Itasca County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Itasca 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 72% of counties in Minnesota
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 86% of counties in Minnesota
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Itasca County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,273 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 15.5 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.02% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.0 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 18,540 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Itasca County grew by 2.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 45,273 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Itasca County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 24.2% of residents. That is 7.6 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,777 17.2% -4.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,880 17.4% -4.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,667 21.4% +1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,944 24.2% +7.6 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 50.0% of the people living in Itasca County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 50.0% Minnesota 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Itasca County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Itasca County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Itasca County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,729 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.20% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Itasca County is about 24% lower than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Itasca County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $280,561 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $988 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.0% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Itasca County is about 23.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $988 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Itasca County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 153 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Itasca County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.4 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.8 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 153 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,749 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.5% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,624 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 386 | 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 Itasca County is 18 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
Itasca County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Itasca County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.2% | 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
Itasca County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Itasca County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.4 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.6% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.6% | 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).
Itasca County, MN Compared With Nearby Counties
Itasca County, MN is the 3rd largest of the 4 counties compared here, 45,273 residents against a local median of 67,686. Itasca County, MN's median home price, at $280,561, runs 64% above the $171,195 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $219,705 on median home price, so Itasca County, MN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Itasca County, MN has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Itasca County, MN | 45,273 | $68,729 #3/4 | $280,561 #2/4 | 18.4 min #3/4 |
| Cass County, MN | 30,992 | $68,462 | $171,195 | 21.0 min |
| Crow Wing County, MN | 67,686 | $73,193 | $348,837 | 17.6 min |
| St. Louis County, MN | 200,015 | $70,519 | $129,132 | 16.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Itasca County, Minnesota.
What is the population of Itasca County, Minnesota?
About 45,273 people live in Itasca County, Minnesota, in 18,540 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 48.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Itasca County, Minnesota urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Itasca County, Minnesota has 15 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 18% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Itasca County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 4.1 times the median household income ($280,561 against $68,729), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $988 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Itasca County, Minnesota have a college degree?
23.2% of adults in Itasca County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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