Rock County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Rock 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 average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Rock County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,621 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 19.9 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.10% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.5 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,035 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Rock County grew by 1.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 9,621 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Rock County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.6% of residents. That is 0.9 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,882 19.6% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,747 18.2% -3.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,980 20.6% +0.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,784 18.5% +2.0 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 50.9% of the people living in Rock County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 49.1% Minnesota 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Rock County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Rock County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Rock County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,505 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.99% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.6% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Rock County is about 19% lower than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Rock County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $97,499 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $697 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.6% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Rock County is about 11.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $697 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Rock 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 | Rock County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.2 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.3 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 135 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,179 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.9% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,085 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 394 | 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 Rock 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
Rock County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Rock County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.3% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.32 | 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
Rock County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Rock County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.7 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.6% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.5% | 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).
Rock County, MN Compared With Nearby Counties
How Rock County, MN compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock County, MN | 9,621 | $72,505 #2/3 | $97,499 #2/3 | 16.2 min #2/3 |
| Nobles County, MN | 22,041 | $67,652 | $215,001 | 12.7 min |
| Minnehaha County, SD | 203,266 | $77,010 | $96,546 | 16.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Rock County, Minnesota.
What is the population of Rock County, Minnesota?
About 9,621 people live in Rock County, Minnesota, in 4,035 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 41.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Rock County, Minnesota?
Averaged over its land area, Rock County, Minnesota has 20 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 23% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Rock County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 1.3 times the median household income ($97,499 against $72,505), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $697 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Rock County, Minnesota?
Unemployment in Rock County, Minnesota is only 2.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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