United States › Minnesota › Wadena County COUNTY
Wadena County Minnesota · 14,388 residents (2025 est.) · 536 sq mi
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The short version
Wadena County is a county of 14,256 people in Minnesota. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 20% of adults. The foreign-born share is 1%. The typical home is worth $173,000, having more than doubled since 2000. Households here earn about 31% less than in Minnesota as a whole. There are 27 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
20% 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 from 13,713 in 2000
14,388 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 25 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 39.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
13K 13K 14K 14K 14K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Wadena County Age distribution, 2024
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Section 02
Income & economy $61,467
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,651 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $15,146 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 15.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 14.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.423 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 5.9%
Transportation & warehousing 5%
Professional, scientific, technical 4.6%
Public administration 3.9%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.2%
Education & health services 0.7%
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$173,000
+47%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $64,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$746
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $337 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 77.6% in 2000
26.4% rent
from 13.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.18 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 27.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 44.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 3.1 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 97.3%(13,340)
Hispanic / Latino 0.9%(128)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 86.1%(12,277)
Hispanic / Latino 2.4%(345)
from 9 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 9 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 Ancestry
+ 23 more ancestry groups with data from 13.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 79.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 13.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 76.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 8.5% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 3.6% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 6.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 58.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 77.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 13.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 28.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 13.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 16.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 9.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 69.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 87.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 90.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 96.6% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 30.9%(1,728)
Women 15+
Never married 24.6%(1,378)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 9.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 43.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 19.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 22.7% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 33.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 61.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 51.6% 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) 11.1%(92)
Share of the 831 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.
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Drill deeper
Places similar to Wadena County Head to head
Compare Wadena County to nearby counties WADENA COUNTY VS
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WADENA COUNTY VS
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WADENA COUNTY VS
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WADENA COUNTY VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Wadena County, Minnesota? Wadena County, Minnesota has about 14,256 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Wadena County, Minnesota? The typical household in Wadena County, Minnesota earns about $61,467 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Wadena County, Minnesota expensive? In Wadena County, Minnesota, the median home is worth about $173,000, and the typical rent is about $746 a month.
How educated are people in Wadena County, Minnesota? About 19.8% of adults age 25 and over in Wadena County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Wadena County, Minnesota? About 12.5% of people in Wadena County, Minnesota live below the federal poverty line.
Has Wadena County, Minnesota grown since 1990? Yes, Wadena County, Minnesota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 1,102 residents, a change of about 8 percent over that period.
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