United States › Minnesota › Waseca County COUNTY
Waseca County Minnesota · 18,688 residents (2025 est.) · 423 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
Waseca County is a county of 18,885 people in Minnesota. That puts it in the top 7% of US counties for household income. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 21% of adults. 81% of homes are owner-occupied. The foreign-born share is 3%. The typical home is worth $220,800, having more than doubled since 2000.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.6
US median: 38.9
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 35%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 19,526 in 2000
18,688 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 45 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 36.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
18K 18K 19K 19K 20K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Waseca County Age distribution, 2024
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Section 02
Income & economy $76,261
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,440 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $18,631 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 27.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 6.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.369 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 5.8%
Public administration 5.3%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.4%
Transportation & warehousing 3%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.9%
Education & health services 0.5%
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$220,800
+35%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $89,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$883
+21%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $402 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 80.1% in 2000
19.3% rent
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.52 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 24.4% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 39.3% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.8 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 93.2%(18,198)
Hispanic / Latino 2.9%(566)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 87.2%(16,464)
Hispanic / Latino 7.3%(1,380)
from 19 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 32 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
+ 26 more ancestry groups with data from 16.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 84.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 12.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 80.1% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 5.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 67.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 75.4% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 10.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 30.3% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 9.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 8.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 79.3% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 86.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 89.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 94.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 3.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 28.4%(2,080)
Women 15+
Never married 25.9%(2,102)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 8.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 57.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 16.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 19.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 21.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 73.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 39.2% 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) 18.3%(156)
Gulf War (1990s) 17.5%(149)
Share of the 851 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 Waseca County Head to head
Compare Waseca County to nearby counties WASECA COUNTY VS
Steele County
Income $84,196 +10%
Home value $245,400 +11%
Population 37,464 +100%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASECA COUNTY VS
Blue Earth County
Income $74,477 −2%
Home value $266,700 +21%
Population 70,634 +278%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASECA COUNTY VS
Le Sueur County
Income $94,968 +25%
Home value $316,500 +43%
Population 29,453 +58%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WASECA COUNTY VS
Freeborn County
Income $71,023 −7%
Home value $171,100 −23%
Population 30,440 +63%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Waseca County, Minnesota? Waseca County, Minnesota has about 18,885 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Waseca County, Minnesota? The typical household in Waseca County, Minnesota earns about $76,261 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Waseca County, Minnesota expensive? In Waseca County, Minnesota, the median home is worth about $220,800, and the typical rent is about $883 a month.
How educated are people in Waseca County, Minnesota? About 21.0% of adults age 25 and over in Waseca County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Waseca County, Minnesota? About 7.5% of people in Waseca County, Minnesota live below the federal poverty line.
Has Waseca County, Minnesota grown since 1990? Yes, Waseca County, Minnesota has grown since 1990. The population has added about 806 residents, a change of about 4 percent over that period.
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