Stearns County, Minnesota

31 cities & places have their primary county here.

Population: 159,358
Median household income: $76,447
Median home value: $256,500

Home to 159,358 residents, Stearns County is one of Minnesota's counties. 31 cities and places have their primary county here. The median household income of $76,447 is below the Minnesota median ($87,556).

From 2019 to 2023, Stearns County's population held roughly steady from 158,452 to 159,358, while its median household income rose 21.8% from $62,789 to $76,447.

28.6% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Owners occupy 67.8% of the area's occupied homes.

Demographics

ACS 2019–2023

Population: 159,358
Median age: 35.0 yrs
Median household income: $76,447
Median home value: $256,500
Median gross rent: $1,057
Housing units: 66,211
Homeownership rate: 67.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher: 28.6%
Unemployment rate: 4.3%

Trends

ACS 5-year · 2019–2023

Population

158,452159,358

Median household income

$62,789$76,447

Median home value

$184,900$256,500

Median gross rent

$833$1,057

Year	Population	Median household income	Median home value	Median gross rent
2019	158,452	$62,789	$184,900	$833
2020	159,788	$65,244	$193,500	$861
2021	157,638	$68,212	$205,500	$917
2022	158,622	$73,105	$241,100	$975
2023	159,358	$76,447	$256,500	$1,057

Each year is a US Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimate ending that year.

Age distribution

Under 56.4%

5 to 1717.2%

18 to 2414.5%

25 to 3411.9%

35 to 4411.8%

45 to 5410.4%

55 to 6412.1%

65 to 749.2%

75 and over6.6%

	Count	Share
Under 5	10,183	6.4%
5 to 17	27,386	17.2%
18 to 24	23,087	14.5%
25 to 34	18,948	11.9%
35 to 44	18,862	11.8%
45 to 54	16,497	10.4%
55 to 64	19,266	12.1%
65 to 74	14,618	9.2%
75 and over	10,511	6.6%

Race & ethnicity

	Count	Share
White (non-Hispanic)	129,814	81.5%
Black or African American	13,295	8.3%
American Indian & Alaska Native	135	0.1%
Asian	3,039	1.9%
Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander	58	0.0%
Some other race	260	0.2%
Two or more races	5,567	3.5%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	7,190	4.5%

Educational attainment (age 25+)

No high school diploma7.2%

High school graduate27.9%

Some college or associate's36.3%

Bachelor's degree18.7%

Graduate or professional degree9.9%

	Count	Share
No high school diploma	7,119	7.2%
High school graduate	27,524	27.9%
Some college or associate's	35,842	36.3%
Bachelor's degree	18,445	18.7%
Graduate or professional degree	9,772	9.9%

Commute to work

Mean travel time to work: 22 min

Drove alone75.7%

Carpooled7.5%

Public transit1.5%

Walked4.5%

Bicycle0.5%

Worked from home9.3%

Other means1.0%

How workers get to work

	Count	Share
Drove alone	62,143	75.7%
Carpooled	6,192	7.5%
Public transit	1,192	1.5%
Walked	3,662	4.5%
Bicycle	449	0.5%
Worked from home	7,611	9.3%
Other means	859	1.0%

Travel time

	Count	Share
Under 15 min	29,157	39.1%
15 to 29 min	26,582	35.7%
30 to 44 min	10,744	14.4%
45 to 59 min	3,342	4.5%
60+ min	4,672	6.3%

Households

Average household size: 2.49
Poverty rate: 12.2% (18,584 of 152,879)

	Count	Share
Family households	37,651	61.8%
Nonfamily households	23,286	38.2%

Housing

Median year structure built: 1984

Occupancy

	Count	Share
Occupied	60,937	92.0%
Vacant	5,274	8.0%

Tenure (of occupied units)

	Count	Share
Owner-occupied	41,324	67.8%
Renter-occupied	19,613	32.2%

1-unit, detached69.3%

1-unit, attached3.8%

2 to 4 units3.3%

5 to 19 units7.0%

20 or more units14.7%

Mobile home & other2.0%

Units in structure

	Count	Share
1-unit, detached	45,866	69.3%
1-unit, attached	2,487	3.8%
2 to 4 units	2,202	3.3%
5 to 19 units	4,610	7.0%
20 or more units	9,700	14.7%
Mobile home & other	1,346	2.0%

Geography

County GEOID: 27145
State: Minnesota
Land area: 1,343 sq mi
Water area: 47 sq mi
Center point: 45.5552, -94.6105