Freeborn County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Freeborn 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 average
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B
Income Around averageLess wealthy than 77% of counties in Minnesota
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 86% of counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Freeborn County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,623 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 42.4 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.05% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.6 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,846 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Freeborn County declined by 1.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 30,623 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Freeborn County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.4% of residents. That is 4.9 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,508 18.0% -3.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,552 18.1% -3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,243 20.4% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,564 21.4% +4.9 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 50.2% of the people living in Freeborn County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 49.8% Minnesota 50.0%
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100% of everyone living in Freeborn County
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Economy
Freeborn County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Freeborn County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,120 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.63% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Freeborn County is about 22% lower than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Freeborn County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $135,869 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $848 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.5% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Freeborn County is about 13.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $848 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Freeborn County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 130 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Freeborn County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.7 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.3 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 130 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,044 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.6% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,918 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 614 | 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 Freeborn 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
Freeborn County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Freeborn County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.0% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 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
Freeborn County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Freeborn County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.6 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.9% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.5% | 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).
Freeborn County, MN Compared With Nearby Counties
How Freeborn County, MN compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freeborn County, MN | 30,623 | $70,120 #3/3 | $135,869 #2/3 | 15.7 min #3/3 |
| Steele County, MN | 37,436 | $84,760 | $204,296 | 13.3 min |
| Mower County, MN | 40,341 | $72,820 | $103,820 | 13.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Freeborn County, Minnesota.
How big is Freeborn County, Minnesota by population?
About 30,623 people live in Freeborn County, Minnesota, in 12,846 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 42.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Freeborn County, Minnesota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Freeborn County, Minnesota has 42 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 49% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Freeborn County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 1.9 times the median household income ($135,869 against $70,120), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $848 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Freeborn County, Minnesota?
16.0% of adults in Freeborn County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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