Ramsey County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ramsey 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 averageHealthier than 77% of counties in Minnesota
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B
Income Around average
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B
Education Around averageAmong the top 5 best educated counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Ramsey County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 542,690 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3194.6 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.25% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.8 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 221,085 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ramsey County grew by 8.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 542,690 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ramsey County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.4% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 122,986 22.7% +1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 126,865 23.4% +1.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 97,773 18.0% -1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 83,054 15.3% -1.2 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 51.0% of the people living in Ramsey 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 Ramsey County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Ramsey County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Ramsey County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,398 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.46% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ramsey County is about 8% lower than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Ramsey County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $320,984 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,329 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.6% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ramsey County is about 20.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,329 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ramsey County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 170 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ramsey County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.4 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.8 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 170 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,268 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 20.5% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 15,191 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,702 | 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 Ramsey County is about the same as 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
Ramsey County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Ramsey County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.3% | 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
Ramsey County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Ramsey County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.1% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.0% | 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).
Ramsey County, MN Compared With Nearby Counties
Ramsey County, MN is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 542,690 residents against a local median of 370,272. Where Ramsey County, MN breaks from the counties next to it is median household income, sitting 19% below the local median of $101,615 at $82,398. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread $17,548 on median household income, so Ramsey County, MN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Ramsey County, MN has the 6th highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ramsey County, MN | 542,690 | $82,398 #6/6 | $320,984 #3/6 | 20.4 min #1/6 |
| Washington County, MN | 276,224 | $115,522 | $209,293 | 22.6 min |
| Anoka County, MN | 370,272 | $101,615 | $324,200 | 23.6 min |
| Dakota County, MN | 445,396 | $106,144 | $412,524 | 22.0 min |
| Hennepin County, MN | 1,268,249 | $97,974 | $303,459 | 20.8 min |
| Chisago County, MN | 57,989 | $99,358 | $234,677 | 30.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ramsey County, Minnesota.
How big is Ramsey County, Minnesota by population?
About 542,690 people live in Ramsey County, Minnesota, in 221,085 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 36.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Ramsey County, Minnesota urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Ramsey County, Minnesota has 3,195 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 37 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Ramsey County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 3.9 times the median household income ($320,984 against $82,398), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,329 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Ramsey County, Minnesota?
41.3% of adults in Ramsey 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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