Watonwan County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Watonwan 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 averageLess healthy than 91% of counties in Minnesota
-
B
Income Around average
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Watonwan County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,205 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 25.5 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.24% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.0 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 4,227 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Watonwan County grew by 1.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 11,205 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Watonwan County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 19.7% of residents. That is about the same share as Minnesota.
- Gen Z 13–28 2,190 19.5% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,878 16.8% -5.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,211 19.7% on par
- Boomers 61–79 2,110 18.8% +2.3 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 49.3% of the people living in Watonwan County and men 50.7%.
- Women 49.3% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 50.7% Minnesota 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Watonwan County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Watonwan County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Watonwan County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,035 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.76% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Watonwan County is about 20% lower than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Watonwan County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $125,000 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $834 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.8% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Watonwan County is about 12.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $834 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Watonwan County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 145 hours, about 6.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Watonwan County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.4 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.9 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 145 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,503 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.1% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,555 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 286 | 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 Watonwan County is 17 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
Watonwan County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Watonwan County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.2% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.61 | 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
Watonwan County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Watonwan County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.8 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.6% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.5% | 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).
Watonwan County, MN Compared With Nearby Counties
Watonwan County, MN is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 11,205 residents against a local median of 34,262. Where Watonwan County, MN breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 36% below the local median of $195,031 at $125,000.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 17.4 min against a local median of 13.5 min, 29% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 29% above the local median it puts Watonwan County, MN at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $201,352 on median home price, so Watonwan County, MN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Watonwan County, MN has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watonwan County, MN | 11,205 | $72,035 #3/4 | $125,000 #4/4 | 17.4 min #4/4 |
| Brown County, MN | 25,800 | $69,882 | $371,428 | 10.6 min |
| Nicollet County, MN | 34,262 | $79,826 | $170,076 | 13.5 min |
| Blue Earth County, MN | 69,837 | $74,407 | $195,031 | 13.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Watonwan County, Minnesota.
What is the population of Watonwan County, Minnesota?
About 11,205 people live in Watonwan County, Minnesota, in 4,227 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 41.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Watonwan County, Minnesota mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Watonwan County, Minnesota has 25 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 29% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Watonwan County, Minnesota an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.7 times the median household income ($125,000 against $72,035), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $834 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Watonwan County, Minnesota?
17.2% of adults in Watonwan 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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