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COUNTY

Rice County

Minnesota · 69,939 residents (2025 est.) · 496 sq mi
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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
median household income $83,181, 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
Unique to this place

What stands out about Rice County

What changed most since 1990

  • Black share0.5% → 6.7% (+6.3 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$163,205 → $320,200 (+96%)US over the same years: +67%

Among the 87 counties in Minnesota

  • 16th in household income$83,181
  • 21st in share with a bachelor's degree30.2%
  • 14th in home value$320,200
  • 14th in diversity score48.4
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
67,917
+20%since 2000
from 56,665 in 2000
69,939 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
137 / sq mi
+20%since 2000
from 114 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
37.1
+13%since 2000
from 32.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
496 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
47K53K59K64K70K19902000201020202024Rice County
202468K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(3,701)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.4%(3,661)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.7%(4,575)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 199.3%(6,302)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 248.7%(5,901)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.8%(8,021)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.3%(8,320)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.5%(7,777)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.3%(8,355)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.9%(6,712)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.7%(3,211)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2%(1,381)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$83,181
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $48,651 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$38,682
+96%since 2000
from $19,695 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
54.3%
+19.5 ptssince 2009
from 34.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.2%
+3.3 ptssince 2000
from 6.9% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.428
+11%since 2010
from 0.384 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade15.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Information9.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5.3%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical4.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services4.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Transportation & warehousing3.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Public administration3.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.9%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction2.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food0.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$320,200
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $124,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,083
+15%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $519 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
76.3%
−1.6 ptssince 2000
from 77.9% in 2000
23.7% rent
Vacancy rate
7.1%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 8.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.55 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.55 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
23.3%
−6.5 ptssince 2009
from 29.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
41.4%
+4.6 ptssince 2009
from 36.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.8
+7%since 2009
from 3.6 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
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)
Diversity Score
48
+67%since 2009
from 29 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
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)
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
Cuban0.1%(44)
Argentine0.1%(44)
Chilean0%(5)
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)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German29.5%(20,044)
Norwegian12.1%(8,187)
Irish9.5%(6,460)
English6.8%(4,627)
Czech4.5%(3,087)
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)
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)
Bulgarian0%(13)
Moroccan0%(11)
Haitian0%(8)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
30.2%
+7.8 ptssince 2000
from 22.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.7%
+7.5 ptssince 2000
from 85.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
11.8%
+3.7 ptssince 2000
from 8.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.8 min
+43%since 2000
from 15.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
68.0%
−5.6 ptssince 2009
from 73.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.2%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 10.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.0%
+6.3 ptssince 2009
from 5.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
7.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 5.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.6%
−1.9 ptssince 2011
from 6.5% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.3%
−5.3 ptssince 2011
from 69.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.6%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 79.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.5%
+2.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
36.4%
+4.6 ptssince 2009
from 31.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
51.7%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.4% in 2009
Female
48.3%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.6% in 2009
Foreign born
8.7%
+3.0 ptssince 2009
from 5.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.8%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.5%
+2.2 ptssince 2012
from 8.3% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.5%
−2.9 ptssince 2013
from 8.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.8%
+11.6 ptssince 2017
from 80.2% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.3%
+4.8 ptssince 2020
from 90.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
87.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 86.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
86.3%
−2.1 ptssince 2016
from 88.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
7.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2016
from 6.4% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
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

Uninsured
5.5%
−2.9 ptssince 2013
from 8.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
59.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 58.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.4%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 14.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.7%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 16.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
20.2%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 19.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)24%(748)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.9%(1,024)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.2%(194)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2%(63)
US avg: 1%

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
Over time

Rice County, decade by decade

Rice County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199049,183$71,032$163,20519.3%6.0
200056,665$88,625$226,25022.4%22.3
201064,142$84,546$302,67527.1%33.5
202067,097$85,570$282,16328.5%49.4
202467,917$83,181$320,20030.2%48.4

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 Rice County

Kenai Peninsula
Pop 61,951
Effingham County
Pop 74,397
Catoosa County
Pop 69,628
Floyd County
Pop 82,153
Places similar to Rice County
Head 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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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →