Big Stone County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Big Stone County, MN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageLess healthy than 90% of counties in Minnesota
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 92% of counties in Minnesota
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 83% of counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Big Stone County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,126 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 9.7 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.08% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 47.8 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,136 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Big Stone County declined by 3.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,126 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Big Stone County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.8% of residents. That is 7.2 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 805 15.7% -5.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 814 15.9% -6.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,040 20.3% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,219 23.8% +7.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Minnesota, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.1% of the people living in Big Stone County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 49.9% Minnesota 50.0%
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100% of everyone living in Big Stone County
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Economy
Big Stone County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Big Stone County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,402 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.85% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.8% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Big Stone County is about 23% lower than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Big Stone County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $62,500 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $745 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.7% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Big Stone County is about 7.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $745 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Big Stone County spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 110 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Big Stone County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.3 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.5 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 110 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,425 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.6% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 848 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 195 | 854 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Minnesota:
Brown County (10.6 min), Pennington County (10.8 min), Cottonwood County (10.9 min).
Slowest:
Chisago County (30.9 min), Wright County (28.8 min), Sherburne County (28.8 min).
The average commute time in Big Stone County is 13 minutes, shorter than the 20 minutes in Minnesota.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Big Stone County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Big Stone County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.2% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.30 | 2.43 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Minnesota:
Hennepin County (0.4), Olmsted County (0.4), Carver County (0.4).
Lowest:
Nobles County (0.2), Mahnomen County (0.2), Watonwan County (0.2).
Health
Big Stone County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Big Stone County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.8% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.3% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Minnesota:
Carver County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Stevens County (0.8).
Lowest:
Mahnomen County (0.8), Clearwater County (0.8), Beltrami County (0.8).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Big Stone County, Minnesota.
How big is Big Stone County, Minnesota by population?
About 5,126 people live in Big Stone County, Minnesota, in 2,136 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 47.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
How densely populated is Big Stone County, Minnesota?
Averaged over its land area, Big Stone County, Minnesota has 10 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 11% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Big Stone County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($62,500 against $69,402), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $745 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Big Stone County, Minnesota?
Unemployment in Big Stone County, Minnesota is only 1.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Big Stone County, Minnesota?
20.2% of adults in Big Stone County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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