Stearns County vs Washington County
A side-by-side comparison of Stearns County and Washington County: population, income, housing, and more.
Stearns County and Washington County are counties in Minnesota. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Washington County has the higher population (272,298 vs 159,358 in Stearns County). Washington County has the higher median household income ($114,457 vs $76,447 in Stearns County). Washington County has the higher median home value ($400,900 vs $256,500 in Stearns County).
Population, income & housing
| Stearns County | Washington County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 159,358 | 272,298 |
| Median age | 35.0 yrs | 39.9 yrs |
| Median household income | $76,447 | $114,457 |
| Median home value | $256,500 | $400,900 |
| Median gross rent | $1,057 | $1,637 |
| Housing units | 66,211 | 107,035 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.8% | 81.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.6% | 48.9% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 3.3% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Stearns County | Washington County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 158,452 → 159,358 (+0.6%) | 255,938 → 272,298 (+6.4%) |
| Median household income | $62,789 → $76,447 (+21.8%) | $96,671 → $114,457 (+18.4%) |
| Median home value | $184,900 → $256,500 (+38.7%) | $289,400 → $400,900 (+38.5%) |
| Median gross rent | $833 → $1,057 (+26.9%) | $1,307 → $1,637 (+25.2%) |
Stearns County
158,452159,358
$62,789$76,447
$184,900$256,500
$833$1,057
Washington County
255,938272,298
$96,671$114,457
$289,400$400,900
$1,307$1,637
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Stearns County | Washington County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6.4% | 5.7% |
| 5 to 17 | 17.2% | 18.5% |
| 18 to 24 | 14.5% | 7.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.9% | 11.4% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.8% | 13.9% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.4% | 13.0% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.1% | 13.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.2% | 9.7% |
| 75 and over | 6.6% | 6.5% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Stearns County | Washington County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 81.5% | 78.4% |
| Black or African American | 8.3% | 4.8% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 1.9% | 7.3% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 3.5% | 3.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.5% | 5.1% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Stearns County | Washington County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 7.2% | 3.7% |
| High school graduate | 27.9% | 18.7% |
| Some college or associate's | 36.3% | 28.7% |
| Bachelor's degree | 18.7% | 31.4% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 9.9% | 17.5% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Stearns County | Washington County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 75.7% | 68.5% |
| Carpooled | 7.5% | 7.2% |
| Public transit | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Walked | 4.5% | 0.9% |
| Bicycle | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| Worked from home | 9.3% | 21.5% |
| Other means | 1.0% | 0.9% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Stearns County | Washington County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 69.3% | 67.6% |
| 1-unit, attached | 3.8% | 16.2% |
| 2 to 4 units | 3.3% | 2.4% |
| 5 to 19 units | 7.0% | 2.6% |
| 20 or more units | 14.7% | 9.5% |
| Mobile home & other | 2.0% | 1.7% |
Poverty & households
| Stearns County | Washington County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 12.2% | 5.0% |
| Average household size | 2.49 | 2.60 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 22 | 24 |
| Median year structure built | 1984 | 1992 |
Full profiles
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