Wadena County, Minnesota

County in MN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

14,256

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

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 40, half older

Diversity Index

25%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

1.1%

foreign-born population

98.9%Native

1.1% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Wadena County is a county in Minnesota, United States.

Location

County in MN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC46.586986° N, 94.988608° W

DMS46° 35′ 13.15″ N, 94° 59′ 18.99″ W

Population Density & area

26.58/sq mi (10.26/km²)

Total Area

543.3 sq mi (1,407.1 km²)

Land Area

536.3 sq mi (1,389.1 km²) · 98.7%

Water Area

7 sq mi (18 km²) · 1.3%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

50% male

Male 50%

Female 50%

males per 100 females

Wadena County 99.9

Minnesota 100.4

United States 98

Nativity

1.1%

foreign-born population

98.9%Native

1.1% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Wadena County 1.1%

Minnesota 8.7%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 40, half older

Wadena County

Minnesota

38.8

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

86.3

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Wadena County 86.3

Minnesota 67.1

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Wadena County	Minnesota	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	26.1%	22.9%	22%
Working age (18-64)	53.7%	59.8%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	20.2%	17.3%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	86.3	67.1	64.4
Child dependency ratio	48.6	38.2	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	37.6	28.9	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

86.1%

Black

1.7%

Asian

0.3%

Hispanic

2.4%

Other

9.5%

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

25%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Wadena County 25%

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 Wadena County population

	Wadena County	Minnesota	United States
Hispanic or Latino	2.4%	6.4%	19.3%
Mexican	1.9%	3.9%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.2%	0.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.4%	2%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	97.6%	93.6%	80.7%
One race	88.5%	89.1%	76.4%
White	86.1%	75.9%	57.4%
Black or African American	1.7%	6.9%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.7%	0.5%
Asian	0.3%	5.1%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.1%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	9.1%	4.5%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

61.7% family

Family 61.7%

Non family 38.3%

% family households

Wadena County 61.7%

Minnesota 62.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.28

persons per household

Wadena County

2.28

Minnesota

2.43

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Wadena County population

	Wadena County	Minnesota	United States
Total households	6,081	2,307,955	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.28	2.43	2.53
Family households	3,752	1,438,404	82,990,528
Average family size	2.91	3.04	3.14
Married couple family	2,715	1,129,003	60,637,388
Other families	1,037	309,401	22,353,140
Male householder	489	102,922	6,572,819
Female householder	548	206,479	15,780,321
Non-family households	2,329	869,551	46,236,968
One-person households	1,970	686,475	37,140,836
Male householder	892	320,418	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	290	97,557	5,225,110
Female householder	1,078	366,057	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	593	186,557	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	359	183,076	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

7,021

housing units

Wadena County 7,021

Minnesota 2,545,030

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

86.6% occupied

Occupied 86.6%

Vacant 13.4%

vacancy rate

Wadena County 13.4%

Minnesota 9.3%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

80%

Single family houses

80%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

13.1%

Mobile homes

6.9%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1974

Half of houses were built before 1974, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

19.3%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

24.8%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

34.4%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

21.4%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Wadena County	Minnesota	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.9	6.1	5.5
1–3 rooms	11.7%	14.9%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	47.4%	41.4%	51.6%
7+ rooms	41.1%	43.7%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	4.4%	2.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	7.1%	11.4%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	24.1%	24.5%	25%
3 bedrooms	37.9%	32.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	26.5%	29.1%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1974	1979	1981
Total housing units	7,021	2,545,030	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

73.6% owners

Renter-occupied 26.4%

Owner-occupied 73.6%

homeownership rate

Wadena County 73.6%

Minnesota 72.2%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.47

Owner-occupied

1.74

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Wadena County 2.47

Minnesota 2.59

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Wadena County	Minnesota	United States
Total occupied units	6,081	2,307,955	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	21.6%	23.8%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	43.2%	38.9%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	15.1%	16.1%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	20.1%	21.2%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.2%	97.7%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.7%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	1.1%	0.8%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	7.6%	6.7%	8.4%
1 vehicle	27%	30.8%	33.1%
2 vehicles	30.6%	39.5%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	34.8%	23.1%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	55.6%	75.9%	51.4%
Electricity	26.7%	19.4%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	5.8%	1.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	11%	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	0.2%	0.7%	0.8%
No telephone service available	1.2%	0.7%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$173,000

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Wadena County

$173,000

Minnesota

$329,300

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

23.6%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

23.6%

Owners without a mortgage

12.9%

Renters

36.6%

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

	Wadena County	Minnesota	United States
Property value
Median Value	$173,000	$329,300	$332,700
Under $100,000	20.2%	7.7%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	37.1%	13.3%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	21.5%	22.6%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	17.3%	36.9%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	3.6%	17%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0.4%	2.6%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	59.2%	64%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	40.8%	36%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,223	$1,947	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$520	$698	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$746	$1,280	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

19.8%

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

Wadena County 19.8%

Minnesota 39.4%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

7.4%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Wadena County 7.4%

Minnesota 6.1%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

3,321

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

9.6%

K–12

76.8%

College / Undergraduate

11.1%

Graduate / Professional

2.5%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

16.9%

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

Wadena County

16.9%

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

	Wadena County	Minnesota	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	3,321	1,385,086	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	9.6%	6.2%	5.7%
K–12	76.8%	69.9%	67.6%
Kindergarten	3.7%	5.2%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	25.5%	20.6%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	22.6%	21.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	25%	22.4%	21.7%
College or graduate school	13.6%	23.9%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	11.1%	18.8%	21%
Graduate, professional school	2.5%	5.1%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	16.9%	39.1%	40.9%
School type
Public school	89.3%	83.3%	82%
Private school	10.7%	16.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

9,518

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.7%

HS graduate

35.2%

Some college no degree

21.5%

Associates degree

16.1%

Bachelors degree

15%

Graduate or professional degree

4.9%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

51.4% · 48.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

44.7% · 55.3%

HS graduate

53.8% · 46.2%

Some college no degree

51.5% · 48.5%

Associates degree

50.8% · 49.2%

Bachelors degree

41.1% · 58.9%

Graduate or professional degree

47.9% · 52.1%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Wadena County	Minnesota	United States
Population (25+)	9,518	3,923,744	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	2.7%	2.7%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.7%	3.4%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	35.2%	23.3%	26%
Some college, no degree	21.5%	19.5%	19.1%
Associate's degree	16.1%	11.8%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.8%	39.4%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	15%	25.6%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	4.9%	13.8%	14.1%
High School or higher	92.6%	93.9%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$43,021

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$27,750

HS graduate

$41,230

Some college or associates

$40,372

Bachelors degree

$59,155

Graduate or professional degree

$66,528

Poverty Rate

2.5%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

27.8%

HS graduate

12.7%

Some college or associates

12.1%

Bachelors degree or higher

2.5%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Wadena County	Minnesota	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$43,021	$58,615	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$27,750	$36,257	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$41,230	$42,951	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$40,372	$51,845	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$59,155	$73,301	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$66,528	$89,644	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	27.8%	23.7%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	12.7%	12.3%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	12.1%	7.8%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	2.5%	3.2%	4.5%

Insights for Wadena 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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