Wadena, MN

City in MN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

4,419

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

36.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

1.2%

foreign-born population

98.8%Native

1.2% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Wadena is a city within Otter Tail and Wadena counties, Minnesota, United States.

Location

City in MN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC46.447194° N, 95.126697° W

DMS46° 26′ 49.90″ N, 95° 07′ 36.11″ W

Population Density & area

799.1/sq mi (308.4/km²)

Total Area

5.53 sq mi (14.34 km²)

Land Area

5.53 sq mi (14.33 km²) · 99.94%

Water Area

0 sq mi (0.01 km²) · 0.06%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48% male

Male 48%

Female 52%

males per 100 females

Wadena 92.3

Minnesota 100.4

United States 98

Nativity

1.2%

foreign-born population

98.8%Native

1.2% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Wadena 1.2%

Minnesota 8.7%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

39.2

years ∙ half population younger than 39.2, half older

Wadena

39.2

Minnesota

38.8

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

82.2

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Wadena 82.2

Minnesota 67.1

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Wadena	Minnesota	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	27%	22.9%	22%
Working age (18-64)	54.8%	59.8%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	18.2%	17.3%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	82.2	67.1	64.4
Child dependency ratio	49.1	38.2	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	33.1	28.9	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

77.9%

Black

1.8%

Asian

Hispanic

4.5%

Other

15.8%

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

36.7%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Wadena 36.7%

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 population

	Wadena	Minnesota	United States
Hispanic or Latino	4.5%	6.4%	19.3%
Mexican	4.3%	3.9%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0%	0.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.2%	2%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	95.5%	93.6%	80.7%
One race	80%	89.1%	76.4%
White	77.9%	75.9%	57.4%
Black or African American	1.8%	6.9%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.7%	0.5%
Asian	0%	5.1%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	15.5%	4.5%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

55.7% family

Family 55.7%

Non family 44.3%

% family households

Wadena 55.7%

Minnesota 62.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.09

persons per household

Wadena

2.09

Minnesota

2.43

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Wadena population

	Wadena	Minnesota	United States
Total households	2,042	2,307,955	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.09	2.43	2.53
Family households	1,138	1,438,404	82,990,528
Average family size	2.77	3.04	3.14
Married couple family	658	1,129,003	60,637,388
Other families	480	309,401	22,353,140
Male householder	263	102,922	6,572,819
Female householder	217	206,479	15,780,321
Non-family households	904	869,551	46,236,968
One-person households	758	686,475	37,140,836
Male householder	281	320,418	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	70	97,557	5,225,110
Female householder	477	366,057	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	222	186,557	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	146	183,076	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

2,086

housing units

Wadena 2,086

Minnesota 2,545,030

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

97.9% occupied

Occupied 97.9%

Vacant 2.1%

vacancy rate

Wadena 2.1%

Minnesota 9.3%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

70%

Single family houses

70%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

29.9%

Mobile homes

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1965

Half of houses were built before 1965, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

23.3%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

37.9%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

15.4%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

23.5%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Wadena	Minnesota	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.8	6.1	5.5
1–3 rooms	19.6%	14.9%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	36.4%	41.4%	51.6%
7+ rooms	44%	43.7%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	10.9%	2.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	9.9%	11.4%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	21.2%	24.5%	25%
3 bedrooms	34.4%	32.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	23.5%	29.1%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1965	1979	1981
Total housing units	2,086	2,545,030	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

58.1% owners

Renter-occupied 41.9%

Owner-occupied 58.1%

homeownership rate

Wadena 58.1%

Minnesota 72.2%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.44

Owner-occupied

1.6

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Wadena 2.44

Minnesota 2.59

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Wadena	Minnesota	United States
Total occupied units	2,042	2,307,955	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	23.8%	23.8%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	56.6%	38.9%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	7.9%	16.1%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	11.8%	21.2%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	99.1%	97.7%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	0.9%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.8%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	14.9%	6.7%	8.4%
1 vehicle	33%	30.8%	33.1%
2 vehicles	25.5%	39.5%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	26.6%	23.1%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	63.1%	75.9%	51.4%
Electricity	24.8%	19.4%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	4%	1.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	6.1%	2.5%	2%
No fuel used	2.1%	0.9%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	0.7%	0.8%
No telephone service available	2%	0.7%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$160,800

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Wadena

$160,800

Minnesota

$329,300

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

23.4%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

23.4%

Owners without a mortgage

7.8%

Renters

41.6%

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	Minnesota	United States
Property value
Median Value	$160,800	$329,300	$332,700
Under $100,000	15.2%	7.7%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	58.8%	13.3%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	10.5%	22.6%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	15.5%	36.9%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	0%	17%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	2.6%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	77.4%	64%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	22.6%	36%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,060	$1,947	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$467	$698	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$684	$1,280	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

17.6%

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

Wadena 17.6%

Minnesota 39.4%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

9.2%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Wadena 9.2%

Minnesota 6.1%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

1,162

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

11.6%

K–12

72.6%

College / Undergraduate

15.7%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

14.3%

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

Wadena

14.3%

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

	Wadena	Minnesota	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	1,162	1,385,086	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	11.6%	6.2%	5.7%
K–12	72.6%	69.9%	67.6%
Kindergarten	2.2%	5.2%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	33.9%	20.6%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	14%	21.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	22.5%	22.4%	21.7%
College or graduate school	15.7%	23.9%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	15.7%	18.8%	21%
Graduate, professional school	0%	5.1%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	14.3%	39.1%	40.9%
School type
Public school	96.8%	83.3%	82%
Private school	3.2%	16.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

2,906

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

3.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

5.7%

HS graduate

34.7%

Some college no degree

19.2%

Associates degree

19.4%

Bachelors degree

13.2%

Graduate or professional degree

4.3%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

50.5% · 49.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

34.5% · 65.5%

HS graduate

43.8% · 56.2%

Some college no degree

56% · 44%

Associates degree

65.4% · 34.6%

Bachelors degree

38.7% · 61.3%

Graduate or professional degree

51.6% · 48.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Wadena	Minnesota	United States
Population (25+)	2,906	3,923,744	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	3.5%	2.7%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	5.7%	3.4%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	34.7%	23.3%	26%
Some college, no degree	19.2%	19.5%	19.1%
Associate's degree	19.4%	11.8%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.6%	39.4%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	13.2%	25.6%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	4.3%	13.8%	14.1%
High School or higher	90.8%	93.9%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$37,160

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$32,734

HS graduate

$42,246

Some college or associates

$35,252

Bachelors degree

$49,570

Graduate or professional degree

$190,670

Poverty Rate

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

31.9%

HS graduate

9.7%

Some college or associates

21.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Wadena	Minnesota	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$37,160	$58,615	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$32,734	$36,257	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$42,246	$42,951	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$35,252	$51,845	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$49,570	$73,301	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$190,670	$89,644	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	31.9%	23.7%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	9.7%	12.3%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	21.2%	7.8%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	0%	3.2%	4.5%

Insights for Wadena, 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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