Pennington County vs Wadena County
A side-by-side comparison of Pennington County and Wadena County: population, income, housing, and more.
Pennington County and Wadena County are counties in Minnesota. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Wadena County has the higher population (14,135 vs 13,877 in Pennington County). Pennington County has the higher median household income ($72,561 vs $56,882 in Wadena County). Pennington County has the higher median home value ($188,900 vs $170,500 in Wadena County).
Population, income & housing
| Pennington County | Wadena County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,877 | 14,135 |
| Median age | 40.2 yrs | 40.1 yrs |
| Median household income | $72,561 | $56,882 |
| Median home value | $188,900 | $170,500 |
| Median gross rent | $900 | $706 |
| Housing units | 6,755 | 6,990 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.3% | 72.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.3% | 17.5% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 5.8% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Pennington County | Wadena County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 14,183 → 13,877 (-2.2%) | 13,654 → 14,135 (+3.5%) |
| Median household income | $60,122 → $72,561 (+20.7%) | $46,605 → $56,882 (+22.1%) |
| Median home value | $155,100 → $188,900 (+21.8%) | $132,000 → $170,500 (+29.2%) |
| Median gross rent | $693 → $900 (+29.9%) | $668 → $706 (+5.7%) |
Pennington County
14,18313,877
$60,122$72,561
$155,100$188,900
$693$900
Wadena County
13,65414,135
$46,605$56,882
$132,000$170,500
$668$706
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Pennington County | Wadena County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.9% | 6.5% |
| 5 to 17 | 16.2% | 19.5% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.2% | 7.0% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.0% | 11.0% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.0% | 10.9% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.4% | 11.8% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.4% | 13.3% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.8% | 11.3% |
| 75 and over | 8.0% | 8.7% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Pennington County | Wadena County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 88.4% | 90.7% |
| Black or African American | 1.2% | 0.7% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 1.2% | 0.5% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.7% | 0.0% |
| Two or more races | 3.3% | 5.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.8% | 2.3% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Pennington County | Wadena County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 5.4% | 8.6% |
| High school graduate | 30.2% | 34.8% |
| Some college or associate's | 45.0% | 39.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 14.3% | 13.2% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 5.0% | 4.3% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Pennington County | Wadena County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 75.8% | 77.1% |
| Carpooled | 7.6% | 10.6% |
| Public transit | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Walked | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Bicycle | 0.1% | 1.4% |
| Worked from home | 9.7% | 7.3% |
| Other means | 4.0% | 0.8% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Pennington County | Wadena County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 64.3% | 74.5% |
| 1-unit, attached | 2.2% | 1.4% |
| 2 to 4 units | 4.9% | 3.8% |
| 5 to 19 units | 5.6% | 6.1% |
| 20 or more units | 11.3% | 6.6% |
| Mobile home & other | 11.8% | 7.6% |
Poverty & households
| Pennington County | Wadena County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.9% | 11.4% |
| Average household size | 2.20 | 2.33 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 14 | 22 |
| Median year structure built | 1975 | 1974 |
Full profiles
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