Douglas County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Douglas 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 averageHealthier than 81% of counties in Minnesota
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 81% of counties in Minnesota
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 78% of counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Douglas County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,575 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 54.9 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.89% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.1 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 17,519 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Douglas County grew by 10.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 39,575 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Douglas County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.6% of residents. That is 6.1 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,037 17.8% -3.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,150 18.1% -3.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,639 19.3% -0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,961 22.6% +6.1 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 49.5% of the people living in Douglas County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 50.5% Minnesota 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Douglas County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Douglas County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Douglas County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,681 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.12% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Douglas County is about 12% lower than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Douglas County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $111,250 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $927 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.5% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Douglas County is about 10.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $927 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Douglas County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 134 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Douglas County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.1 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.3 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 134 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,169 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.5% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,337 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 512 | 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 Douglas County is 16 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
Douglas County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Douglas County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.5% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.22 | 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
Douglas County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Douglas County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.7 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.6% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.5% | 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).
Douglas County, MN Compared With Nearby Counties
How Douglas County, MN compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County, MN | 39,575 | $78,681 #1/3 | $111,250 #2/3 | 16.1 min #1/3 |
| Otter Tail County, MN | 60,475 | $72,292 | $201,531 | 16.3 min |
| Todd County, MN | 25,575 | $67,400 | $100,000 | 21.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Douglas County, Minnesota.
How many people live in Douglas County, Minnesota?
About 39,575 people live in Douglas County, Minnesota, in 17,519 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 43.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Douglas County, Minnesota urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Douglas County, Minnesota has 55 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 64% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Douglas County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 1.4 times the median household income ($111,250 against $78,681), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $927 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Douglas County, Minnesota?
Unemployment in Douglas County, Minnesota is only 2.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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