Part of series
2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2000 2019 2018
Data updates
Updated annually and as new data becomes available
Get email notifications -->
Media Contact
Neilsberg Research Media Relations
Share this page

Mentor, MN

City in Polk County, MN, US
Last updated
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers

Population

131
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

52.5
years ∙ half population younger than 52.5, half older

Diversity Index

Low High
8.8%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

0%
foreign-born population
100%Native
0% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Mentor is a city within Polk County, Minnesota, United States.
Location
City in Polk County, MN, US
Co-ordinates
DEC47.696662° N, 96.144035° W
DMS47° 41′ 47.98″ N, 96° 08′ 38.53″ W

Population Density & area

68.95/sq mi (26.57/km²)
Total Area
1.9 sq mi (4.93 km²)
Land Area
1.9 sq mi (4.93 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

52.7% male
Male 52.7%
Female 47.3%
males per 100 females
Mentor 111.3
Polk County 105.8
Minnesota 100.4

Nativity

0%
foreign-born population
100%Native
0% Foreign-born
% Foreign-born
Mentor 0%
Polk County 2.1%
Minnesota 8.7%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

52.5
years ∙ half population younger than 52.5, half older
Mentor
52.5
Polk County
39.8
Minnesota
38.8

Dependency ratio

Low High
48.9
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Mentor 48.9
Polk County 77.2
Minnesota 67.1

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group
Median age
Mentor Polk County Minnesota
Age Group
Children (Under 18) 10.7% 24.5% 22.9%
Working age (18-64) 67.2% 56.4% 59.8%
Senior (65+) 22.1% 19.1% 17.3%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio 48.9 77.2 67.1
Child dependency ratio 15.9 43.4 38.2
Old-age dependency ratio 33 33.8 28.9
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White
95.4%
Black
0%
Asian
0%
Hispanic
0%
Other
4.6%
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

Low High
8.8%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Mentor 8.8%
Polk County 28.7%
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 Mentor population
Mentor Polk County Minnesota
Hispanic or Latino 0% 6.9% 6.4%
Mexican 0% 5.6% 3.9%
Puerto Rican 0% 0.2% 0.3%
Cuban 0% 0% 0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino 0% 1% 2%
Not Hispanic or Latino 100% 93.1% 93.6%
One race 95.4% 88.4% 89.1%
White 95.4% 84% 75.9%
Black or African American 0% 2% 6.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0% 0.6% 0.7%
Asian 0% 0.8% 5.1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
Some Other Race 0% 0.9% 0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial) 4.6% 4.7% 4.5%
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

47% family
Family 47%
Non family 53%
% family households
Mentor 47%
Polk County 63%
Minnesota 62.3%

Average household size

1.98
persons per household
Mentor
1.98
Polk County
2.38
Minnesota
2.43

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households
Percentage of Mentor population
Mentor Polk County Minnesota
Total households 66 12,360 2,307,955
Average houshold size 1.98 2.38 2.43
Family households 31 7,791 1,438,404
Average family size 2.65 3.02 3.04
Married couple family 25 6,327 1,129,003
Other families 6 1,464 309,401
Male householder 5 587 102,922
Female householder 1 877 206,479
Non-family households 35 4,569 869,551
One-person households 27 3,971 686,475
Male householder 14 2,065 320,418
Senior (65+) living alone 5 632 97,557
Female householder 13 1,906 366,057
Senior (65+) living alone 9 953 186,557
Other living arrangements 8 598 183,076

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

82
housing units
Mentor 82
Polk County 14,697
Minnesota 2,545,030

Occupancy status

80.5% occupied
Occupied 80.5%
Vacant 19.5%
vacancy rate
Mentor 19.5%
Polk County 15.9%
Minnesota 9.3%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

80.5%
Single family houses
Single family houses
80.5%
Apartments in multi-unit structures
8.6%
Mobile homes
6.1%
Boat, RV, van, etc
4.9%

Median Year Built

1971
Half of houses were built before 1971, and half after.
Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier
35.4%
Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969
19.6%
Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999
28%
Modern ∙ 2000 or later
17%
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
Mentor Polk County Minnesota
Rooms per unit
Median rooms 4.9 5.9 6.1
1–3 rooms 15.8% 13.1% 14.9%
4–6 rooms 64.6% 45.8% 41.4%
7+ rooms 19.6% 41.2% 43.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio 1.2% 1.7% 2.7%
1 bedroom 20.7% 8.8% 11.4%
2 bedrooms 28% 26.3% 24.5%
3 bedrooms 43.9% 35.6% 32.2%
4+ bedrooms 6.1% 27.6% 29.1%
At a glance
Median year built 1971 1971 1979
Total housing units 82 14,697 2,545,030
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

78.8% owners
Renter-occupied 21.2%
Owner-occupied 78.8%
homeownership rate
Mentor 78.8%
Polk County 71.3%
Minnesota 72.2%

Average household size

2.12
Owner-occupied
1.5
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Mentor 2.12
Polk County 2.59
Minnesota 2.59

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
Mentor Polk County Minnesota
Total occupied units 66 12,360 2,307,955
Year moved in
2020 or later 16.7% 21.1% 23.8%
2010 to 2019 48.5% 35.2% 38.9%
2000 to 2009 16.7% 18% 16.1%
1999 or earlier 18.2% 25.6% 21.2%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer 100% 98.1% 97.7%
1.01 to 1.50 0% 1.2% 1.5%
1.51 or more 0% 0.8% 0.8%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles 0% 7.4% 6.7%
1 vehicle 13.6% 25% 30.8%
2 vehicles 50% 38.5% 39.5%
3 or more vehicles 36.4% 29.1% 23.1%
House heating fuel used
Gas 63.6% 64.8% 75.9%
Electricity 10.6% 25.6% 19.4%
Solar 0% 0% 0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc 21.2% 5.3% 1.3%
All other fuels 3% 2.8% 2.5%
No fuel used 1.5% 1.6% 0.9%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing 0% 0.4% 0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen 0% 1% 0.7%
No telephone service available 0% 1% 0.7%
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$80,700
owner-occupied units
Median value(USD)
Mentor
$80,700
Polk County
$222,800
Minnesota
$329,300

Housing Cost Burden

25.9%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
% Cost-Burdened Households
Owners with a mortgage
25.9%
Owners without a mortgage
32%
Renters
35.7%
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
Mentor Polk County Minnesota
Property value
Median Value $80,700 $222,800 $329,300
Under $100,000 76.9% 16% 7.7%
$100,000 - $200,000 11.5% 26.2% 13.3%
$200,000 - $300,000 3.8% 28.4% 22.6%
$300,000 - $500,000 7.7% 22.1% 36.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000 0% 6.6% 17%
$1,000,000 and more 0% 0.7% 2.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage 51.9% 57.3% 64%
Without a mortgage 48.1% 42.7% 36%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage $1,375 $1,617 $1,947
Without a mortgage $438 $623 $698
Gross rent
Median rent $675 $855 $1,280

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

6.9%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Mentor 6.9%
Polk County 28%
Minnesota 39.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

8.8%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Mentor 8.8%
Polk County 6.3%
Minnesota 6.1%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

17
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
Nursery / Preschool
0%
K–12
70.6%
College / Undergraduate
29.4%
Graduate / Professional
0%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

33.3%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Mentor
33.3%
Polk County
39.4%
Minnesota
39.1%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
Mentor Polk County Minnesota
Total enrolled (age 3+) 17 7,475 1,385,086
Nursery / preschool 0% 5.9% 6.2%
K–12 70.6% 73.8% 69.9%
Kindergarten 23.5% 5.8% 5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4 0% 21.7% 20.6%
Elementary: Grades 5–8 23.5% 21.9% 21.7%
High School: Grades 9–12 23.5% 24.5% 22.4%
College or graduate school 29.4% 20.3% 23.9%
College, undergraduate 29.4% 17.2% 18.8%
Graduate, professional school 0% 3.1% 5.1%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds 33.3% 39.4% 39.1%
School type
Public school 100% 83.1% 83.3%
Private school 0% 16.9% 16.7%
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

102
population 25 years and over
Total adults (25+)
Less than 9th grade
0%
9th-12th, no diploma
8.8%
HS graduate
53.9%
Some college no degree
22.5%
Associates degree
7.8%
Bachelors degree
6.9%
Graduate or professional degree
0%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
* The Census Bureau did not publish education attainment by gender data for Mentor due to an insufficient sample size to produce reliable estimates.
% male · % female
Less than 9th grade
—% · —%
9th-12th, no diploma
66.7% · 33.3%
HS graduate
52.7% · 47.3%
Some college no degree
65.2% · 34.8%
Associates degree
75% · 25%
Bachelors degree
0% · 100%
Graduate or professional degree
—% · —%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
Mentor Polk County Minnesota
Population (25+) 102 20,733 3,923,744
Less than 9th grade 0% 2% 2.7%
9th–12th, no diploma 8.8% 4.3% 3.4%
High school diploma or GED 53.9% 28.4% 23.3%
Some college, no degree 22.5% 23.5% 19.5%
Associate's degree 7.8% 13.9% 11.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher 6.9% 28% 39.4%
Bachelor's degree 6.9% 19% 25.6%
Graduate or professional 0% 9% 13.8%
High School or higher 91.2% 93.8% 93.9%
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$37,955
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Less than HS graduate
$—
HS graduate
$36,250
Some college or associates
$37,292
Bachelors degree
$—
Graduate or professional degree
$—

Poverty Rate

0%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Less than HS graduate
11.1%
HS graduate
21.8%
Some college or associates
3.2%
Bachelors degree or higher
0%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
Mentor Polk County Minnesota
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings $37,955 $51,684 $58,615
Less than high school graduate $— $24,691 $36,257
High school graduate (includes equivalency) $36,250 $41,100 $42,951
Some college or associate's degree $37,292 $48,294 $51,845
Bachelor's degree $— $58,825 $73,301
Graduate or professional degree $— $76,898 $89,644
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate 11.1% 34.4% 23.7%
High school graduate (includes equivalency) 21.8% 13.3% 12.3%
Some college or associate's degree 3.2% 10.1% 7.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher 0% 6.6% 3.2%
Insights for Mentor, by topic

About Neilsberg Research

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

Cite this page


			
			 	 
			 
	      
Url to be used as reference

			
				
				
		
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.