Waite Park, MN

City in Stearns County, MN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

8,399

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

Median Age

38.1

years ∙ half population younger than 38.1, half older

Diversity Index

59.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

28%

foreign-born population

72%Native

28% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Waite Park is a city within Stearns County, Minnesota, United States.

Location

City in Stearns County, MN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC45.520868° N, 94.242982° W

DMS45° 31′ 15.12″ N, 94° 14′ 34.74″ W

Population Density & area

666.6/sq mi (256.9/km²)

Total Area

12.7 sq mi (32.9 km²)

Land Area

12.6 sq mi (32.7 km²) · 99.34%

Water Area

0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²) · 0.66%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

45.5% male

Male 45.5%

Female 54.5%

males per 100 females

Waite Park 83.4

Stearns County 102.4

Minnesota 100.4

Nativity

28%

foreign-born population

72%Native

28% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Waite Park 28%

Stearns County 7.9%

Minnesota 8.7%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

38.1

years ∙ half population younger than 38.1, half older

Waite Park

38.1

Stearns County

35.1

Minnesota

38.8

Dependency ratio

79.6

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Waite Park 79.6

Stearns County 65.9

Minnesota 67.1

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Waite Park	Stearns County	Minnesota
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	26.2%	23.6%	22.9%
Working age (18-64)	55.7%	60.3%	59.8%
Senior (65+)	18.1%	16.1%	17.3%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	79.6	65.9	67.1
Child dependency ratio	47	39.2	38.2
Old-age dependency ratio	32.6	26.7	28.9

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

51.7%

Black

35.5%

Asian

1.6%

Hispanic

9.1%

Other

2.1%

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

59.8%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Waite Park 59.8%

Stearns County 34.5%

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 Waite Park population

	Waite Park	Stearns County	Minnesota
Hispanic or Latino	9.1%	4.8%	6.4%
Mexican	2.8%	2.9%	3.9%
Puerto Rican	1.3%	0.5%	0.3%
Cuban	0.1%	0.3%	0.1%
Other Hispanic / Latino	5%	1.2%	2%
Not Hispanic or Latino	90.9%	95.2%	93.6%
One race	89.1%	91.5%	89.1%
White	51.7%	80.2%	75.9%
Black or African American	35.5%	9%	6.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.1%	0.7%
Asian	1.6%	1.9%	5.1%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Some Other Race	0.2%	0.2%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	1.8%	3.7%	4.5%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

50.4% family

Family 50.4%

Non family 49.6%

% family households

Waite Park 50.4%

Stearns County 61%

Minnesota 62.3%

Average household size

2.34

persons per household

Waite Park

2.34

Stearns County

2.5

Minnesota

2.43

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Waite Park population

	Waite Park	Stearns County	Minnesota
Total households	3,559	61,403	2,307,955
Average houshold size	2.34	2.5	2.43
Family households	1,795	37,462	1,438,404
Average family size	3.46	3.14	3.04
Married couple family	1,481	30,077	1,129,003
Other families	314	7,385	309,401
Male householder	149	2,506	102,922
Female householder	165	4,879	206,479
Non-family households	1,764	23,941	869,551
One-person households	1,404	17,672	686,475
Male householder	617	8,402	320,418
Senior (65+) living alone	272	2,432	97,557
Female householder	787	9,270	366,057
Senior (65+) living alone	504	5,077	186,557
Other living arrangements	360	6,269	183,076

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

3,688

housing units

Waite Park 3,688

Stearns County 66,625

Minnesota 2,545,030

Occupancy status

96.5% occupied

Occupied 96.5%

Vacant 3.5%

vacancy rate

Waite Park 3.5%

Stearns County 7.8%

Minnesota 9.3%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

51.1%

Single family houses

51.1%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

43.1%

Mobile homes

5.8%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1992

Half of houses were built before 1992, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

7.3%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

12%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

51.5%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

29.2%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Waite Park	Stearns County	Minnesota
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	4.4	6	6.1
1–3 rooms	24%	15.5%	14.9%
4–6 rooms	53.4%	41.2%	41.4%
7+ rooms	22.5%	43.2%	43.7%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1.7%	2.7%	2.7%
1 bedroom	9.2%	9.1%	11.4%
2 bedrooms	50.2%	24.7%	24.5%
3 bedrooms	20.3%	30.6%	32.2%
4+ bedrooms	18.5%	32.9%	29.1%
At a glance
Median year built	1992	1986	1979
Total housing units	3,688	66,625	2,545,030

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

51.3% owners

Renter-occupied 48.7%

Owner-occupied 51.3%

homeownership rate

Waite Park 51.3%

Stearns County 67.9%

Minnesota 72.2%

Average household size

2.5

Owner-occupied

2.18

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Waite Park 2.5

Stearns County 2.66

Minnesota 2.59

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Waite Park	Stearns County	Minnesota
Total occupied units	3,559	61,403	2,307,955
Year moved in
2020 or later	28.9%	26.6%	23.8%
2010 to 2019	42.8%	37%	38.9%
2000 to 2009	11.6%	14.4%	16.1%
1999 or earlier	16.7%	22%	21.2%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	90.7%	96.8%	97.7%
1.01 to 1.50	4.2%	1.6%	1.5%
1.51 or more	5.2%	1.6%	0.8%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	9.7%	6%	6.7%
1 vehicle	40.7%	28%	30.8%
2 vehicles	29.4%	40.2%	39.5%
3 or more vehicles	20.2%	25.8%	23.1%
House heating fuel used
Gas	58.3%	66.4%	75.9%
Electricity	36.6%	27.7%	19.4%
Solar	0%	0%	0.1%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.1%	1.6%	1.3%
All other fuels	2.6%	3.2%	2.5%
No fuel used	2.4%	1%	0.9%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.3%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	0.8%	0.7%
No telephone service available	0.4%	0.7%	0.7%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$219,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Waite Park

$219,400

Stearns County

$273,400

Minnesota

$329,300

Housing Cost Burden

31.3%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

31.3%

Owners without a mortgage

16.2%

Renters

59.4%

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

	Waite Park	Stearns County	Minnesota
Property value
Median Value	$219,400	$273,400	$329,300
Under $100,000	12.8%	6.3%	7.7%
$100,000 - $200,000	30.1%	21.1%	13.3%
$200,000 - $300,000	33.8%	29.8%	22.6%
$300,000 - $500,000	13.7%	29.5%	36.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	9.5%	11.5%	17%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	1.8%	2.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	51.9%	59.1%	64%
Without a mortgage	48.1%	40.9%	36%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,623	$1,696	$1,947
Without a mortgage	$668	$646	$698
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,117	$1,068	$1,280

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

20.1%

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

Waite Park 20.1%

Stearns County 28.8%

Minnesota 39.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

17.5%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Waite Park 17.5%

Stearns County 7.4%

Minnesota 6.1%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

1,729

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

6.4%

K–12

74.9%

College / Undergraduate

16.6%

Graduate / Professional

2.1%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

36.3%

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

Waite Park

36.3%

Stearns County

54.8%

Minnesota

39.1%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Waite Park	Stearns County	Minnesota
Total enrolled (age 3+)	1,729	45,027	1,385,086
Nursery / preschool	6.4%	5.2%	6.2%
K–12	74.9%	59%	69.9%
Kindergarten	3.1%	4.3%	5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	20.6%	17.1%	20.6%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	16.5%	18.5%	21.7%
High School: Grades 9–12	34.6%	19.1%	22.4%
College or graduate school	18.7%	35.8%	23.9%
College, undergraduate	16.6%	31.4%	18.8%
Graduate, professional school	2.1%	4.4%	5.1%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	36.3%	54.8%	39.1%
School type
Public school	84.4%	79.7%	83.3%
Private school	15.6%	20.3%	16.7%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

5,446

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

11.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

6.1%

HS graduate

30%

Some college no degree

24.9%

Associates degree

7.4%

Bachelors degree

14.2%

Graduate or professional degree

5.9%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

58.6% · 41.4%

9th-12th, no diploma

36.8% · 63.2%

HS graduate

47.3% · 52.7%

Some college no degree

48.4% · 51.6%

Associates degree

46.1% · 53.9%

Bachelors degree

42.1% · 57.9%

Graduate or professional degree

57.5% · 42.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Waite Park	Stearns County	Minnesota
Population (25+)	5,446	99,770	3,923,744
Less than 9th grade	11.4%	3.8%	2.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	6.1%	3.6%	3.4%
High school diploma or GED	30%	27.5%	23.3%
Some college, no degree	24.9%	22.2%	19.5%
Associate's degree	7.4%	14%	11.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.1%	28.8%	39.4%
Bachelor's degree	14.2%	19%	25.6%
Graduate or professional	5.9%	9.8%	13.8%
High School or higher	82.4%	92.5%	93.9%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$43,257

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$36,109

Some college or associates

$41,719

Bachelors degree

$49,844

Graduate or professional degree

$67,350

Poverty Rate

4.9%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

28.8%

HS graduate

32.3%

Some college or associates

9.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

4.9%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Waite Park	Stearns County	Minnesota
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$43,257	$51,501	$58,615
Less than high school graduate	$—	$34,249	$36,257
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$36,109	$41,644	$42,951
Some college or associate's degree	$41,719	$50,795	$51,845
Bachelor's degree	$49,844	$61,829	$73,301
Graduate or professional degree	$67,350	$80,607	$89,644
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	28.8%	27.3%	23.7%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	32.3%	14%	12.3%
Some college or associate's degree	9.2%	7.9%	7.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	4.9%	3.3%	3.2%

Insights for Waite Park, 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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