Stearns County, Minnesota

County in MN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

160,865

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

Median Age

35.1

years ∙ half population younger than 35.1, half older

Diversity Index

34.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

7.9%

foreign-born population

92.1%Native

7.9% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Stearns County is a county in Minnesota, United States.

Location

County in MN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC45.555235° N, 94.610482° W

DMS45° 33′ 18.85″ N, 94° 36′ 37.74″ W

Population Density & area

119.8/sq mi (46.25/km²)

Total Area

1,390 sq mi (3,600 km²)

Land Area

1,343 sq mi (3,478 km²) · 96.6%

Water Area

47 sq mi (122 km²) · 3.4%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

50.6% male

Male 50.6%

Female 49.4%

males per 100 females

Stearns County 102.4

Minnesota 100.4

United States 98

Nativity

7.9%

foreign-born population

92.1%Native

7.9% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Stearns County 7.9%

Minnesota 8.7%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

35.1

years ∙ half population younger than 35.1, half older

Stearns County

35.1

Minnesota

38.8

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

65.9

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Stearns County 65.9

Minnesota 67.1

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Stearns County	Minnesota	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	23.6%	22.9%	22%
Working age (18-64)	60.3%	59.8%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	16.1%	17.3%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	65.9	67.1	64.4
Child dependency ratio	39.2	38.2	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	26.7	28.9	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

80.2%

Black

Asian

1.9%

Hispanic

4.8%

Other

4.1%

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

34.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Stearns County 34.5%

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 Stearns County population

Racial and ethnic composition — Stearns County vs Minnesota vs United States. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Stearns County	Minnesota	United States
Hispanic or Latino	4.8%	6.4%	19.3%
Mexican	2.9%	3.9%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.5%	0.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0.3%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	1.2%	2%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	95.2%	93.6%	80.7%
One race	91.5%	89.1%	76.4%
White	80.2%	75.9%	57.4%
Black or African American	9%	6.9%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.7%	0.5%
Asian	1.9%	5.1%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.2%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.7%	4.5%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

61% family

Family 61%

Non family 39%

% family households

Stearns County 61%

Minnesota 62.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.5

persons per household

Stearns County

2.5

Minnesota

2.43

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Stearns County population

	Stearns County	Minnesota	United States
Total households	61,403	2,307,955	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.5	2.43	2.53
Family households	37,462	1,438,404	82,990,528
Average family size	3.14	3.04	3.14
Married couple family	30,077	1,129,003	60,637,388
Other families	7,385	309,401	22,353,140
Male householder	2,506	102,922	6,572,819
Female householder	4,879	206,479	15,780,321
Non-family households	23,941	869,551	46,236,968
One-person households	17,672	686,475	37,140,836
Male householder	8,402	320,418	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	2,432	97,557	5,225,110
Female householder	9,270	366,057	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	5,077	186,557	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	6,269	183,076	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

66,625

housing units

Stearns County 66,625

Minnesota 2,545,030

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

92.2% occupied

Occupied 92.2%

Vacant 7.8%

vacancy rate

Stearns County 7.8%

Minnesota 9.3%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

72.2%

Single family houses

72.2%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

25.8%

Mobile homes

2.1%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1986

Half of houses were built before 1986, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

11.2%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

18.5%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

41.5%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

28.8%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Stearns County	Minnesota	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6	6.1	5.5
1–3 rooms	15.5%	14.9%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	41.2%	41.4%	51.6%
7+ rooms	43.2%	43.7%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	2.7%	2.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	9.1%	11.4%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	24.7%	24.5%	25%
3 bedrooms	30.6%	32.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	32.9%	29.1%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1986	1979	1981
Total housing units	66,625	2,545,030	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

67.9% owners

Renter-occupied 32.1%

Owner-occupied 67.9%

homeownership rate

Stearns County 67.9%

Minnesota 72.2%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.66

Owner-occupied

2.15

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Stearns County 2.66

Minnesota 2.59

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Stearns County	Minnesota	United States
Total occupied units	61,403	2,307,955	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	26.6%	23.8%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	37%	38.9%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	14.4%	16.1%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	22%	21.2%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	96.8%	97.7%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.6%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	1.6%	0.8%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	6%	6.7%	8.4%
1 vehicle	28%	30.8%	33.1%
2 vehicles	40.2%	39.5%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	25.8%	23.1%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	66.4%	75.9%	51.4%
Electricity	27.7%	19.4%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	1.6%	1.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	3.2%	2.5%	2%
No fuel used	1%	0.9%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.3%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.8%	0.7%	0.8%
No telephone service available	0.7%	0.7%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$273,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Stearns County

$273,400

Minnesota

$329,300

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

21.6%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

21.6%

Owners without a mortgage

11.2%

Renters

49.9%

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

	Stearns County	Minnesota	United States
Property value
Median Value	$273,400	$329,300	$332,700
Under $100,000	6.3%	7.7%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	21.1%	13.3%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	29.8%	22.6%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	29.5%	36.9%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	11.5%	17%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	1.8%	2.6%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	59.1%	64%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	40.9%	36%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,696	$1,947	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$646	$698	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,068	$1,280	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

28.8%

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

Stearns County 28.8%

Minnesota 39.4%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

7.4%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Stearns County 7.4%

Minnesota 6.1%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

45,027

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

5.2%

K–12

59%

College / Undergraduate

31.4%

Graduate / Professional

4.4%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

54.8%

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

Stearns County

54.8%

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

	Stearns County	Minnesota	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	45,027	1,385,086	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	5.2%	6.2%	5.7%
K–12	59%	69.9%	67.6%
Kindergarten	4.3%	5.2%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	17.1%	20.6%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	18.5%	21.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	19.1%	22.4%	21.7%
College or graduate school	35.8%	23.9%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	31.4%	18.8%	21%
Graduate, professional school	4.4%	5.1%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	54.8%	39.1%	40.9%
School type
Public school	79.7%	83.3%	82%
Private school	20.3%	16.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

99,770

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

3.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

3.6%

HS graduate

27.5%

Some college no degree

22.2%

Associates degree

14%

Bachelors degree

19%

Graduate or professional degree

9.8%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

47.6% · 52.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

59.1% · 40.9%

HS graduate

54.7% · 45.3%

Some college no degree

53.2% · 46.8%

Associates degree

48.6% · 51.4%

Bachelors degree

44.4% · 55.6%

Graduate or professional degree

46.5% · 53.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Stearns County	Minnesota	United States
Population (25+)	99,770	3,923,744	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	3.8%	2.7%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	3.6%	3.4%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	27.5%	23.3%	26%
Some college, no degree	22.2%	19.5%	19.1%
Associate's degree	14%	11.8%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	28.8%	39.4%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	19%	25.6%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	9.8%	13.8%	14.1%
High School or higher	92.5%	93.9%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$51,501

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$34,249

HS graduate

$41,644

Some college or associates

$50,795

Bachelors degree

$61,829

Graduate or professional degree

$80,607

Poverty Rate

3.3%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

27.3%

HS graduate

14%

Some college or associates

7.9%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.3%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Stearns County	Minnesota	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$51,501	$58,615	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$34,249	$36,257	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$41,644	$42,951	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$50,795	$51,845	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$61,829	$73,301	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$80,607	$89,644	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	27.3%	23.7%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	14%	12.3%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	7.9%	7.8%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.3%	3.2%	4.5%

Insights for Stearns 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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