Dakota County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Dakota 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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A
Health Above averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in Minnesota
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A
Income Above averageAmong the top 5 wealthiest counties in Minnesota
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 94% of counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Dakota County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 445,396 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 759.5 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.00% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.0 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 174,249 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Dakota County grew by 14.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 445,396 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Dakota County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.8% of residents. That is 1.0 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 91,791 20.6% -0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 101,616 22.8% +1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 94,377 21.2% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 65,527 14.7% -1.8 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 50.6% of the people living in Dakota County and men 49.4%.
- Women 50.6% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 49.4% Minnesota 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Dakota County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Dakota County has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Dakota County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $106,144 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.05% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Dakota County is about 18% higher than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Dakota County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $412,524 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,548 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.9% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Dakota County is about 22.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,548 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Dakota County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 184 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Dakota County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.0 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.0 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 184 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,690 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 21.3% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,623 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,063 | 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 Dakota County is 22 minutes, longer 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
Dakota County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Dakota County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.3% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.54 | 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
Dakota County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Dakota County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.7 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.2% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.2% | 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).
Dakota County, MN Compared With Nearby Counties
Dakota County, MN is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 445,396 residents against a local median of 154,543. Where Dakota County, MN breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 29% above the local median of $320,984 at $412,524.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $106,144 against a local median of $83,371, 27% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 27% above the local median it puts Dakota County, MN at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $174,042 on median home price, so Dakota County, MN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Dakota County, MN has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota County, MN | 445,396 | $106,144 #3/6 | $412,524 #1/6 | 22.0 min #4/6 |
| Ramsey County, MN | 542,690 | $82,398 | $320,984 | 20.4 min |
| Rice County, MN | 67,917 | $82,909 | $383,335 | 17.3 min |
| Washington County, MN | 276,224 | $115,522 | $209,293 | 22.6 min |
| Goodhue County, MN | 47,943 | $83,371 | $325,175 | 20.1 min |
| Scott County, MN | 154,543 | $120,239 | $282,373 | 23.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Dakota County, Minnesota.
How big is Dakota County, Minnesota by population?
About 445,396 people live in Dakota County, Minnesota, in 174,249 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 37.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Dakota County, Minnesota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Dakota County, Minnesota has 760 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 8.8 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Dakota County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 3.9 times the median household income ($412,524 against $106,144), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,548 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Dakota County, Minnesota?
Unemployment in Dakota County, Minnesota is only 3.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Dakota County, Minnesota?
41.3% of adults in Dakota County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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