Wilkin County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Wilkin 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 70% of counties in Minnesota
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 79% of counties in Minnesota
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Wilkin County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 6,371 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 8.5 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.22% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 44.0 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 2,655 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Wilkin County declined by 1.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 6,371 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Wilkin County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.2% of residents. That is 3.5 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,140 17.9% -3.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,181 18.5% -3.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,476 23.2% +3.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,155 18.1% +1.6 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 48.0% of the people living in Wilkin County and men 52.0%.
- Women 48.0% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 52.0% Minnesota 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Wilkin County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Wilkin County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Wilkin County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,645 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.91% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Wilkin County is about 21% lower than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Wilkin County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $159,558 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $564 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.7% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Wilkin County is about 23.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $564 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Wilkin County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 140 hours, about 5.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Wilkin County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.8 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.6 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 140 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,337 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,287 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 289 | 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 Wilkin 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
Wilkin County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Wilkin County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.1% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | 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
Wilkin County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Wilkin County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.4 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.8% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.8% | 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).
Wilkin County, MN Compared With Nearby Counties
How Wilkin County, MN compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkin County, MN | 6,371 | $70,645 #3/3 | $159,558 #3/3 | 16.8 min #2/3 |
| Clay County, MN | 66,074 | $81,412 | $269,567 | 17.2 min |
| Otter Tail County, MN | 60,475 | $72,292 | $201,531 | 16.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Wilkin County, Minnesota.
How many people live in Wilkin County, Minnesota?
About 6,371 people live in Wilkin County, Minnesota, in 2,655 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 44.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
Is Wilkin County, Minnesota urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Wilkin County, Minnesota has 8 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 10% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Wilkin County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($159,558 against $70,645), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $564 a month takes about 10% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Wilkin County, Minnesota?
23.1% of adults in Wilkin County, Minnesota hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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