Watonwan County, Minnesota

County in MN, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

11,205

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

Median Age

40.8

years ∙ half population younger than 40.8, half older

Diversity Index

44.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

13%

foreign-born population

87%Native

13% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Watonwan County is a county in Minnesota, United States.

Location

County in MN, US

Co-ordinates

DEC43.978109° N, 94.613798° W

DMS43° 58′ 41.19″ N, 94° 36′ 49.67″ W

Population Density & area

25.76/sq mi (9.95/km²)

Total Area

439.7 sq mi (1,138.9 km²)

Land Area

434.9 sq mi (1,126.5 km²) · 98.9%

Water Area

4.8 sq mi (12.4 km²) · 1.1%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

50.8% male

Male 50.8%

Female 49.2%

males per 100 females

Watonwan County 103.1

Minnesota 100.4

United States 98

Nativity

13%

foreign-born population

87%Native

13% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Watonwan County 13%

Minnesota 8.7%

United States 14.1%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

40.8

years ∙ half population younger than 40.8, half older

Watonwan County

40.8

Minnesota

38.8

United States

38.9

Dependency ratio

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Watonwan County 87

Minnesota 67.1

United States 64.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Watonwan County	Minnesota	United States
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	26.3%	22.9%	22%
Working age (18-64)	53.5%	59.8%	60.8%
Senior (65+)	20.2%	17.3%	17.2%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	87	67.1	64.4
Child dependency ratio	49.2	38.2	36.1
Old-age dependency ratio	37.8	28.9	28.3

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

67.7%

Black

Asian

0.3%

Hispanic

30.4%

Other

1.6%

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

44.9%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Watonwan County 44.9%

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 Watonwan County population

	Watonwan County	Minnesota	United States
Hispanic or Latino	30.4%	6.4%	19.3%
Mexican	21%	3.9%	11.3%
Puerto Rican	0.1%	0.3%	1.8%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.8%
Other Hispanic / Latino	9.2%	2%	5.5%
Not Hispanic or Latino	69.6%	93.6%	80.7%
One race	68.4%	89.1%	76.4%
White	67.7%	75.9%	57.4%
Black or African American	0%	6.9%	11.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.7%	0.5%
Asian	0.3%	5.1%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0.2%
Some Other Race	0.4%	0.5%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	1.2%	4.5%	4.3%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

67.6% family

Family 67.6%

Non family 32.4%

% family households

Watonwan County 67.6%

Minnesota 62.3%

United States 64.2%

Average household size

2.61

persons per household

Watonwan County

2.61

Minnesota

2.43

United States

2.53

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Watonwan County population

	Watonwan County	Minnesota	United States
Total households	4,227	2,307,955	129,227,496
Average houshold size	2.61	2.43	2.53
Family households	2,858	1,438,404	82,990,528
Average family size	3.19	3.04	3.14
Married couple family	2,135	1,129,003	60,637,388
Other families	723	309,401	22,353,140
Male householder	270	102,922	6,572,819
Female householder	453	206,479	15,780,321
Non-family households	1,369	869,551	46,236,968
One-person households	1,251	686,475	37,140,836
Male householder	604	320,418	16,871,444
Senior (65+) living alone	300	97,557	5,225,110
Female householder	647	366,057	20,269,392
Senior (65+) living alone	419	186,557	10,089,070
Other living arrangements	118	183,076	9,096,132

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

4,881

housing units

Watonwan County 4,881

Minnesota 2,545,030

United States 143,775,355

Occupancy status

86.6% occupied

Occupied 86.6%

Vacant 13.4%

vacancy rate

Watonwan County 13.4%

Minnesota 9.3%

United States 10.1%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

84.1%

Single family houses

84.1%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

13%

Mobile homes

2.8%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1961

Half of houses were built before 1961, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

30.5%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

29.6%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

29%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

11%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Watonwan County	Minnesota	United States
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.3	6.1	5.5
1–3 rooms	8.5%	14.9%	15.1%
4–6 rooms	45.4%	41.4%	51.6%
7+ rooms	46%	43.7%	33.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	2.2%	2.7%	2.9%
1 bedroom	7.8%	11.4%	10.9%
2 bedrooms	24.2%	24.5%	25%
3 bedrooms	38%	32.2%	38.7%
4+ bedrooms	27.8%	29.1%	22.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1961	1979	1981
Total housing units	4,881	2,545,030	143,775,355

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

77.8% owners

Renter-occupied 22.2%

Owner-occupied 77.8%

homeownership rate

Watonwan County 77.8%

Minnesota 72.2%

United States 65.2%

Average household size

2.72

Owner-occupied

2.23

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Watonwan County 2.72

Minnesota 2.59

United States 2.64

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Watonwan County	Minnesota	United States
Total occupied units	4,227	2,307,955	129,227,496
Year moved in
2020 or later	14.5%	23.8%	24.8%
2010 to 2019	35.2%	38.9%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	21%	16.1%	16.4%
1999 or earlier	29.3%	21.2%	19.1%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.8%	97.7%	96.6%
1.01 to 1.50	1.8%	1.5%	2.2%
1.51 or more	0.4%	0.8%	1.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	7.9%	6.7%	8.4%
1 vehicle	21.6%	30.8%	33.1%
2 vehicles	34.4%	39.5%	36.6%
3 or more vehicles	36.1%	23.1%	21.9%
House heating fuel used
Gas	77.4%	75.9%	51.4%
Electricity	15.7%	19.4%	41.3%
Solar	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	2.2%	1.3%	3.9%
All other fuels	3.5%	2.5%	2%
No fuel used	1.1%	0.9%	1.2%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.5%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.4%	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

$162,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Watonwan County

$162,400

Minnesota

$329,300

United States

$332,700

Housing Cost Burden

21.5%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

21.5%

Owners without a mortgage

11.1%

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

	Watonwan County	Minnesota	United States
Property value
Median Value	$162,400	$329,300	$332,700
Under $100,000	30.4%	7.7%	11.4%
$100,000 - $200,000	32.9%	13.3%	15.8%
$200,000 - $300,000	17%	22.6%	17.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	14.3%	36.9%	26.9%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	4.3%	17%	20.9%
$1,000,000 and more	1%	2.6%	7.1%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	48.4%	64%	60.6%
Without a mortgage	51.6%	36%	39.4%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,453	$1,947	$1,963
Without a mortgage	$557	$698	$638
Gross rent
Median rent	$834	$1,280	$1,413

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

17.2%

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

Watonwan County 17.2%

Minnesota 39.4%

United States 35.7%

Adults without a high school diploma

13.8%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Watonwan County 13.8%

Minnesota 6.1%

United States 10.4%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

2,531

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

10.4%

K–12

79%

College / Undergraduate

9.3%

Graduate / Professional

1.3%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

16.1%

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

Watonwan County

16.1%

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

	Watonwan County	Minnesota	United States
Total enrolled (age 3+)	2,531	1,385,086	80,089,790
Nursery / preschool	10.4%	6.2%	5.7%
K–12	79%	69.9%	67.6%
Kindergarten	8.3%	5.2%	5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	20.7%	20.6%	19.8%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	21.6%	21.7%	21%
High School: Grades 9–12	28.4%	22.4%	21.7%
College or graduate school	10.5%	23.9%	26.7%
College, undergraduate	9.3%	18.8%	21%
Graduate, professional school	1.3%	5.1%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	16.1%	39.1%	40.9%
School type
Public school	86.2%	83.3%	82%
Private school	13.8%	16.7%	18%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

7,379

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

7.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

6.3%

HS graduate

31.1%

Some college no degree

26.5%

Associates degree

11.3%

Bachelors degree

12.9%

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

46.5% · 53.5%

9th-12th, no diploma

69.7% · 30.3%

HS graduate

57.5% · 42.5%

Some college no degree

48.4% · 51.6%

Associates degree

33.2% · 66.8%

Bachelors degree

43.8% · 56.2%

Graduate or professional degree

49.5% · 50.5%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Watonwan County	Minnesota	United States
Population (25+)	7,379	3,923,744	230,807,303
Less than 9th grade	7.5%	2.7%	4.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	6.3%	3.4%	5.7%
High school diploma or GED	31.1%	23.3%	26%
Some college, no degree	26.5%	19.5%	19.1%
Associate's degree	11.3%	11.8%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.2%	39.4%	35.7%
Bachelor's degree	12.9%	25.6%	21.6%
Graduate or professional	4.3%	13.8%	14.1%
High School or higher	86.2%	93.9%	89.6%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$46,345

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$40,135

HS graduate

$38,580

Some college or associates

$46,875

Bachelors degree

$56,290

Graduate or professional degree

$77,375

Poverty Rate

3.7%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

22.3%

HS graduate

7.9%

Some college or associates

7.7%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.7%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Watonwan County	Minnesota	United States
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$46,345	$58,615	$52,696
Less than high school graduate	$40,135	$36,257	$32,485
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$38,580	$42,951	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$46,875	$51,845	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$56,290	$73,301	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$77,375	$89,644	$90,720
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	22.3%	23.7%	24.2%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	7.9%	12.3%	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	7.7%	7.8%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.7%	3.2%	4.5%

Insights for Watonwan 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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