COUNTY
Rice County
Minnesota · 69,939 residents (2025 est.) · 496 sq mi
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Part of the Faribault micropolitan area
The short version
With 67,917 people, Rice County is a county in Minnesota. Few US counties rank higher on income. 76% of homes are owner-occupied. 11,252 more people live here than in 2000. 30% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The foreign-born share is 9%.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 37.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 42%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
67,917
+20%since 2000
from 56,665 in 2000
69,939 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
496 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202468K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(3,701)
5 to 95.4%(3,661)
10 to 146.7%(4,575)
15 to 199.3%(6,302)
20 to 248.7%(5,901)
25 to 3411.8%(8,021)
35 to 4412.3%(8,320)
45 to 5411.5%(7,777)
55 to 6412.3%(8,355)
65 to 749.9%(6,712)
75 to 844.7%(3,211)
85 and over2%(1,381)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$83,181
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $48,651 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
54.3%
+19.5 ptssince 2009
from 34.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade15.7%
Information9.4%
Wholesale trade7%
Finance & insurance5.3%
Professional, scientific, technical4.9%
Other services4.3%
Transportation & warehousing3.3%
Public administration3.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.9%
Construction2.7%
Arts, entertainment, food0.7%
Education & health services0.4%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$320,200
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $124,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.8
+7%since 2009
from 3.6 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.
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-Hispanic90.5%(51,257)
Black1.3%(713)
Hispanic / Latino5.5%(3,117)
Asian1.5%(823)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic77.2%(52,405)
Black6.7%(4,577)
Hispanic / Latino10.5%(7,105)
Asian2.3%(1,545)
Other3.4%(2,285)
48
+67%since 2009
from 29 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
33
−10%since 2020
from 37 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
Mexican7.5%(5,075)
Central American1.3%(900)
South American0.5%(324)
Guatemalan0.5%(311)
Honduran0.5%(309)
Salvadoran0.3%(188)
Colombian0.1%(100)
Puerto Rican0.1%(62)
Bolivian0.1%(61)
Ecuadorian0.1%(60)
Peruvian0.1%(53)
Spaniard0.1%(49)
+ 4 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.6%(387)
Hmong0.5%(331)
Vietnamese0.4%(249)
Korean0.3%(223)
Asian Indian0.1%(64)
Filipino0.1%(37)
Cambodian0%(29)
Laotian0%(26)
Taiwanese0%(25)
Japanese0%(21)
Thai0%(9)
Nepalese0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0%(4)
Ancestry
German29.5%(20,044)
Norwegian12.1%(8,187)
Irish9.5%(6,460)
English6.8%(4,627)
Czech4.5%(3,087)
Subsaharan African4.5%(3,048)
Somali4%(2,731)
Swedish3.9%(2,633)
American2.8%(1,921)
French2.6%(1,765)
Polish2.3%(1,541)
Italian1.8%(1,192)
+ 37 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish1.5%(1,032)
Dutch1.4%(935)
French Canadian0.9%(632)
Danish0.7%(486)
Welsh0.7%(457)
Finnish0.5%(373)
Russian0.5%(348)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(329)
Austrian0.4%(246)
British0.3%(206)
Swiss0.3%(173)
Belgian0.2%(153)
Greek0.2%(126)
Ethiopian0.2%(118)
Hungarian0.2%(117)
Slovak0.1%(79)
Arab0.1%(57)
Portuguese0.1%(50)
Slovene0.1%(47)
Lebanese0.1%(44)
Canadian0.1%(44)
Croatian0.1%(42)
Kenyan0.1%(36)
Ukrainian0.1%(34)
Nigerian0%(32)
Latvian0%(26)
Armenian0%(25)
Serbian0%(23)
West Indian0%(20)
Lithuanian0%(17)
Bulgarian0%(13)
Moroccan0%(11)
Haitian0%(8)
Romanian0%(6)
Brazilian0%(5)
Guyanese0%(5)
Egyptian0%(2)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
92.7%
+7.5 ptssince 2000
from 85.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.6%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 79.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.3%
+4.8 ptssince 2020
from 90.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married42%(12,195)
Married46%(13,360)
Widowed2.4%(701)
Divorced9.5%(2,761)
Women 15+
Never married34.4%(9,285)
Married46.5%(12,545)
Widowed7.4%(1,991)
Divorced11.7%(3,142)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
16.4%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 14.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
1.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
73.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 72.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
35.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 34.9% 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)18.7%(582)
Gulf War (1990s)24%(748)
Vietnam era32.9%(1,024)
Korean War6.2%(194)
World War II2%(63)
Share of the 3,116 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 Rice County
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Pop 82,153
Places similar to Rice CountyHead to head
Compare Rice County to nearby counties
RICE COUNTY VS
Le Sueur County
Income$94,968+14%
Home value$316,500−1%
Population29,453−58%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RICE COUNTY VS
Steele County
Income$84,196+1%
Home value$245,400−23%
Population37,464−46%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RICE COUNTY VS
Scott County
Income$119,314+43%
Home value$419,400+31%
Population159,017+127%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
RICE COUNTY VS
Dakota County
Income$106,318+28%
Home value$381,000+19%
Population457,710+554%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Rice County, Minnesota?
Rice County, Minnesota has about 67,917 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Rice County, Minnesota?
The typical household in Rice County, Minnesota earns about $83,181 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Rice County, Minnesota expensive?
In Rice County, Minnesota, the median home is worth about $320,200, and the typical rent is about $1,083 a month.
How educated are people in Rice County, Minnesota?
About 30.2% of adults age 25 and over in Rice County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Rice County, Minnesota?
About 10.2% of people in Rice County, Minnesota live below the federal poverty line.
Has Rice County, Minnesota grown since 1990?
Yes, Rice County, Minnesota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 18,734 residents, a change of about 38 percent over that period.
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16 census tracts
Census Tract 702Census Tract 709.01Census Tract 706.02Census Tract 703Census Tract 706.01Census Tract 709.02Census Tract 701.02Census Tract 708.01Census Tract 704Census Tract 705.01Census Tract 708.02Census Tract 705.04Census Tract 707.02Census Tract 701.01Census Tract 705.03Census Tract 707.01Up the hierarchy
All counties in MinnesotaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024