MICROPOLITAN AREA
Detroit Lakes Micro
Detroit Lakes, MN · 1 counties · 35,497 residents (2025 est.) · 1,315 sq mi
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The short version
Detroit Lakes is a metro area of 35,343 people. That puts it in the top 8% of US metro areas for household income. The foreign-born share is 1%. The median age is 43.5, about 5 years above the US median. 77% of homes are owner-occupied. There are 27 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
28% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 90%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
35,343
+18%since 2000
from 30,000 in 2000
35,497 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
1,315 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202435K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(1,912)
5 to 96.4%(2,274)
10 to 146.8%(2,410)
15 to 196.9%(2,438)
20 to 244.9%(1,741)
25 to 349.9%(3,516)
35 to 4411.4%(4,036)
45 to 5410.8%(3,810)
55 to 6414.6%(5,155)
65 to 7413.8%(4,886)
75 to 846.5%(2,313)
85 and over2.4%(852)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$71,388
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $34,797 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
47.3%
+22.4 ptssince 2009
from 25.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade12.9%
Information11.1%
Wholesale trade9.3%
Finance & insurance6%
Professional, scientific, technical5.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing4.7%
Construction4.5%
Other services4.2%
Public administration2.7%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
Education & health services0.8%
Manufacturing0.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$291,000
+90%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $84,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.1
+18%since 2009
from 3.5 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.
62
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic89%(26,699)
Black0.2%(54)
Hispanic / Latino0.8%(230)
Asian0.4%(108)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic84.9%(30,011)
Black0.7%(258)
Hispanic / Latino2%(702)
Asian0.5%(173)
Other11.9%(4,199)
33
+24%since 2009
from 27 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
28
−23%since 2020
from 37 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
Mexican0.9%(323)
Puerto Rican0.3%(113)
Spaniard0.3%(99)
Central American0.1%(48)
South American0.1%(42)
Salvadoran0.1%(39)
Dominican0.1%(28)
Peruvian0.1%(23)
Colombian0%(14)
Cuban0%(7)
Guatemalan0%(6)
Ecuadorian0%(5)
+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data
Nicaraguan0%(3)
Asian origin
Chinese0.1%(33)
Laotian0.1%(31)
Asian Indian0.1%(25)
Korean0.1%(23)
Cambodian0.1%(18)
Vietnamese0%(17)
Japanese0%(15)
Filipino0%(8)
Uzbek0%(8)
Ancestry
German32.3%(11,415)
Norwegian19.8%(6,994)
Irish6.7%(2,379)
Swedish5.9%(2,089)
English5.4%(1,911)
Finnish5%(1,774)
French3.4%(1,205)
American3.1%(1,100)
Polish2.3%(826)
Czech1.6%(574)
Dutch1.3%(475)
Scottish0.9%(324)
+ 32 more ancestry groups with data
Danish0.8%(269)
Italian0.7%(246)
French Canadian0.6%(218)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(142)
Belgian0.3%(105)
Russian0.2%(86)
Canadian0.2%(82)
Subsaharan African0.2%(63)
Swiss0.2%(55)
Croatian0.2%(54)
Arab0.1%(50)
British0.1%(42)
Hungarian0.1%(42)
Lebanese0.1%(34)
Iranian0.1%(34)
Welsh0.1%(31)
Ukrainian0.1%(27)
Kenyan0.1%(26)
Greek0%(9)
Somali0%(9)
Slovak0%(7)
Latvian0%(6)
Slovene0%(5)
Syrian0%(4)
Australian0%(3)
Austrian0%(3)
Bulgarian0%(3)
Serbian0%(3)
Armenian0%(2)
Romanian0%(2)
Lithuanian0%(1)
Ghanaian0%(1)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
93.2%
+10.2 ptssince 2000
from 82.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.4%
−4.5 ptssince 2020
from 77.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
94.4%
+3.9 ptssince 2020
from 90.5% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married31%(4,451)
Married54.1%(7,779)
Widowed3.3%(474)
Divorced11.6%(1,673)
Women 15+
Never married25.1%(3,605)
Married54.9%(7,892)
Widowed10.1%(1,455)
Divorced9.9%(1,418)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
19.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 19.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
4.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 4.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
66.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 66.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
46.1%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 43.9% 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%(424)
Gulf War (1990s)19%(448)
Vietnam era43.5%(1,025)
Korean War6.3%(148)
World War II0.2%(4)
Share of the 2,358 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
In this metro
Largest cities
What's inside
1 component county
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Detroit Lakes
Dodge City
Pop 33,993
Lewisburg
Pop 38,071
Bennington
Pop 36,630
Crawfordsville
Pop 38,954
Places similar to Detroit LakesHead to head
Compare Detroit Lakes side by side
DETROIT LAKES VS
Dodge City
Income$70,781−1%
Home value$151,100−48%
Population33,993−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DETROIT LAKES VS
Lewisburg
Income$71,049same
Home value$279,800−4%
Population38,071+7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DETROIT LAKES VS
Bennington
Income$73,325+3%
Home value$279,900−4%
Population36,630+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DETROIT LAKES VS
Crawfordsville
Income$71,479same
Home value$171,800−41%
Population38,954+10%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Detroit Lakes, MN?
Detroit Lakes, MN has about 35,343 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Detroit Lakes, MN?
The typical household in Detroit Lakes, MN earns about $71,388 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Detroit Lakes, MN expensive?
In Detroit Lakes, MN, the median home is worth about $291,000, and the typical rent is about $920 a month.
How educated are people in Detroit Lakes, MN?
About 28.0% of adults age 25 and over in Detroit Lakes, MN hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Detroit Lakes, MN?
About 12.9% of people in Detroit Lakes, MN live below the federal poverty line.
Has Detroit Lakes, MN grown since 1990?
Yes, Detroit Lakes, MN has grown since 1990. The population has added about 7,462 residents, a change of about 27 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024