Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lake of the Woods 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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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 90% of counties in Minnesota
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 85% of counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lake of the Woods County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,821 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2.1 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.25% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 51.4 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 1,817 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lake of the Woods County grew by 63.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 3,821 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lake of the Woods County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 25.4% of residents. That is 8.9 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 591 15.5% -5.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 621 16.2% -5.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 907 23.7% +4.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 971 25.4% +8.9 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 46.6% of the people living in Lake of the Woods County and men 53.4%.
- Women 46.6% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 53.4% Minnesota 50.0%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lake of the Woods County
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Economy
Lake of the Woods County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Lake of the Woods County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,422 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.62% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.5% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lake of the Woods County is about 15% lower than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Lake of the Woods County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $275,000 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $954 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.8% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lake of the Woods County is about 24.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $954 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lake of the Woods County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 107 hours, about 4.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lake of the Woods County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.8 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.7 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 107 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,319 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,285 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 237 | 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 Lake of the Woods County is 13 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
Lake of the Woods County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Lake of the Woods County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.3% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.08 | 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
Lake of the Woods County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lake of the Woods County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 83.3 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.3% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.4% | 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).
Lake of the Woods County, MN Compared With Nearby Counties
How Lake of the Woods County, MN compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake of the Woods County, MN | 3,821 | $76,422 #1/2 | $275,000 #1/2 | 12.8 min #1/2 |
| Beltrami County, MN | 41,614 | $69,036 | $69,333 | 16.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota.
How many people live in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota?
About 3,821 people live in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota, in 1,817 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 51.4, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 14 years.
Is Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota has 2 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 2% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 3.6 times the median household income ($275,000 against $76,422), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $954 a month takes about 15% 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 Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota?
Unemployment in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota is only 1.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota have a college degree?
20.3% of adults in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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