Hennepin County, Minnesota

County in MN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

1,269,496

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

Median Age

37.6

years ∙ half population younger than 37.6, half older

Diversity Index

54.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

13.6%

foreign-born population

86.4%Native

13.6% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Hennepin County is a county in Minnesota, United States.

Location

County in MN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC45.006121° N, 93.475228° W

DMS45° 00′ 22.04″ N, 93° 28′ 30.82″ W

Population Density & area

2,292/sq mi (884.7/km²)

Total Area

606.7 sq mi (1,571.5 km²)

Land Area

554 sq mi (1,434.9 km²) · 91.3%

Water Area

52.7 sq mi (136.6 km²) · 8.7%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

49.7% male

Male 49.7%

Female 50.3%

males per 100 females

Hennepin County 98.8

Minnesota 100.4

United States 98

Nativity

13.6%

foreign-born population

86.4%Native

13.6% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Hennepin County 13.6%

Minnesota 8.7%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

37.6

years ∙ half population younger than 37.6, half older

Hennepin County

37.6

Minnesota

38.8

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

59.2

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Hennepin County 59.2

Minnesota 67.1

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Hennepin County	Minnesota	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	21.6%	22.9%	22%
Working age (18-64)	62.8%	59.8%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	15.6%	17.3%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	59.2	67.1	64.4
Child dependency ratio	34.4	38.2	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	24.8	28.9	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

65.2%

Black

13.3%

Asian

Hispanic

7.8%

Other

6.7%

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

54.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Hennepin County 54.3%

Minnesota 41%

United States 61.4%

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 Hennepin County population

	Hennepin County	Minnesota	United States
Hispanic or Latino	7.8%	6.4%	19.3%
Mexican	4.4%	3.9%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.4%	0.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0.2%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	2.8%	2%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	92.2%	93.6%	80.7%
One race	86.7%	89.1%	76.4%
White	65.2%	75.9%	57.4%
Black or African American	13.3%	6.9%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.4%	0.7%	0.5%
Asian	7%	5.1%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.8%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5.5%	4.5%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

55.2% family

Family 55.2%

Non family 44.8%

% family households

Hennepin County 55.2%

Minnesota 62.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.3

persons per household

Hennepin County

2.3

Minnesota

2.43

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Hennepin County population

	Hennepin County	Minnesota	United States
Total households	539,493	2,307,955	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.3	2.43	2.53
Family households	297,949	1,438,404	82,990,528
Average family size	3.03	3.04	3.14
Married couple family	230,681	1,129,003	60,637,388
Other families	67,268	309,401	22,353,140
Male householder	21,199	102,922	6,572,819
Female householder	46,069	206,479	15,780,321
Non-family households	241,544	869,551	46,236,968
One-person households	186,397	686,475	37,140,836
Male householder	85,157	320,418	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	21,166	97,557	5,225,110
Female householder	101,240	366,057	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	43,295	186,557	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	55,147	183,076	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

571,527

housing units

Hennepin County 571,527

Minnesota 2,545,030

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

94.4% occupied

Occupied 94.4%

Vacant 5.6%

vacancy rate

Hennepin County 5.6%

Minnesota 9.3%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

60%

Single family houses

60%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

39.7%

Mobile homes

0.3%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1973

Half of houses were built before 1973, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

18.6%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

27.7%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

34.6%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

19.1%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Hennepin County	Minnesota	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.7	6.1	5.5
1–3 rooms	22.3%	14.9%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	38%	41.4%	51.6%
7+ rooms	39.7%	43.7%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	4.9%	2.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	17.8%	11.4%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	25.1%	24.5%	25%
3 bedrooms	26%	32.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	26.2%	29.1%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1973	1979	1981
Total housing units	571,527	2,545,030	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

62.7% owners

Renter-occupied 37.3%

Owner-occupied 62.7%

homeownership rate

Hennepin County 62.7%

Minnesota 72.2%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.5

Owner-occupied

1.96

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Hennepin County 2.5

Minnesota 2.59

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Hennepin County	Minnesota	United States
Total occupied units	539,493	2,307,955	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	28.4%	23.8%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	39.8%	38.9%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	13.4%	16.1%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	18.5%	21.2%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.3%	97.7%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.6%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	1.1%	0.8%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	9.3%	6.7%	8.4%
1 vehicle	37.7%	30.8%	33.1%
2 vehicles	38.1%	39.5%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	14.9%	23.1%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	76.7%	75.9%	51.4%
Electricity	20.8%	19.4%	41.3%
Solar	0.1%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.2%	1.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	1.2%	2.5%	2%
No fuel used	0.9%	0.9%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.3%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.5%	0.7%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.6%	0.7%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$392,900

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Hennepin County

$392,900

Minnesota

$329,300

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

22.8%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

22.8%

Owners without a mortgage

13.6%

Renters

47.5%

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

	Hennepin County	Minnesota	United States
Property value
Median Value	$392,900	$329,300	$332,700
Under $100,000	2.6%	7.7%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	5.8%	13.3%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	17.9%	22.6%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	43.2%	36.9%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	24.8%	17%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	5.6%	2.6%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	69%	64%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	31%	36%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$2,255	$1,947	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$853	$698	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,487	$1,280	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

54.1%

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

Hennepin County 54.1%

Minnesota 39.4%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

5.9%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Hennepin County 5.9%

Minnesota 6.1%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

306,401

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

6.7%

K–12

64.6%

College / Undergraduate

20.7%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

45.3%

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

Hennepin County

45.3%

Minnesota

39.1%

United States

40.9%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Hennepin County	Minnesota	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	306,401	1,385,086	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	6.7%	6.2%	5.7%
K–12	64.6%	69.9%	67.6%
Kindergarten	4.8%	5.2%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	19.6%	20.6%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	20.1%	21.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	20.2%	22.4%	21.7%
College or graduate school	28.6%	23.9%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	20.7%	18.8%	21%
Graduate, professional school	8%	5.1%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	45.3%	39.1%	40.9%
School type
Public school	81.9%	83.3%	82%
Private school	18.1%	16.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

888,421

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

3.2%

9th-12th, no diploma

2.7%

HS graduate

15%

Some college no degree

16.4%

Associates degree

8.6%

Bachelors degree

33.8%

Graduate or professional degree

20.3%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

45.6% · 54.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

53.6% · 46.4%

HS graduate

50.6% · 49.4%

Some college no degree

51.2% · 48.8%

Associates degree

48.9% · 51.1%

Bachelors degree

49.1% · 50.9%

Graduate or professional degree

47.6% · 52.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Hennepin County	Minnesota	United States
Population (25+)	888,421	3,923,744	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	3.2%	2.7%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	2.7%	3.4%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	15%	23.3%	26%
Some college, no degree	16.4%	19.5%	19.1%
Associate's degree	8.6%	11.8%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	54.1%	39.4%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	33.8%	25.6%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	20.3%	13.8%	14.1%
High School or higher	94.1%	93.9%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$65,297

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$34,065

HS graduate

$41,819

Some college or associates

$51,738

Bachelors degree

$78,472

Graduate or professional degree

$95,959

Poverty Rate

3.5%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

28.5%

HS graduate

14.7%

Some college or associates

9.9%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.5%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Hennepin County	Minnesota	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$65,297	$58,615	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$34,065	$36,257	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$41,819	$42,951	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$51,738	$51,845	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$78,472	$73,301	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$95,959	$89,644	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	28.5%	23.7%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	14.7%	12.3%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	9.9%	7.8%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.5%	3.2%	4.5%

Insights for Hennepin County, 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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