CensusEasy
COUNTY

Stearns County

Minnesota · 164,110 residents (2025 est.) · 1,343 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the St. Cloud metro area
Compare
The short version

With 160,865 people, Stearns County is a county in Minnesota. Few US counties rank higher on income. This skews young, with a median age of 35.1. 27,699 more people live here than in 2000. About 29% of adults have finished a four-year degree. 8% of locals were born outside the United States.

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
164,110 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
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
Land area
1,343 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
115K127K140K152K165K19902000201020202024Stearns 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%
Persons per household
2.50 people
+1%since 2009
from 2.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
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
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
37
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic95.2%(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)
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%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
83.1%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 84.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.6%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
36.2%
+6.1 ptssince 2009
from 30.1% 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%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 10.2% 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%
−2.7 ptssince 2013
from 7.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.6%
+11.9 ptssince 2017
from 78.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.3%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 92.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
85.7%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 82.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.9%
−2.7 ptssince 2013
from 7.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
58.0%
−3.7 ptssince 2020
from 61.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 17.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 16.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
20.1%
+2.3 ptssince 2020
from 17.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.1%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 3.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
73.6%
−3.7 ptssince 2020
from 77.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.2%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 33.5% 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)22.5%(1,733)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.8%(1,597)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era35.7%(2,749)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.6%(354)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(78)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 7,695 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 Stearns County

Madera County
Pop 167,927
Sumter County
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.

Keep going

Explore from here

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

How we source and harmonize this data →