CensusEasy
COUNTY

Nicollet County

Minnesota · 34,273 residents (2025 est.) · 449 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the Mankato metro area
Compare
The short version

With 34,411 people, Nicollet County is a county in Minnesota. Few US counties rank higher on income. The average commute runs 16 minutes. 5% of people here were born outside the United States. Owners hold 72% of the housing stock. Renters pay $970 a month at the median.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.3
US median: 38.9
Average education
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 34%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
34,411
+16%since 2000
from 29,771 in 2000
34,273 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
77 / sq mi
+9%since 2009
from 71 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
38.3
+17%since 2000
from 32.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
449 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
27K29K31K33K35K19902000201020202024Nicollet County
202434K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.2%(1,779)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.1%(1,761)
US avg: 6%
10 to 147.3%(2,498)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 1910%(3,446)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 247.6%(2,600)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3410.4%(3,563)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414.1%(4,849)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.2%(3,866)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.6%(4,006)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.9%(3,404)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.2%(1,779)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.5%(860)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$79,756
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,170 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$44,053
+115%since 2000
from $20,517 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
52.2%
+21.3 ptssince 2009
from 31.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
8.0%
+0.5 ptssince 2000
from 7.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.463
+20%since 2010
from 0.387 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade16.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.3%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade6%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance4.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services4.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction3.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Public administration3.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$270,300
+34%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $110,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$970
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $488 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
72.2%
−3.6 ptssince 2000
from 75.8% in 2000
27.8% rent
Vacancy rate
4.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.40 people
−3%since 2009
from 2.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
16.4%
−6.1 ptssince 2009
from 22.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
38.0%
−4.0 ptssince 2009
from 41.9% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.4
+10%since 2009
from 3.1 in 2009
2009 – 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
21
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic95.4%(28,405)
Black0.8%(232)
Hispanic / Latino1.8%(535)
Asian1.1%(335)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic85.5%(29,416)
Black4.5%(1,562)
Hispanic / Latino5.4%(1,871)
Asian1.6%(566)
Other2.9%(996)
Diversity Score
33
+98%since 2009
from 17 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
20
+29%since 2020
from 16 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
Mexican3.7%(1,280)
Guatemalan0.3%(106)
Salvadoran0.3%(106)
Honduran0.2%(74)
Puerto Rican0.1%(24)
Cuban0.1%(22)
Argentine0.1%(21)
Chilean0%(2)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.4%(145)
Chinese0.3%(115)
Japanese0.2%(57)
Vietnamese0.1%(51)
Filipino0.1%(50)
Sri Lankan0.1%(44)
Korean0.1%(30)
Malaysian0%(15)
Taiwanese0%(11)
Laotian0%(7)
Hmong0%(1)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German43.6%(15,015)
Norwegian11.3%(3,875)
Irish7.8%(2,686)
Swedish5.1%(1,760)
English4.9%(1,687)
American4.2%(1,453)
Polish2.2%(757)
French1.6%(541)
Dutch1.6%(535)
Somali1.2%(421)
Danish1%(341)
+ 34 more ancestry groups with data
Italian1%(338)
Czech0.9%(305)
Belgian0.9%(301)
Scottish0.6%(217)
Finnish0.5%(184)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(130)
Swiss0.3%(116)
Russian0.2%(77)
British0.2%(76)
Welsh0.2%(75)
Kenyan0.2%(54)
Greek0.1%(47)
Canadian0.1%(46)
Bulgarian0.1%(45)
Arab0.1%(36)
West Indian0.1%(32)
Slovak0.1%(25)
Austrian0.1%(24)
Ghanaian0.1%(21)
Nigerian0.1%(19)
Lebanese0%(16)
Hungarian0%(16)
Haitian0%(16)
Jamaican0%(16)
Ukrainian0%(15)
Syrian0%(14)
Brazilian0%(14)
Armenian0%(10)
Iranian0%(10)
Slovene0%(8)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
36.1%
+6.8 ptssince 2000
from 29.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.5%
+4.4 ptssince 2000
from 90.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
12.0%
+2.8 ptssince 2000
from 9.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
16.4 min
+46%since 2000
from 11.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
70.2%
−9.2 ptssince 2009
from 79.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.5%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
13.3%
+7.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
6.4%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.1%
−3.0 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
2.2%
−3.3 ptssince 2011
from 5.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
68.4%
−6.5 ptssince 2011
from 74.9% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
84.4%
−1.6 ptssince 2020
from 86.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.4%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
41.6%
+5.2 ptssince 2009
from 36.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.5% in 2009
Female
49.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.5% in 2009
Foreign born
4.6%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.4%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.6% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.1%
+3.4 ptssince 2012
from 8.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.4%
−3.1 ptssince 2013
from 6.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
88.6%
+7.2 ptssince 2017
from 81.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
93.1%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 91.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
86.6%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 86.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
92.9%
−1.2 ptssince 2016
from 94.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
2.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2016
from 2.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married39.9%(5,696)
Married48%(6,849)
Widowed3.2%(453)
Divorced8.9%(1,266)
Women 15+
Never married33.2%(4,682)
Married48.9%(6,904)
Widowed8.2%(1,157)
Divorced9.7%(1,366)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.4%
−3.1 ptssince 2013
from 6.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
61.7%
−3.2 ptssince 2020
from 64.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.6%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 17.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.4%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 17.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
18.0%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 15.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
78.6%
−2.0 ptssince 2020
from 80.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
34.9%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 31.2% 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)21.7%(317)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.2%(309)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.4%(458)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.5%(109)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.1%(16)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,460 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
Drill deeper

Places similar to Nicollet County

Effingham County
Pop 34,519
Pickens County
Pop 37,167
Lumpkin County
Pop 36,178
Gilmer County
Pop 33,894
Places similar to Nicollet County
Head to head

Compare Nicollet County to nearby counties

NICOLLET COUNTY VS
Sibley County
Income$77,634−3%
Home value$231,900−14%
Population15,356−55%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
NICOLLET COUNTY VS
Blue Earth County
Income$74,477−7%
Home value$266,700−1%
Population70,634+106%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
NICOLLET COUNTY VS
Brown County
Income$69,378−13%
Home value$191,200−29%
Population25,517−26%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
NICOLLET COUNTY VS
Le Sueur County
Income$94,968+19%
Home value$316,500+17%
Population29,453−14%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Nicollet County, Minnesota?

Nicollet County, Minnesota has about 34,411 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Nicollet County, Minnesota earns about $79,756 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Nicollet County, Minnesota expensive?

In Nicollet County, Minnesota, the median home is worth about $270,300, and the typical rent is about $970 a month.

How educated are people in Nicollet County, Minnesota?

About 36.1% of adults age 25 and over in Nicollet County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Nicollet County, Minnesota?

About 8.0% of people in Nicollet County, Minnesota live below the federal poverty line.

Has Nicollet County, Minnesota grown since 1990?

Yes, Nicollet County, Minnesota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 6,335 residents, a change of about 23 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →