Goodhue County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Goodhue 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 averageWealthier than 85% of counties in Minnesota
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 72% of counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Goodhue County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 47,943 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 61.5 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.40% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.4 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 19,727 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Goodhue County grew by 5.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 47,943 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Goodhue County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.7% of residents. That is 2.0 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,607 18.0% -3.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 9,590 20.0% -1.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 10,398 21.7% +2.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,362 19.5% +3.0 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 Goodhue County and men 49.8%.
- Women 50.2% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 49.8% Minnesota 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Goodhue County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Goodhue County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Goodhue County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $83,371 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.13% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Goodhue County is about 7% lower than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Goodhue County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $325,175 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $966 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.8% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Goodhue County is about 28.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $966 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Goodhue County spend about 40 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 168 hours, about 7.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Goodhue County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.1 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.3 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 168 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,204 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.7% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,952 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 504 | 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 Goodhue County is about the same as 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
Goodhue County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Goodhue County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.1% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 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
Goodhue County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Goodhue County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.8 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.0% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.5% | 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).
Goodhue County, MN Compared With Nearby Counties
Goodhue County, MN is typical in size for this group, 47,943 residents against a local median of 42,584, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Goodhue County, MN breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 57% above the local median of $206,692 at $325,175.
The counties themselves spread $258,678 on median home price, so Goodhue County, MN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Goodhue County, MN has the 3rd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodhue County, MN | 47,943 | $83,371 #5/6 | $325,175 #3/6 | 20.1 min #2/6 |
| Dodge County, MN | 21,046 | $95,309 | $340,475 | 23.5 min |
| Dakota County, MN | 445,396 | $106,144 | $412,524 | 22.0 min |
| Pierce County, WI | 42,584 | $93,522 | $158,333 | 23.7 min |
| Wabasha County, MN | 21,565 | $82,094 | $153,846 | 22.8 min |
| Olmsted County, MN | 164,423 | $96,754 | $206,692 | 16.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Goodhue County, Minnesota.
How many people live in Goodhue County, Minnesota?
About 47,943 people live in Goodhue County, Minnesota, in 19,727 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Goodhue County, Minnesota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Goodhue County, Minnesota has 62 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Goodhue County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 3.9 times the median household income ($325,175 against $83,371), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $966 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Goodhue County, Minnesota?
Unemployment in Goodhue 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.
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