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COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Stearns County

Minnesota · 150,642 residents · 1,343 sq mi
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Stearns County is home to 150,642 people in Minnesota. This skews young, with a median age of 33.3. The foreign-born share is 4%. 72% of homes are owner-occupied. The typical home is worth $174,500, having risen by half since 2000. 17,476 more people live here than in 2000.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $52,703
Younger
median age 33.3
US median: 37.2
Less educated
24% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 35%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
150,642
+13%since 2000
from 133,166 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
33.3
+5%since 2000
from 31.6 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
1,343 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
115K127K140K152K165K19902000201020202024Stearns County
2024161K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 56.5%(9,799)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.4%(9,598)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.4%(9,577)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 198.6%(12,960)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 2410.9%(16,445)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3413.1%(19,792)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4411.5%(17,389)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5413.9%(20,874)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6410.6%(15,980)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 746.1%(9,256)
US avg: 7%
75 to 844.2%(6,395)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over1.7%(2,577)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$51,779
−4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,426 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$24,816
+29%since 2000
from $19,211 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
30.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 29.9% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
12.9%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 8.7% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.424
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Retail trade15.5%
US avg: 10.9%
Information12.5%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade7.2%
US avg: 7.2%
Other services5.6%
US avg: 7%
Finance & insurance4.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration4.2%
US avg: 4.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.8%
US avg: 4.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.5%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction3.3%
US avg: 1.4%
Transportation & warehousing2.9%
US avg: 3.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 2.4%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$174,500
+35%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $102,100 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$670
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $473 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
71.6%
−2.2 ptssince 2000
from 73.8% in 2000
28.4% rent
Vacancy rate
7.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 7.4% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.45 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.47 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
25.6%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 25.4% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
46.7%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 46.5% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
3.4
Unchangedsince 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.
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%
2010
White, non-Hispanic90.6%(136,414)
Black3.1%(4,595)
Hispanic / Latino2.8%(4,190)
Asian2%(2,949)
Other1.6%(2,366)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2%(2,933)
Puerto Rican0.1%(182)
Cuban0.1%(152)
Colombian0.1%(78)
Honduran0%(51)
Dominican0%(32)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ancestry
German56%(82,856)
Norwegian11%(16,286)
Irish8.7%(12,862)
Polish8.1%(11,912)
Swedish5.6%(8,352)
English4.2%(6,258)
French3.6%(5,323)
American3%(4,393)
Dutch1.8%(2,621)
Czech1.5%(2,265)
Italian1.5%(2,224)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
Finnish0.9%(1,353)
Danish0.9%(1,348)
French Canadian0.8%(1,244)
Scottish0.7%(1,086)
Somali0.6%(904)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(827)
Russian0.4%(570)
Austrian0.4%(553)
Belgian0.3%(489)
Welsh0.3%(461)
Slovene0.3%(393)
Hungarian0.3%(389)
Swiss0.3%(387)
Arab0.2%(311)
Ukrainian0.2%(237)
Slovak0.2%(226)
Romanian0.1%(194)
Brazilian0.1%(160)
Croatian0.1%(132)
Kenyan0.1%(128)
Lithuanian0.1%(126)
Lebanese0.1%(125)
British0.1%(121)
Canadian0.1%(113)
Portuguese0.1%(109)
Greek0.1%(105)
Armenian0%(71)
Ethiopian0%(62)
Egyptian0%(56)
Serbian0%(43)
Syrian0%(42)
Haitian0%(29)
Nigerian0%(24)
Iraqi0%(23)
Jamaican0%(22)
Israeli0%(2)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
23.6%
+1.6 ptssince 2000
from 22.0% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
89.9%
+3.6 ptssince 2000
from 86.2% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
7.6%
+0.5 ptssince 2000
from 7.1% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.5 min
+50%since 2000
from 13.7 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
78.3%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 78.0% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
8.2%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 8.3% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
1.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
6.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.7% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
4.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
0.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.6% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
5.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
11.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
31.0%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 30.1% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Female
49.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Foreign born
3.9%
+1.0 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
10.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 10.2% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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

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Head to head

Compare Stearns County to nearby counties

STEARNS COUNTY VS
Meeker County
Income$75,446+46%
Home value$249,000+43%
Population23,603−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STEARNS COUNTY VS
Benton County
Income$74,410+44%
Home value$271,000+55%
Population41,744−75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STEARNS COUNTY VS
Kandiyohi County
Income$76,592+48%
Home value$243,200+39%
Population44,720−73%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
STEARNS COUNTY VS
Morrison County
Income$69,446+34%
Home value$248,500+42%
Population34,620−79%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Stearns County, Minnesota?

Stearns County, Minnesota has about 150,642 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Stearns County, Minnesota earns about $51,779 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 $174,500, and the typical rent is about $670 a month.

How educated are people in Stearns County, Minnesota?

About 23.6% 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 31,851 residents, a change of about 27 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 →