Olmsted County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Olmsted 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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A
Health Above averageHealthier than 92% of counties in Minnesota
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 92% of counties in Minnesota
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A+
Education Top gradeAmong the top 3 best educated counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Olmsted County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 164,423 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 251.3 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.14% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.4 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 66,897 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Olmsted County grew by 17.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 164,423 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Olmsted County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 22.5% of residents. That is 0.7 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 35,159 21.4% +0.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 37,069 22.5% +0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 31,464 19.1% -0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 25,369 15.4% -1.1 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 51.0% of the people living in Olmsted County and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 49.0% Minnesota 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Olmsted County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Olmsted County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Olmsted County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $96,754 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.14% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Olmsted County is about 8% higher than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Olmsted County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $206,692 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,370 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.6% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Olmsted County is about 12.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,370 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Olmsted County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 135 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Olmsted County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.2 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.4 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 135 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,189 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.4% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,189 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,054 | 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 Olmsted County is 16 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
Olmsted County has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Olmsted County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44.9% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 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
Olmsted County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Olmsted County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.3 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.3% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.7% | 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).
Olmsted County, MN Compared With Nearby Counties
Olmsted County, MN is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 164,423 residents against a local median of 21,565. Olmsted County, MN's commute, at 16.2 min, runs 29% below the 22.8 min typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $96,754 against a local median of $82,094, 18% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Olmsted County, MN is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread 11.4 min on commute, so Olmsted County, MN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Olmsted County, MN has the 2nd lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olmsted County, MN | 164,423 | $96,754 #1/6 | $206,692 #4/6 | 16.2 min #2/6 |
| Wabasha County, MN | 21,565 | $82,094 | $153,846 | 22.8 min |
| Fillmore County, MN | 21,414 | $78,803 | $208,333 | 25.1 min |
| Dodge County, MN | 21,046 | $95,309 | $340,475 | 23.5 min |
| Mower County, MN | 40,341 | $72,820 | $103,820 | 13.7 min |
| Goodhue County, MN | 47,943 | $83,371 | $325,175 | 20.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Olmsted County, Minnesota.
How big is Olmsted County, Minnesota by population?
About 164,423 people live in Olmsted County, Minnesota, in 66,897 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 35.4, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Olmsted County, Minnesota?
Averaged over its land area, Olmsted County, Minnesota has 251 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.9 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Olmsted County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 2.1 times the median household income ($206,692 against $96,754), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,370 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Olmsted County, Minnesota?
Unemployment in Olmsted 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.
How educated are people in Olmsted County, Minnesota?
44.9% of adults in Olmsted County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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