Bemidji, MN

City in Beltrami County, MN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

15,569

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 30, half older

Diversity Index

47.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.3%

foreign-born population

97.7%Native

2.3% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Bemidji is a city within Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States.

Location

City in Beltrami County, MN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC47.487034° N, 94.882690° W

DMS47° 29′ 13.32″ N, 94° 52′ 57.68″ W

Population Density & area

894.8/sq mi (344.4/km²)

Total Area

22.3 sq mi (57.9 km²)

Land Area

17.4 sq mi (45.2 km²) · 78.1%

Water Area

4.9 sq mi (12.7 km²) · 21.9%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.5% male

Male 48.5%

Female 51.5%

males per 100 females

Bemidji 94.1

Beltrami County 101.7

Minnesota 100.4

Nativity

2.3%

foreign-born population

97.7%Native

2.3% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Bemidji 2.3%

Beltrami County 1.4%

Minnesota 8.7%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 30, half older

Bemidji

Beltrami County

35.3

Minnesota

38.8

Dependency ratio

57.9

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Bemidji 57.9

Beltrami County 73.2

Minnesota 67.1

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Bemidji	Beltrami County	Minnesota
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	19.6%	24.7%	22.9%
Working age (18-64)	63.3%	57.7%	59.8%
Senior (65+)	17.1%	17.6%	17.3%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	57.9	73.2	67.1
Child dependency ratio	30.9	42.8	38.2
Old-age dependency ratio	27	30.4	28.9

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

70.9%

Black

1.8%

Asian

Hispanic

3.2%

Other

23.1%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

47.1%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Bemidji 47.1%

Beltrami County 47%

Minnesota 41%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Bemidji population

	Bemidji	Beltrami County	Minnesota
Hispanic or Latino	3.2%	2.6%	6.4%
Mexican	2.2%	1.6%	3.9%
Puerto Rican	0.1%	0.3%	0.3%
Cuban	0%	0%	0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.9%	0.6%	2%
Not Hispanic or Latino	96.8%	97.4%	93.6%
One race	86%	90.9%	89.1%
White	70.9%	70%	75.9%
Black or African American	1.8%	0.8%	6.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	11.3%	18.7%	0.7%
Asian	1%	0.6%	5.1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0.1%	0.1%	0%
Some Other Race	0.9%	0.7%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	10.8%	6.5%	4.5%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

46.7% family

Family 46.7%

Non family 53.3%

% family households

Bemidji 46.7%

Beltrami County 62.5%

Minnesota 62.3%

Average household size

2.1

persons per household

Bemidji

2.1

Beltrami County

2.45

Minnesota

2.43

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Bemidji population

	Bemidji	Beltrami County	Minnesota
Total households	6,636	18,172	2,307,955
Average houshold size	2.1	2.45	2.43
Family households	3,098	11,354	1,438,404
Average family size	2.77	3	3.04
Married couple family	1,848	7,798	1,129,003
Other families	1,250	3,556	309,401
Male householder	312	1,037	102,922
Female householder	938	2,519	206,479
Non-family households	3,538	6,818	869,551
One-person households	2,684	5,368	686,475
Male householder	976	2,500	320,418
Senior (65+) living alone	316	895	97,557
Female householder	1,708	2,868	366,057
Senior (65+) living alone	851	1,469	186,557
Other living arrangements	854	1,450	183,076

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

7,232

housing units

Bemidji 7,232

Beltrami County 21,729

Minnesota 2,545,030

Occupancy status

91.8% occupied

Occupied 91.8%

Vacant 8.2%

vacancy rate

Bemidji 8.2%

Beltrami County 16.4%

Minnesota 9.3%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

55.1%

Single family houses

55.1%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

39.1%

Mobile homes

5.9%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1983

Half of houses were built before 1983, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

12.5%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

23.9%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

29.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

34.4%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Bemidji	Beltrami County	Minnesota
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	4.9	5.4	6.1
1–3 rooms	22.3%	14.5%	14.9%
4–6 rooms	50.8%	51.5%	41.4%
7+ rooms	26.9%	34%	43.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	5%	3%	2.7%
1 bedroom	15.2%	8.7%	11.4%
2 bedrooms	33.9%	27.3%	24.5%
3 bedrooms	28.1%	38.3%	32.2%
4+ bedrooms	17.8%	22.7%	29.1%
At a glance
Median year built	1983	1988	1979
Total housing units	7,232	21,729	2,545,030

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

43.1% owners

Renter-occupied 56.9%

Owner-occupied 43.1%

homeownership rate

Bemidji 43.1%

Beltrami County 70.1%

Minnesota 72.2%

Average household size

2.35

Owner-occupied

1.92

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Bemidji 2.35

Beltrami County 2.57

Minnesota 2.59

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Bemidji	Beltrami County	Minnesota
Total occupied units	6,636	18,172	2,307,955
Year moved in
2020 or later	40%	25.4%	23.8%
2010 to 2019	38.1%	37.3%	38.9%
2000 to 2009	9.9%	15.7%	16.1%
1999 or earlier	12%	21.5%	21.2%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.8%	97.7%	97.7%
1.01 to 1.50	0%	1.6%	1.5%
1.51 or more	0.2%	0.6%	0.8%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	9.9%	5.9%	6.7%
1 vehicle	42.8%	31%	30.8%
2 vehicles	30.5%	36.3%	39.5%
3 or more vehicles	16.8%	26.8%	23.1%
House heating fuel used
Gas	62%	63.1%	75.9%
Electricity	34.1%	27.3%	19.4%
Solar	0%	0%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	1.5%	1.9%	1.3%
All other fuels	1.5%	7.3%	2.5%
No fuel used	0.9%	0.4%	0.9%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.8%	0.8%	0.7%
No telephone service available	0.8%	0.7%	0.7%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$198,300

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Bemidji

$198,300

Beltrami County

$237,500

Minnesota

$329,300

Housing Cost Burden

27.8%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

27.8%

Owners without a mortgage

20.5%

Renters

45.4%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Bemidji	Beltrami County	Minnesota
Property value
Median Value	$198,300	$237,500	$329,300
Under $100,000	15.1%	17.4%	7.7%
$100,000 - $200,000	35.5%	23.5%	13.3%
$200,000 - $300,000	27.8%	24.8%	22.6%
$300,000 - $500,000	14.7%	24.9%	36.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	6.1%	8.8%	17%
$1,000,000 and more	0.8%	0.7%	2.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	53.7%	51.8%	64%
Without a mortgage	46.3%	48.2%	36%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,428	$1,588	$1,947
Without a mortgage	$542	$567	$698
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,067	$1,053	$1,280

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

32.5%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Bemidji 32.5%

Beltrami County 31.8%

Minnesota 39.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

7.8%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Bemidji 7.8%

Beltrami County 7.7%

Minnesota 6.1%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

4,640

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

3.8%

K–12

47.6%

College / Undergraduate

44.4%

Graduate / Professional

4.2%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

50.9%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Bemidji

50.9%

Beltrami County

39.5%

Minnesota

39.1%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Bemidji	Beltrami County	Minnesota
Total enrolled (age 3+)	4,640	12,569	1,385,086
Nursery / preschool	3.8%	4.6%	6.2%
K–12	47.6%	69.2%	69.9%
Kindergarten	2.5%	5.9%	5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	13.4%	20.5%	20.6%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	12.8%	20.4%	21.7%
High School: Grades 9–12	18.9%	22.5%	22.4%
College or graduate school	48.6%	26.2%	23.9%
College, undergraduate	44.4%	23.5%	18.8%
Graduate, professional school	4.2%	2.8%	5.1%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	50.9%	39.5%	39.1%
School type
Public school	84.7%	85.4%	83.3%
Private school	15.3%	14.6%	16.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

8,773

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

3.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.6%

HS graduate

26.8%

Some college no degree

20.3%

Associates degree

12.7%

Bachelors degree

17.7%

Graduate or professional degree

14.7%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

90.6% · 9.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

52% · 48%

HS graduate

47.7% · 52.3%

Some college no degree

44.9% · 55.1%

Associates degree

35% · 65%

Bachelors degree

39.4% · 60.6%

Graduate or professional degree

48.8% · 51.2%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Bemidji	Beltrami County	Minnesota
Population (25+)	8,773	29,008	3,923,744
Less than 9th grade	3.2%	2.1%	2.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.6%	5.6%	3.4%
High school diploma or GED	26.8%	26.6%	23.3%
Some college, no degree	20.3%	21.2%	19.5%
Associate's degree	12.7%	12.6%	11.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	32.5%	31.8%	39.4%
Bachelor's degree	17.7%	19.7%	25.6%
Graduate or professional	14.7%	12.1%	13.8%
High School or higher	92.2%	92.3%	93.9%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$46,570

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$25,060

HS graduate

$35,037

Some college or associates

$47,940

Bachelors degree

$52,740

Graduate or professional degree

$74,333

Poverty Rate

2.9%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

39.2%

HS graduate

26.7%

Some college or associates

13.6%

Bachelors degree or higher

2.9%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Bemidji	Beltrami County	Minnesota
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$46,570	$48,833	$58,615
Less than high school graduate	$25,060	$26,223	$36,257
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$35,037	$37,051	$42,951
Some college or associate's degree	$47,940	$46,653	$51,845
Bachelor's degree	$52,740	$56,636	$73,301
Graduate or professional degree	$74,333	$74,287	$89,644
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	39.2%	39%	23.7%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	26.7%	17.5%	12.3%
Some college or associate's degree	13.6%	12.1%	7.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.9%	4%	3.2%

Insights for Bemidji, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

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