Nobles County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Nobles 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 85% of counties in Minnesota
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 91% of counties in Minnesota
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F
Education Well below averageLeast educated county in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Nobles County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,041 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 30.5 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.18% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.0 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,674 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Nobles County grew by 8.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 22,041 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Nobles County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.3% of residents. That is about the same share as Minnesota.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,705 21.3% on par
- Millennials 29–44 4,060 18.4% -3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,990 18.1% -1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,454 15.7% -0.9 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 48.9% of the people living in Nobles County and men 51.1%.
- Women 48.9% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 51.1% Minnesota 50.0%
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Economy
Nobles County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Nobles County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,652 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.98% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.2% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Nobles County is about 25% lower than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Nobles County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $215,001 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $895 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.2% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Nobles County is about 20.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $895 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Nobles County spend about 25 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 106 hours, about 4.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Nobles County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.7 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.4 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 106 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,278 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.4% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,371 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 280 | 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 Nobles 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
Nobles County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Nobles County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.0% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.80 | 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
Nobles County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Nobles County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.1 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.0% | 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Nobles County, Minnesota.
How big is Nobles County, Minnesota by population?
About 22,041 people live in Nobles County, Minnesota, in 7,674 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 36.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Nobles County, Minnesota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Nobles County, Minnesota has 30 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 35% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Nobles County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 3.2 times the median household income ($215,001 against $67,652), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $895 a month takes about 16% 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 Nobles County, Minnesota?
Unemployment in Nobles County, Minnesota is only 3.2%, 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 Nobles County, Minnesota?
16.0% of adults in Nobles 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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