Albert Lea is a metro area of 30,623 people. 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. That puts it in the top 9% of US metro areas for household income. At a median age of 44.3, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 80% of homes are owner-occupied. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $171,100.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $71,023, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 44.3
US median: 38.9
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Albert Lea
What changed most since 1990
Adults with a bachelor's degree11.5% → 18.2%(+6.7 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Among the 23 metro and micro areas based in Minnesota
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)17.5%(310)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)9.9%(175)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era38.1%(676)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War8.7%(155)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.6%(28)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,772 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
Over time
Albert Lea, decade by decade
Albert Lea population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
33,060
$59,435
$102,483
11.5%
9.8
2000
32,584
$67,336
$138,446
12.8%
18.1
2010
31,255
$61,988
$160,832
13.8%
25.8
2020
30,895
$66,211
$147,384
17.0%
41.1
2024
30,623
$71,023
$171,100
18.2%
40.3
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
