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COUNTY

Stearns County

Minnesota · 164,110 residents (2025 est.) · 1,342.876 sq mi
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The short version

Stearns County has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $77,066. Population has grown 21% since 2000. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $273,400. It sits in the top 10% of US counties for household income.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
29% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 47%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
160,865
+21%since 2000
from 133,166 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
120 / sq mi
+10%since 2009
from 109 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
35.1
+11%since 2000
from 31.6 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:164,110 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
115K127K140K152K165K1990201020202024Stearns County
2024161K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.4%(10,288)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.2%(9,991)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.9%(11,118)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.3%(13,301)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2410.2%(16,397)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.9%(19,096)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412%(19,313)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.1%(16,294)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411.9%(19,196)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.4%(15,087)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 844.7%(7,626)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2%(3,158)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$77,066
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,426 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$38,286
+99%since 2000
from $19,211 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
51.3%
+21.4 ptssince 2009
from 29.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
12.9%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 8.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.438
+3%since 2010
from 0.424 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade12.6%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.8%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance7.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Other services4.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration3.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction2.8%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing2.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food0.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$273,400
+47%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $102,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,068
+24%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $473 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
67.9%
−5.9 ptssince 2000
from 73.8% in 2000
32.1% rent
Vacancy rate
7.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
17.3%
−8.2 ptssince 2009
from 25.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
47.5%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 46.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.5
+5%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
37
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Stearns County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic95.2%(126,764)
Black0.8%(1,064)
Hispanic / Latino1.4%(1,827)
Asian1.6%(2,086)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic80.2%(129,075)
Black9%(14,498)
Hispanic / Latino4.8%(7,700)
Asian1.9%(3,109)
Other4%(6,483)
Diversity Score
43
+173%since 2009
from 16 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
43
+10%since 2020
from 39 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
Mexican2.9%(4,701)
Puerto Rican0.5%(727)
Cuban0.3%(403)
Dominican0.2%(369)
Nicaraguan0.2%(248)
Colombian0.1%(149)
Ecuadorian0.1%(117)
Guatemalan0.1%(115)
Bolivian0.1%(103)
Honduran0.1%(100)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Hmong0.4%(584)
Vietnamese0.3%(541)
Chinese0.2%(401)
Asian Indian0.2%(356)
Korean0.2%(257)
Laotian0.1%(225)
Japanese0.1%(179)
Filipino0.1%(118)
Nepalese0.1%(115)
Cambodian0%(35)
Taiwanese0%(27)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(6)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(78)
Chamorro0%(25)
Ancestry
German37.9%(60,961)
Irish7.7%(12,345)
Norwegian7.2%(11,609)
Polish5.1%(8,144)
Swedish4%(6,403)
English3.9%(6,229)
American2.6%(4,115)
Somali2%(3,249)
French1.9%(3,130)
Italian1.1%(1,839)
Dutch1.1%(1,707)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Finnish0.8%(1,240)
Czech0.6%(1,043)
Scottish0.6%(1,033)
Danish0.5%(879)
Arab0.4%(708)
Russian0.4%(609)
Nigerian0.3%(425)
Scotch-Irish0.2%(374)
Slovene0.2%(349)
Austrian0.2%(343)
Swiss0.2%(334)
Hungarian0.2%(279)
Welsh0.2%(256)
Belgian0.2%(242)
West Indian0.1%(195)
Ukrainian0.1%(191)
British0.1%(190)
Greek0.1%(168)
Latvian0.1%(149)
Canadian0.1%(145)
Kenyan0.1%(131)
Jamaican0.1%(121)
Lithuanian0.1%(111)
Slovak0.1%(111)
Iranian0.1%(110)
Croatian0.1%(99)
Romanian0%(66)
Iraqi0%(52)
Lebanese0%(46)
Ethiopian0%(32)
Brazilian0%(21)
Haitian0%(16)
Serbian0%(11)
Syrian0%(7)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Norwegian population · Largest Polish population · Largest Swedish population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
28.8%
+6.8 ptssince 2000
from 22.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.5%
+6.3 ptssince 2000
from 86.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
9.8%
+2.7 ptssince 2000
from 7.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
21.7 min
+58%since 2000
from 13.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
74.7%
−3.3 ptssince 2009
from 78.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 8.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
10.6%
+3.9 ptssince 2009
from 6.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.0%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.1%
−2.6 ptssince 2011
from 6.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
69.7%
−2.4 ptssince 2011
from 72.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
12.6%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
36.2%
−25.6 ptssince 2009
from 61.8% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Female
49.4%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Foreign born
7.9%
+4.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.3%
−43.8 ptssince 2009
from 50.0% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.7%
+1.8 ptssince 2012
from 9.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.9%
−87.5 ptssince 2013
from 92.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.6%
+11.9 ptssince 2017
from 78.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
88.0%
−3.7 ptssince 2016
from 91.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.3%
+1.0 ptssince 2016
from 2.3% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married40.9%(26,798)
Married49.1%(32,157)
Widowed1.9%(1,242)
Divorced8.1%(5,277)
Women 15+
Never married34.1%(21,816)
Married48.6%(31,108)
Widowed7.9%(5,043)
Divorced9.4%(6,027)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

Places similar to Stearns County

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Pop 167,927
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Pop 157,772
Washington County
Pop 157,731
Johnson County
Pop 160,044
Places similar to Stearns County
Head to head

Compare Stearns County to nearby counties

STEARNS COUNTY VS
Meeker County
Income$75,446−2%
Home value$249,000−9%
Population23,603−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STEARNS COUNTY VS
Benton County
Income$74,410−3%
Home value$271,000−1%
Population41,744−75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STEARNS COUNTY VS
Kandiyohi County
Income$76,592−1%
Home value$243,200−11%
Population44,720−73%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STEARNS COUNTY VS
Morrison County
Income$69,446−10%
Home value$248,500−9%
Population34,620−79%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Stearns County, Minnesota?

Stearns County, Minnesota has about 160,865 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Stearns County, Minnesota earns about $77,066 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Stearns County, Minnesota expensive?

In Stearns County, Minnesota, the median home is worth about $273,400, and the typical rent is about $1,068 a month.

How educated are people in Stearns County, Minnesota?

About 28.8% of adults age 25 and over in Stearns County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Stearns County, Minnesota?

About 12.9% of people in Stearns County, Minnesota live below the federal poverty line.

Has Stearns County, Minnesota grown since 1990?

Yes, Stearns County, Minnesota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 42,074 residents, a change of about 35 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

37 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 101.01Census Tract 113.02Census Tract 4.01Census Tract 3.04Census Tract 115Census Tract 101.04Census Tract 113.08Census Tract 5.02Census Tract 102Census Tract 4.02Census Tract 10.02Census Tract 106Census Tract 9.01Census Tract 114Census Tract 101.03Census Tract 104.02Census Tract 110Census Tract 10.03Census Tract 104.01Census Tract 105
26 ZIP codes
ZIP 56301ZIP 56303ZIP 56377ZIP 56374ZIP 56378ZIP 56320ZIP 56387ZIP 56352ZIP 55320ZIP 56362ZIP 56310ZIP 56307ZIP 56368ZIP 55382ZIP 55353ZIP 56340ZIP 56312ZIP 56331ZIP 56321ZIP 56375ZIP 56369ZIP 56376ZIP 56335ZIP 56356ZIP 56325ZIP 56371
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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