St. Louis County, Minnesota Income Statistics
St. Louis County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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C
St. Louis County Below averageLess wealthy than 83% of counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | St. Louis County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $70,519 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $58,955 | $67,028 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 4.6% | 4.4% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 9.9% | 15.1% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 7.1% | 13.8% | 13.2% |
The median household income in St. Louis County is about 22% lower than in Minnesota. Income has been growing faster in St. Louis County (4.6%/yr) than in Minnesota (4.4%/yr).
About 10% of adults in St. Louis County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Minnesota average of 15%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in St. Louis County, Minnesota grew by 60.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $70,519 in 2024. That's an average of about 4.6% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in St. Louis County
| Metric | St. Louis County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.514 | 0.507 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $70,236 | $74,898 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $54,606 | $62,922 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 22.3% | 16.0% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In St. Louis County, it is 0.514, higher than Minnesota's 0.507, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 29% more than women's income in St. Louis County, Minnesota. Over a 35-year career, a 29% wage gap accumulates to roughly $547,050 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in St. Louis County, Minnesota has narrowed from about 33% to 22% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 21% in 2020. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $43 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | St. Louis County | Minnesota Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 4.6% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 11.2% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 16 | 20 | 22 |
Approximately 4,719 people are unemployed in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
The average commute time in St. Louis County is 16 minutes, shorter than the 20 minutes in Minnesota.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in St. Louis County, Minnesota has fallen from 8.3% to 4.6% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 8.6% in 2012 and fell as low as 4.4% in 2019.
St. Louis County, MN Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
St. Louis County, MN is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 200,015 residents against a local median of 36,511. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes St. Louis County, MN an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is median household income, 6% below the local median at $70,519 against $75,125. St. Louis County, MN has the 4th highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis County, MN | 200,015 | $70,519 #4/6 | 4.6%/yr #4/6 | 4.6% #3/6 | 0.514 #5/6 |
| Carlton County, MN | 36,511 | $84,337 | 4.9%/yr | 4.7% | 0.514 |
| Lake County, MN | 10,879 | $75,533 | 4.7%/yr | 2.6% | 0.480 |
| Itasca County, MN | 45,273 | $68,729 | 4.2%/yr | 5.9% | 0.523 |
| Douglas County, WI | 44,229 | $75,125 | 5.8%/yr | 3.1% | 0.487 |
| Aitkin County, MN | 16,059 | $60,982 | 4.1%/yr | 5.8% | 0.503 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, St. Louis County, Minnesota has an overall wealth index grade of C, making it somewhat worse than Minnesota, and about on par with the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in St. Louis County, Minnesota.
How Rich Is St. Louis County, Minnesota?
St. Louis County has a wealth index grade of C. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a C grade means residents are close to the U.S. average. The median household income is $70,519, about 22% lower than the Minnesota average of $89,852.
Are incomes growing in St. Louis County, Minnesota?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in St. Louis County, Minnesota rose 60%, from $44,070 to $70,519. Over the same years, income here outpaced Minnesota as a whole: +60% against +57%.
What was the median household income in St. Louis County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in St. Louis County, Minnesota was $69,631, up 5% from $66,308 in 2022. The Minnesota median that year was $88,324.
What was the median household income in St. Louis County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in St. Louis County, Minnesota was $57,388. By 2024 it had risen 23% to $70,519.
What is the Gini coefficient in St. Louis County, Minnesota?
The Gini coefficient in St. Louis County is 0.514. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in St. Louis County, Minnesota?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in St. Louis County, Minnesota has narrowed from about 33% to 22% in 2024. Over that period the gap was narrowest at 21% in 2020. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $43 since 2009.
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