origin
Mexican5.6%(24,799)
Central American1.1%(4,864)
South American0.7%(3,269)
Puerto Rican0.6%(2,497)
Salvadoran0.5%(2,289)
Venezuelan0.3%(1,216)
Guatemalan0.2%(1,066)
Dominican0.2%(1,010)
Honduran0.2%(794)
Colombian0.2%(737)
Ecuadorian0.2%(714)
Nicaraguan0.1%(552)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0.1%(469)
Peruvian0.1%(277)
Cuban0%(177)
Chilean0%(135)
Panamanian0%(128)
Argentine0%(94)
Bolivian0%(53)
Uruguayan0%(14)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1.3%(5,714)
Vietnamese0.7%(2,947)
Filipino0.6%(2,531)
Chinese0.5%(2,382)
Hmong0.5%(2,219)
Cambodian0.4%(1,772)
Korean0.4%(1,671)
Pakistani0.1%(521)
Laotian0.1%(467)
Japanese0.1%(439)
Bangladeshi0.1%(258)
Nepalese0%(208)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(202)
Taiwanese0%(143)
Burmese0%(143)
Malaysian0%(27)
Kazakh0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(110)
Samoan0%(59)
Ancestry
German29.3%(130,758)
Irish11.8%(52,637)
Norwegian10.8%(47,987)
English7.8%(34,729)
Swedish5.6%(24,862)
Subsaharan African3.8%(17,042)
Polish3.6%(16,113)
Italian2.8%(12,572)
American2.6%(11,645)
French2.5%(11,314)
Czech1.5%(6,547)
Somali1.4%(6,303)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch1.2%(5,440)
Scottish1.2%(5,150)
Finnish1.1%(4,895)
Danish1.1%(4,891)
Russian0.8%(3,361)
Ethiopian0.7%(3,179)
French Canadian0.7%(3,076)
Arab0.5%(2,182)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(2,116)
Welsh0.5%(2,028)
British0.4%(1,791)
Ukrainian0.4%(1,650)
Swiss0.4%(1,587)
Nigerian0.3%(1,496)
Kenyan0.3%(1,426)
Austrian0.3%(1,379)
Hungarian0.2%(1,079)
Greek0.2%(1,054)
Lebanese0.2%(884)
West Indian0.2%(775)
Belgian0.2%(771)
Croatian0.2%(685)
Iranian0.1%(559)
Slovak0.1%(551)
Lithuanian0.1%(522)
Ghanaian0.1%(522)
Romanian0.1%(482)
Slovene0.1%(418)
Canadian0.1%(390)
Guyanese0.1%(352)
Portuguese0.1%(291)
Palestinian0.1%(266)
Egyptian0.1%(249)
Brazilian0.1%(243)
Haitian0%(190)
Jamaican0%(182)
Serbian0%(178)
Iraqi0%(153)
Turkish0%(135)
Jordanian0%(72)
Bulgarian0%(71)
Latvian0%(71)
Armenian0%(66)
Syrian0%(57)
Barbadian0%(40)
Moroccan0%(38)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Norwegian population · Largest English population · Largest Swedish population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
45.0%
+10.2 ptssince 2000
from 34.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
95.2%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 93.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
14.9%
+5.6 ptssince 2000
from 9.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.6 min
+65%since 2000
from 14.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
67.8%
−14.4 ptssince 2009
from 82.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.3%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 8.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.2%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
21.3%
+17.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.9%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.6%
−2.7 ptssince 2011
from 6.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
71.0%
−4.9 ptssince 2011
from 75.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
12.6%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
47.7%
−20.4 ptssince 2009
from 68.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.5% in 2009
Female
50.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.5% in 2009
Foreign born
10.1%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.9%
−43.0 ptssince 2009
from 48.9% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.8%
+3.1 ptssince 2012
from 7.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.2%
−88.4 ptssince 2013
from 92.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.4%
+7.7 ptssince 2017
from 86.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
85.9%
−2.0 ptssince 2016
from 87.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.6%
+0.7 ptssince 2016
from 4.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married33.1%(58,300)
Married57.5%(101,354)
Widowed1.8%(3,109)
Divorced7.6%(13,419)
Women 15+
Never married28.7%(52,159)
Married53%(96,539)
Widowed6.4%(11,622)
Divorced11.9%(21,726)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

Places similar to Dakota County

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Pop 481,439
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Pop 486,444
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Pop 426,499
Hillsborough County
Pop 433,415
Places similar to Dakota County
Head to head

Compare Dakota County to nearby counties

DAKOTA COUNTY VS
Scott County
Income$119,314+12%
Home value$419,400+10%
Population159,017−65%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DAKOTA COUNTY VS
Ramsey County
Income$81,568−23%
Home value$326,600−14%
Population541,623+18%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DAKOTA COUNTY VS
Rice County
Income$83,181−22%
Home value$320,200−16%
Population69,939−85%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DAKOTA COUNTY VS
Goodhue County
Income$84,171−21%
Home value$285,100−25%
Population48,195−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Dakota County, Minnesota?

Dakota County, Minnesota has about 445,771 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Dakota County, Minnesota?

The typical household in Dakota County, Minnesota earns about $106,318 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Dakota County, Minnesota expensive?

In Dakota County, Minnesota, the median home is worth about $381,000, and the typical rent is about $1,548 a month.

How educated are people in Dakota County, Minnesota?

About 45.0% of adults age 25 and over in Dakota County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Dakota County, Minnesota?

About 5.8% of people in Dakota County, Minnesota live below the federal poverty line.

Has Dakota County, Minnesota grown since 1990?

Yes, Dakota County, Minnesota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 170,544 residents, a change of about 62 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

106 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 609.07Census Tract 608.31Census Tract 610.09Census Tract 605.05Census Tract 608.16Census Tract 608.12Census Tract 608.32Census Tract 608.19Census Tract 607.39Census Tract 605.09Census Tract 608.33Census Tract 601.05Census Tract 608.28Census Tract 609.05Census Tract 608.36Census Tract 608.06Census Tract 608.37Census Tract 608.15Census Tract 601.04Census Tract 605.08
19 ZIP codes
ZIP 55044ZIP 55124ZIP 55337ZIP 55024ZIP 55068ZIP 55122ZIP 55033ZIP 55118ZIP 55123ZIP 55076ZIP 55075ZIP 55306ZIP 55077ZIP 55121ZIP 55120ZIP 55031ZIP 55065ZIP 55085ZIP 55150
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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