McLeod County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
McLeod 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.
-
B
Health Around average
-
B
Income Around averageWealthier than 76% of counties in Minnesota
-
D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 70% of counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | McLeod County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,799 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 72.8 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.30% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.8 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,215 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in McLeod County declined by 0.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 36,799 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in McLeod County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.4% of residents. That is 0.7 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,261 19.7% -1.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,255 19.7% -2.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,523 20.4% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,893 18.7% +2.2 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 McLeod 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 McLeod County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
McLeod County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | McLeod County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $80,800 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.27% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in McLeod County is about 10% lower than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | McLeod County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $303,846 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $941 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.4% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in McLeod County is about 26.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $941 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in McLeod County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 141 hours, about 5.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | McLeod County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.0 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.9 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 141 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,384 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.8% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,740 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 593 | 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 McLeod County is 17 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
McLeod County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | McLeod County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.4% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 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
McLeod County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | McLeod County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.2 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.6% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.9% | 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).
McLeod County, MN Compared With Nearby Counties
McLeod County, MN is the 3rd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 36,799 residents against a local median of 72,151. The measure that sets McLeod County, MN apart most is median home price: $303,846, 22% above the local median of $248,836.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 17.0 min against a local median of 20.7 min, 18% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 18% below the local median it puts McLeod County, MN at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $133,049 on median home price, so McLeod County, MN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. McLeod County, MN has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLeod County, MN | 36,799 | $80,800 #3/5 | $303,846 #1/5 | 17.0 min #2/5 |
| Meeker County, MN | 23,466 | $75,665 | $210,465 | 18.9 min |
| Wright County, MN | 148,225 | $106,875 | $287,208 | 28.8 min |
| Carver County, MN | 110,041 | $126,357 | $303,125 | 22.6 min |
| Nicollet County, MN | 34,262 | $79,826 | $170,076 | 13.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about McLeod County, Minnesota.
How many people live in McLeod County, Minnesota?
About 36,799 people live in McLeod County, Minnesota, in 15,215 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is McLeod County, Minnesota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, McLeod County, Minnesota has 73 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 McLeod County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($303,846 against $80,800), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $941 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 McLeod County, Minnesota?
Unemployment in McLeod County, Minnesota is only 3.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in McLeod County, Minnesota?
18.4% of adults in McLeod County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →