Population 19,512 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Albert Lea
Household size in Albert Lea
| Period | Albert Lea | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.24 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.24 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.27 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.40 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.15 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Albert Lea are small: just 2.40 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.24, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Albert Lea
| Period | Albert Lea | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.7 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.3 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.3 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.3 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.6 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Albert Lea skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.3, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. The median age has climbed from 42.7 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Albert Lea
| Period | Albert Lea | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.4% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.3% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.9 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Albert Lea than nationally: 14.3%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 4.9 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Of the 188 Minnesota cities with 5,000+ people, only 12 have a higher share of single-parent households.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Albert Lea
Renters in Albert Lea
| Period | Albert Lea | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.6% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.2% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.1% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 24.9% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Albert Lea own their homes; 24.9% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 46.6% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has edged up 1.3 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Albert Lea
| Period | Albert Lea | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.7% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Albert Lea as nationally: 10.2%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Minnesota overall (8.3%). Since 2006–10, vacancy has edged up 1.1 points, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Albert Lea
| Period | Albert Lea | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1956 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1957 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1957 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1959 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Albert Lea is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1959, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the center. Of the 188 Minnesota cities with 5,000+ people, only eight have older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Albert Lea
| Period | Albert Lea | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $568 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $659 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $777 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,015 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$446 | +$522 | +$606 |
The median renter in Albert Lea pays $1,015 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $446 a month since 2006–10, up 79%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 32.1% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are in the northeast.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Albert Lea
Bachelor's degrees in Albert Lea
| Period | Albert Lea | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.6% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.1% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.4% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.9% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Albert Lea have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.9%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 3.3 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only seven of the 188 Minnesota cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Albert Lea
| Period | Albert Lea | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.2% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.0% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.8% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.0% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Albert Lea have finished high school as nationally: 89.0%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in Minnesota as a whole (93.7%). Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.8 points, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Albert Lea
| Period | Albert Lea | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.4% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.5% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.3% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Albert Lea is the same as the national rate: 5.4% of the labor force. The rate is higher than in Minnesota overall (4.1%). Unemployment has edged up 1.0 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Albert Lea compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Lea | 2.40 | 45.3 | 14.3% | 24.9% | 10.2% | 1959 | $1,015 | 16.9% | 89.0% | 5.4% |
| Oakland | 2.49 | 48.7 | 7.3% | 7.2% | 6.9% | 1961 | $870 | 17.0% | 90.3% | 2.5% |
| Bancroft | 2.60 | 45.7 | 5.0% | 13.3% | 9.6% | 1966 | $885 | 23.1% | 88.2% | 2.7% |
| Twin Lakes | 2.44 | 48.4 | 5.9% | 5.5% | 6.5% | 1964 | $729 | 20.3% | 95.1% | 1.2% |
| Hayward | 2.41 | 46.3 | 9.7% | 7.8% | 7.0% | 1958 | $648 | 16.4% | 94.2% | 2.6% |
| Conger | 2.45 | 45.7 | 8.3% | 9.1% | 8.6% | 1968 | $650 | 22.6% | 96.5% | 2.0% |
| Glenville | 2.24 | 48.6 | 5.1% | 15.6% | 5.4% | 1962 | $903 | 16.1% | 92.5% | 1.1% |
| Manchester | 2.48 | 41.1 | 13.3% | 12.4% | 6.7% | 1959 | $604 | 20.4% | 94.4% | 8.1% |
| Clarks Grove | 2.27 | 43.2 | 4.5% | 15.0% | 8.4% | 1957 | $865 | 21.1% | 93.1% | 3.0% |
| Petran | 2.61 | 43.5 | 8.9% | 10.0% | 6.9% | 1955 | $544 | 19.2% | 93.8% | 2.4% |
| Armstrong | 2.47 | 44.0 | 12.4% | 15.1% | 9.1% | 1961 | $828 | 20.6% | 96.6% | 5.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Douglas, AZ · Winthrop Town, MA · Bethel, CT · Clarksville, IN · Mesquite, NV · Washington Court House, OH · Havelock, NC · Baldwin, PA · Lackawanna, NY · Brigham City, UT
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Albert Lea. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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