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COUNTY

Dakota County

Minnesota · 457,710 residents (2025 est.) · 563 sq mi
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Part of the Minneapolis metro area
The short version

Dakota County is a county of 445,771 people in Minnesota. Few US counties rank higher on income. About 45% of adults have finished a four-year degree. 75% of homes are owner-occupied. The population is up 25% since 2000. The poverty rate is 5.8%, under the national 12.5%.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $106,318, 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
Unique to this place

What stands out about Dakota County

What changed most since 1990

  • Black share1.1% → 7.7% (+6.5 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
  • Population275,227 → 445,771 (+62%)US over the same years: +35%

Among the 87 counties in Minnesota

  • 5th in household income$106,318
  • 7th in share with a bachelor's degree45.0%
  • 5th in home value$381,000
  • 5th in diversity score56.5
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
445,771
+25%since 2000
from 355,904 in 2000
457,710 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
792 / sq mi
+25%since 2000
from 633 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
38.6
+15%since 2000
from 33.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
563 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
258K309K360K412K463K19902000201020202024Dakota 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%
Persons per household
2.54 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.61 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
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
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
42
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
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
1990 – 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)
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%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
83.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 83.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.6%
+1.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
47.7%
+7.0 ptssince 2009
from 40.7% 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%
−4.0 ptssince 2009
from 9.9% 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%
−3.2 ptssince 2013
from 7.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.4%
+7.7 ptssince 2017
from 86.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.3%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 95.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
89.0%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 87.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.2%
−3.2 ptssince 2013
from 7.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
67.4%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 69.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 14.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.1%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 14.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
15.0%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 13.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
79.3%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 81.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
30.2%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
from 27.4% 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)25.1%(5,031)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.5%(3,518)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era33.5%(6,722)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4%(795)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(184)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 20,077 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.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Dakota County, decade by decade

Dakota County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990275,227$101,326$229,68727.6%11.0
2000355,904$112,693$270,51634.9%23.5
2010398,552$104,800$350,58038.1%39.3
2020439,882$107,227$339,73542.6%55.2
2024445,771$106,318$381,00045.0%56.5

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Dakota County

Burlington County
Pop 481,439
Sonoma County
Pop 486,444
St. Charles County
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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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →