Cold Spring, MN

City in Stearns County, MN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

4,249

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

Median Age

38.5

years ∙ half population younger than 38.5, half older

Diversity Index

19.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

6.4%

foreign-born population

93.6%Native

6.4% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Cold Spring is a city within Stearns County, Minnesota, United States.

Location

City in Stearns County, MN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC45.458256° N, 94.428154° W

DMS45° 27′ 29.72″ N, 94° 25′ 41.35″ W

Population Density & area

1,518/sq mi (585.3/km²)

Total Area

2.85 sq mi (7.38 km²)

Land Area

2.8 sq mi (7.26 km²) · 98.4%

Water Area

0.05 sq mi (0.12 km²) · 1.6%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

44.3% male

Male 44.3%

Female 55.7%

males per 100 females

Cold Spring 79.4

Stearns County 102.4

Minnesota 100.4

Nativity

6.4%

foreign-born population

93.6%Native

6.4% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Cold Spring 6.4%

Stearns County 7.9%

Minnesota 8.7%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

38.5

years ∙ half population younger than 38.5, half older

Cold Spring

38.5

Stearns County

35.1

Minnesota

38.8

Dependency ratio

71.1

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Cold Spring 71.1

Stearns County 65.9

Minnesota 67.1

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Cold Spring	Stearns County	Minnesota
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	21.6%	23.6%	22.9%
Working age (18-64)	58.5%	60.3%	59.8%
Senior (65+)	19.9%	16.1%	17.3%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	71.1	65.9	67.1
Child dependency ratio	37	39.2	38.2
Old-age dependency ratio	34.1	26.7	28.9

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

89.6%

Black

0.1%

Asian

Hispanic

5.1%

Other

5.2%

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

19.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Cold Spring 19.3%

Stearns County 34.5%

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 Cold Spring population

Racial and ethnic composition — Cold Spring vs Stearns County vs Minnesota. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Cold Spring	Stearns County	Minnesota
Hispanic or Latino	5.1%	4.8%	6.4%
Mexican	4.4%	2.9%	3.9%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.5%	0.3%
Cuban	0.7%	0.3%	0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0%	1.2%	2%
Not Hispanic or Latino	94.9%	95.2%	93.6%
One race	90.6%	91.5%	89.1%
White	89.6%	80.2%	75.9%
Black or African American	0.1%	9%	6.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.1%	0.7%
Asian	0%	1.9%	5.1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Some Other Race	0.7%	0.2%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	4.3%	3.7%	4.5%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

63.5% family

Family 63.5%

Non family 36.5%

% family households

Cold Spring 63.5%

Stearns County 61%

Minnesota 62.3%

Average household size

2.24

persons per household

Cold Spring

2.24

Stearns County

2.5

Minnesota

2.43

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Cold Spring population

	Cold Spring	Stearns County	Minnesota
Total households	1,855	61,403	2,307,955
Average houshold size	2.24	2.5	2.43
Family households	1,177	37,462	1,438,404
Average family size	2.77	3.14	3.04
Married couple family	830	30,077	1,129,003
Other families	347	7,385	309,401
Male householder	117	2,506	102,922
Female householder	230	4,879	206,479
Non-family households	678	23,941	869,551
One-person households	607	17,672	686,475
Male householder	149	8,402	320,418
Senior (65+) living alone	51	2,432	97,557
Female householder	458	9,270	366,057
Senior (65+) living alone	363	5,077	186,557
Other living arrangements	71	6,269	183,076

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

1,878

housing units

Cold Spring 1,878

Stearns County 66,625

Minnesota 2,545,030

Occupancy status

98.8% occupied

Occupied 98.8%

Vacant 1.2%

vacancy rate

Cold Spring 1.2%

Stearns County 7.8%

Minnesota 9.3%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

70.2%

Single family houses

70.2%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

27.9%

Mobile homes

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1991

Half of houses were built before 1991, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

8.3%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

13.2%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

40.9%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

37.7%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Cold Spring	Stearns County	Minnesota
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.1	6	6.1
1–3 rooms	16%	15.5%	14.9%
4–6 rooms	39.5%	41.2%	41.4%
7+ rooms	44.5%	43.2%	43.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0%	2.7%	2.7%
1 bedroom	11.7%	9.1%	11.4%
2 bedrooms	29%	24.7%	24.5%
3 bedrooms	28.2%	30.6%	32.2%
4+ bedrooms	31.1%	32.9%	29.1%
At a glance
Median year built	1991	1986	1979
Total housing units	1,878	66,625	2,545,030

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

66.5% owners

Renter-occupied 33.5%

Owner-occupied 66.5%

homeownership rate

Cold Spring 66.5%

Stearns County 67.9%

Minnesota 72.2%

Average household size

2.56

Owner-occupied

1.6

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Cold Spring 2.56

Stearns County 2.66

Minnesota 2.59

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Cold Spring	Stearns County	Minnesota
Total occupied units	1,855	61,403	2,307,955
Year moved in
2020 or later	26.6%	26.6%	23.8%
2010 to 2019	45.6%	37%	38.9%
2000 to 2009	12.7%	14.4%	16.1%
1999 or earlier	15.1%	22%	21.2%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.4%	96.8%	97.7%
1.01 to 1.50	0.6%	1.6%	1.5%
1.51 or more	0%	1.6%	0.8%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	14.4%	6%	6.7%
1 vehicle	23.7%	28%	30.8%
2 vehicles	46.7%	40.2%	39.5%
3 or more vehicles	15.1%	25.8%	23.1%
House heating fuel used
Gas	73%	66.4%	75.9%
Electricity	23.8%	27.7%	19.4%
Solar	0%	0%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	1.6%	1.3%
All other fuels	2.3%	3.2%	2.5%
No fuel used	0.9%	1%	0.9%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	0.8%	0.7%
No telephone service available	0%	0.7%	0.7%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$280,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Cold Spring

$280,400

Stearns County

$273,400

Minnesota

$329,300

Housing Cost Burden

27.4%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

27.4%

Owners without a mortgage

10.6%

Renters

57.1%

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

	Cold Spring	Stearns County	Minnesota
Property value
Median Value	$280,400	$273,400	$329,300
Under $100,000	4%	6.3%	7.7%
$100,000 - $200,000	17.1%	21.1%	13.3%
$200,000 - $300,000	35%	29.8%	22.6%
$300,000 - $500,000	27.9%	29.5%	36.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	10.4%	11.5%	17%
$1,000,000 and more	5.7%	1.8%	2.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	64.1%	59.1%	64%
Without a mortgage	35.9%	40.9%	36%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,770	$1,696	$1,947
Without a mortgage	$656	$646	$698
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,424	$1,068	$1,280

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

31%

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

Cold Spring 31%

Stearns County 28.8%

Minnesota 39.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

5.3%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Cold Spring 5.3%

Stearns County 7.4%

Minnesota 6.1%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

885

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

12%

K–12

64%

College / Undergraduate

16%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

28%

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

Cold Spring

28%

Stearns County

54.8%

Minnesota

39.1%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Cold Spring	Stearns County	Minnesota
Total enrolled (age 3+)	885	45,027	1,385,086
Nursery / preschool	12%	5.2%	6.2%
K–12	64%	59%	69.9%
Kindergarten	1.9%	4.3%	5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	32.9%	17.1%	20.6%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	13.3%	18.5%	21.7%
High School: Grades 9–12	15.8%	19.1%	22.4%
College or graduate school	24.1%	35.8%	23.9%
College, undergraduate	16%	31.4%	18.8%
Graduate, professional school	8%	4.4%	5.1%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	28%	54.8%	39.1%
School type
Public school	89.3%	79.7%	83.3%
Private school	10.7%	20.3%	16.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

2,823

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

1.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

3.5%

HS graduate

23.5%

Some college no degree

24.6%

Associates degree

15.6%

Bachelors degree

23.8%

Graduate or professional degree

7.2%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

0% · 100%

9th-12th, no diploma

83.7% · 16.3%

HS graduate

48.6% · 51.4%

Some college no degree

45.7% · 54.3%

Associates degree

43.5% · 56.5%

Bachelors degree

39.6% · 60.4%

Graduate or professional degree

21.6% · 78.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Cold Spring	Stearns County	Minnesota
Population (25+)	2,823	99,770	3,923,744
Less than 9th grade	1.8%	3.8%	2.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	3.5%	3.6%	3.4%
High school diploma or GED	23.5%	27.5%	23.3%
Some college, no degree	24.6%	22.2%	19.5%
Associate's degree	15.6%	14%	11.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	31%	28.8%	39.4%
Bachelor's degree	23.8%	19%	25.6%
Graduate or professional	7.2%	9.8%	13.8%
High School or higher	94.7%	92.5%	93.9%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$51,471

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$56,200

HS graduate

$29,850

Some college or associates

$50,919

Bachelors degree

$56,509

Graduate or professional degree

$57,386

Poverty Rate

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

HS graduate

13.7%

Some college or associates

9.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Cold Spring	Stearns County	Minnesota
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$51,471	$51,501	$58,615
Less than high school graduate	$56,200	$34,249	$36,257
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$29,850	$41,644	$42,951
Some college or associate's degree	$50,919	$50,795	$51,845
Bachelor's degree	$56,509	$61,829	$73,301
Graduate or professional degree	$57,386	$80,607	$89,644
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	0%	27.3%	23.7%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	13.7%	14%	12.3%
Some college or associate's degree	9.2%	7.9%	7.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2%	3.3%	3.2%

Insights for Cold Spring, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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