Winona County, Minnesota Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Winona 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 73% of counties in Minnesota
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C
Income Below averageLess wealthy than 81% of counties in Minnesota
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 80% of counties in Minnesota
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Winona County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 49,782 | 5,724,000 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 77.6 | 65.8 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.34% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.2 | 37.1 | 37.3 |
| Households | 20,254 | 2,299,361 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Winona County grew by 0.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 49,782 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Winona County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 30.1% of residents. That is 8.8 points above Minnesota as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 14,997 30.1% +8.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,482 17.0% -4.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,067 18.2% -1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,740 17.6% +1.0 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 50.1% of the people living in Winona County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Minnesota 50.0%
- Men 49.9% Minnesota 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Winona County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Winona County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Winona County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,228 | $89,852 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.67% | 4.43% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3% | 4.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Winona County is about 22% lower than in Minnesota.
Housing
| Metric | Winona County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $72,999 | $236,718 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $907 | $1,280 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.5% | 72.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Winona County is about 6.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $907 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Winona County spend about 26 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 110 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Winona County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.2 | 20.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.5 | 40.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 110 | 169 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,422 | $5,249 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.0% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,792 | 7,066 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 785 | 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 Winona County is 13 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
Winona County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Winona County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.7% | 35.5% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.30 | 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
Winona County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Winona County | Minnesota Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.9 | 80.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.3% | 13.0% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.9% | 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).
Winona County, MN Compared With Nearby Counties
Winona County, MN is the largest of the 4 counties compared here, 49,782 residents against a local median of 21,565. The measure that sets Winona County, MN apart most is median home price: $72,999, 53% below the local median of $153,846.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 13.2 min against a local median of 22.8 min, 42% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 42% below the local median it puts Winona County, MN at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $140,666 on median home price, so Winona County, MN sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Winona County, MN has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winona County, MN | 49,782 | $70,228 #4/4 | $72,999 #3/4 | 13.2 min #1/4 |
| Fillmore County, MN | 21,414 | $78,803 | $208,333 | 25.1 min |
| Trempealeau County, WI | 28,321 | $75,990 | $67,667 | 21.9 min |
| Wabasha County, MN | 21,565 | $82,094 | $153,846 | 22.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Winona County, Minnesota.
How big is Winona County, Minnesota by population?
About 49,782 people live in Winona County, Minnesota, in 20,254 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 37.2, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Winona County, Minnesota urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Winona County, Minnesota has 78 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Winona County, Minnesota?
The median home costs 1.0 times the median household income ($72,999 against $70,228), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $907 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Winona County, Minnesota?
Unemployment in Winona County, Minnesota is only 2.3%, 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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