Population 29,569 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Bemidji
Household size in Bemidji
| Period | Bemidji | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.36 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.40 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.35 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.01 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Bemidji is a place of small households, averaging 2.35 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Compared with other Minnesota cities, Bemidji has smaller households than most.
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 Bemidji
| Period | Bemidji | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.0 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.2 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 37.8 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.7 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.6 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Bemidji is 37.7 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 36.0, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the northeast.
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 Bemidji
| Period | Bemidji | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.6% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Bemidji as they are nationally: 12.0%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Minnesota overall (9.6%). The single-parent share is up 1.3 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Bemidji
Renters in Bemidji
| Period | Bemidji | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.9% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.7% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.4% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 36.8% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.8 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a third of households in Bemidji rent their homes (36.8%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Minnesota overall (27.8%). Among homeowners, 43.8% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 6.8 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Bemidji
| Period | Bemidji | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.4% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Bemidji: 13.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has edged up 1.0 points since 2006–10, 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 Bemidji
| Period | Bemidji | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1986 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Bemidji are newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1986, versus 1980 across the U.S. The median year built has moved up from 1979 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the center has the oldest housing.
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 Bemidji
| Period | Bemidji | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $640 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $740 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $845 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,140 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$500 | +$522 | +$606 |
The median renter in Bemidji pays $1,140 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $500 a month from 2006–10, a 78% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 26.3% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the southwest; the highest are in the east.
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 Bemidji
Bachelor's degrees in Bemidji
| Period | Bemidji | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 31.1% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.0% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 36.1% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Bemidji as nationally: 36.1% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in Minnesota overall (39.6%). The share with a degree is up 3.1 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Bemidji
| Period | Bemidji | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.5% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.2% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.8% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.4% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Bemidji: 94.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Minnesota as a whole looks much the same. The share with a diploma is up 2.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Bemidji
| Period | Bemidji | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Bemidji than nationally: unemployment was 4.3%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.0 points, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
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).
Bemidji 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bemidji | 2.35 | 37.7 | 12.0% | 36.8% | 13.1% | 1986 | $1,140 | 36.1% | 94.4% | 4.3% |
| Wilton | 2.76 | 31.7 | 12.0% | 16.4% | 9.5% | 1992 | $1,174 | 31.5% | 97.2% | 2.6% |
| Turtle River | 2.48 | 48.7 | 8.1% | 7.2% | 31.5% | 1990 | $995 | 40.7% | 95.0% | 4.1% |
| Farris | 2.97 | 37.7 | 18.0% | 18.4% | 27.8% | 1987 | $981 | 27.3% | 90.8% | 6.9% |
| Solway | 2.79 | 39.2 | 7.9% | 8.8% | 20.7% | 1986 | $928 | 23.6% | 94.4% | 3.3% |
| Pinewood | 2.69 | 38.7 | 8.0% | 8.7% | 15.0% | 1989 | $1,108 | 27.6% | 94.4% | 3.6% |
| Tenstrike | 2.38 | 49.0 | 5.6% | 10.3% | 24.8% | 1986 | $834 | 24.6% | 93.4% | 5.7% |
| Puposky | 2.54 | 40.4 | 7.5% | 6.2% | 24.7% | 1990 | $986 | 32.2% | 93.5% | 4.2% |
| Cass Lake | 3.13 | 33.6 | 25.8% | 33.2% | 31.2% | 1981 | $801 | 22.9% | 87.5% | 11.7% |
| Aure | 2.56 | 39.4 | 6.3% | 5.4% | 21.7% | 1991 | $1,241 | 32.0% | 96.4% | 3.3% |
| Pennington | 2.91 | 40.6 | 12.5% | 12.3% | 46.9% | 1986 | $918 | 24.6% | 88.3% | 4.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Zionsville, IN · South Lake Tahoe, CA · Monroeville, PA · Schererville, IN · Twentynine Palms, CA · Wasco, CA · Cayey, PR · Castaic, CA · Carbondale, IL · Buenaventura Lakes, FL
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 Bemidji. 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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