Leaf River Township, MN

Township in Wadena County, MN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

804

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

Median Age

39.2

years ∙ half population younger than 39.2, half older

Diversity Index

29.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

2.6%

foreign-born population

97.4%Native

2.6% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Leaf River Township is a township in Wadena County, Minnesota, United States.

Location

Township in Wadena County, MN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC46.499697° N, 95.092937° W

DMS46° 29′ 58.91″ N, 95° 05′ 34.57″ W

Population Density & area

22.84/sq mi (8.83/km²)

Total Area

35.2 sq mi (91.1 km²)

Land Area

35.2 sq mi (91.1 km²) · 100%

Water Area

0 sq mi (0 km²) · 0%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

54.5% male

Male 54.5%

Female 45.5%

males per 100 females

Leaf River Township 119.7

Wadena County 99.9

Minnesota 100.4

Nativity

2.6%

foreign-born population

97.4%Native

2.6% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Leaf River Township 2.6%

Wadena County 1.1%

Minnesota 8.7%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

39.2

years ∙ half population younger than 39.2, half older

Leaf River Township

39.2

Wadena County

Minnesota

38.8

Dependency ratio

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Leaf River Township 52

Wadena County 86.3

Minnesota 67.1

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Leaf River Township	Wadena County	Minnesota
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	19.9%	26.1%	22.9%
Working age (18-64)	65.8%	53.7%	59.8%
Senior (65+)	14.3%	20.2%	17.3%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	52	86.3	67.1
Child dependency ratio	30.2	48.6	38.2
Old-age dependency ratio	21.7	37.6	28.9

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

83.6%

Black

Asian

2.5%

Hispanic

1.7%

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

29.3%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Leaf River Township 29.3%

Wadena County 25%

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 Leaf River Township population

	Leaf River Township	Wadena County	Minnesota
Hispanic or Latino	1.7%	2.4%	6.4%
Mexican	1.7%	1.9%	3.9%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.2%	0.3%
Cuban	0%	0%	0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0%	0.4%	2%
Not Hispanic or Latino	98.3%	97.6%	93.6%
One race	93.1%	88.5%	89.1%
White	83.6%	86.1%	75.9%
Black or African American	7%	1.7%	6.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.2%	0.7%
Asian	2.5%	0.3%	5.1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Some Other Race	0%	0.1%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5.2%	9.1%	4.5%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

81.6% family

Family 81.6%

Non family 18.4%

% family households

Leaf River Township 81.6%

Wadena County 61.7%

Minnesota 62.3%

Average household size

2.2

persons per household

Leaf River Township

2.2

Wadena County

2.28

Minnesota

2.43

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Leaf River Township population

	Leaf River Township	Wadena County	Minnesota
Total households	331	6,081	2,307,955
Average houshold size	2.2	2.28	2.43
Family households	270	3,752	1,438,404
Average family size	2.26	2.91	3.04
Married couple family	148	2,715	1,129,003
Other families	122	1,037	309,401
Male householder	68	489	102,922
Female householder	54	548	206,479
Non-family households	61	2,329	869,551
One-person households	46	1,970	686,475
Male householder	26	892	320,418
Senior (65+) living alone	13	290	97,557
Female householder	20	1,078	366,057
Senior (65+) living alone	11	593	186,557
Other living arrangements	15	359	183,076

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

343

housing units

Leaf River Township 343

Wadena County 7,021

Minnesota 2,545,030

Occupancy status

96.5% occupied

Occupied 96.5%

Vacant 3.5%

vacancy rate

Leaf River Township 3.5%

Wadena County 13.4%

Minnesota 9.3%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

93%

Single family houses

93%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

0.9%

Mobile homes

6.1%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1975

Half of houses were built before 1975, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

14.6%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

26.3%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

38.4%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

20.7%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Leaf River Township	Wadena County	Minnesota
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.6	5.9	6.1
1–3 rooms	1.2%	11.7%	14.9%
4–6 rooms	47.5%	47.4%	41.4%
7+ rooms	51.3%	41.1%	43.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0%	4.4%	2.7%
1 bedroom	3.2%	7.1%	11.4%
2 bedrooms	8.2%	24.1%	24.5%
3 bedrooms	49.9%	37.9%	32.2%
4+ bedrooms	38.8%	26.5%	29.1%
At a glance
Median year built	1975	1974	1979
Total housing units	343	7,021	2,545,030

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

77.6% owners

Renter-occupied 22.4%

Owner-occupied 77.6%

homeownership rate

Leaf River Township 77.6%

Wadena County 73.6%

Minnesota 72.2%

Average household size

2.25

Owner-occupied

2.01

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Leaf River Township 2.25

Wadena County 2.47

Minnesota 2.59

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Leaf River Township	Wadena County	Minnesota
Total occupied units	331	6,081	2,307,955
Year moved in
2020 or later	15.4%	21.6%	23.8%
2010 to 2019	48%	43.2%	38.9%
2000 to 2009	16.3%	15.1%	16.1%
1999 or earlier	20.2%	20.1%	21.2%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.8%	97.2%	97.7%
1.01 to 1.50	1.2%	1.7%	1.5%
1.51 or more	0%	1.1%	0.8%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	3.9%	7.6%	6.7%
1 vehicle	8.2%	27%	30.8%
2 vehicles	32.3%	30.6%	39.5%
3 or more vehicles	55.6%	34.8%	23.1%
House heating fuel used
Gas	30.5%	55.6%	75.9%
Electricity	42.6%	26.7%	19.4%
Solar	0%	0%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	7.6%	5.8%	1.3%
All other fuels	19.3%	11%	2.5%
No fuel used	0%	0.9%	0.9%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	1.2%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	0.2%	0.7%
No telephone service available	1.2%	1.2%	0.7%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$220,800

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Leaf River Township

$220,800

Wadena County

$173,000

Minnesota

$329,300

Housing Cost Burden

9.3%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

9.3%

Owners without a mortgage

20%

Renters

5.4%

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

	Leaf River Township	Wadena County	Minnesota
Property value
Median Value	$220,800	$173,000	$329,300
Under $100,000	12.1%	20.2%	7.7%
$100,000 - $200,000	33.1%	37.1%	13.3%
$200,000 - $300,000	23.3%	21.5%	22.6%
$300,000 - $500,000	19.5%	17.3%	36.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	11.3%	3.6%	17%
$1,000,000 and more	0.8%	0.4%	2.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	63.8%	59.2%	64%
Without a mortgage	36.2%	40.8%	36%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,850	$1,223	$1,947
Without a mortgage	$581	$520	$698
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,335	$746	$1,280

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

13.5%

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

Leaf River Township 13.5%

Wadena County 19.8%

Minnesota 39.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

4.6%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Leaf River Township 4.6%

Wadena County 7.4%

Minnesota 6.1%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

127

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

5.5%

K–12

66.9%

College / Undergraduate

26%

Graduate / Professional

1.6%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

10.3%

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

Leaf River Township

10.3%

Wadena County

16.9%

Minnesota

39.1%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Leaf River Township	Wadena County	Minnesota
Total enrolled (age 3+)	127	3,321	1,385,086
Nursery / preschool	5.5%	9.6%	6.2%
K–12	66.9%	76.8%	69.9%
Kindergarten	3.1%	3.7%	5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	14.2%	25.5%	20.6%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	29.1%	22.6%	21.7%
High School: Grades 9–12	20.5%	25%	22.4%
College or graduate school	27.6%	13.6%	23.9%
College, undergraduate	26%	11.1%	18.8%
Graduate, professional school	1.6%	2.5%	5.1%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	10.3%	16.9%	39.1%
School type
Public school	92.9%	89.3%	83.3%
Private school	7.1%	10.7%	16.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

576

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

1.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

HS graduate

54%

Some college no degree

19.4%

Associates degree

8.5%

Bachelors degree

10.2%

Graduate or professional degree

3.3%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

44.4% · 55.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

100% · 0%

HS graduate

58.2% · 41.8%

Some college no degree

58.9% · 41.1%

Associates degree

59.2% · 40.8%

Bachelors degree

42.4% · 57.6%

Graduate or professional degree

26.3% · 73.7%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Leaf River Township	Wadena County	Minnesota
Population (25+)	576	9,518	3,923,744
Less than 9th grade	1.6%	2.7%	2.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	3%	4.7%	3.4%
High school diploma or GED	54%	35.2%	23.3%
Some college, no degree	19.4%	21.5%	19.5%
Associate's degree	8.5%	16.1%	11.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.5%	19.8%	39.4%
Bachelor's degree	10.2%	15%	25.6%
Graduate or professional	3.3%	4.9%	13.8%
High School or higher	95.5%	92.6%	93.9%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$44,219

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$43,594

Some college or associates

$39,333

Bachelors degree

$62,614

Graduate or professional degree

$70,625

Poverty Rate

2.6%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

19.2%

HS graduate

13.2%

Some college or associates

18.6%

Bachelors degree or higher

2.6%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Leaf River Township	Wadena County	Minnesota
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$44,219	$43,021	$58,615
Less than high school graduate	$—	$27,750	$36,257
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$43,594	$41,230	$42,951
Some college or associate's degree	$39,333	$40,372	$51,845
Bachelor's degree	$62,614	$59,155	$73,301
Graduate or professional degree	$70,625	$66,528	$89,644
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	19.2%	27.8%	23.7%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	13.2%	12.7%	12.3%
Some college or associate's degree	18.6%	12.1%	7.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.6%	2.5%	3.2%

Insights for Leaf River Township, 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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