Population 69,871 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Blue Earth County
Household size in Blue Earth County
| Period | Blue Earth County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.51 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.43 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.08 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Blue Earth County run small, averaging 2.43 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has edged down from 2.51 in 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Blue Earth County
| Period | Blue Earth County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.6 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.7 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 33.6 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 34.1 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.4 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 34.1, Blue Earth County is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. The median age has climbed from 32.6 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Blue Earth County has the youngest population of any Minnesota county.
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 Blue Earth County
| Period | Blue Earth County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.0% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.8% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.1% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.6% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Blue Earth County (10.6%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Minnesota overall (9.6%). Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 2.6 points, 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 Blue Earth County
Renters in Blue Earth County
| Period | Blue Earth County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.9% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.2% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.0% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 38.6% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is a bit more common in Blue Earth County than nationally: 38.6% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% for the U.S. Among owners, 41.2% have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. The renter share has risen 5.8 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other Minnesota county has a higher share of renters.
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 Blue Earth County
| Period | Blue Earth County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.2% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.4% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.5% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Blue Earth County than nationally: 7.3%, against 9.6% for the U.S. That is in line with the rest of Minnesota.
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 Blue Earth County
| Period | Blue Earth County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Blue Earth County are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1972 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building.
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 Blue Earth County
| Period | Blue Earth County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $712 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $814 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $946 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,229 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$518 | +$522 | +$606 |
The median renter in Blue Earth County pays $1,229 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $518 a month since 2006–10, up 73%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 29.1% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the west.
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 Blue Earth County
Bachelor's degrees in Blue Earth County
| Period | Blue Earth County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.5% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 31.6% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.3% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 34.3% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Blue Earth County as nationally: 34.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share is lower than in Minnesota as a whole (39.6%). The share with a degree has risen 2.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Blue Earth County
| Period | Blue Earth County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.2% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.3% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.5% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.9% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.7 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Blue Earth County: 94.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Minnesota. The share with a diploma has risen 1.7 points since 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 Blue Earth County
| Period | Blue Earth County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.6% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.0%, unemployment in Blue Earth County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. The rate is higher than in Minnesota as a whole (4.1%). 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).
Blue Earth County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Earth County | 2.43 | 34.1 | 10.6% | 38.6% | 7.3% | 1979 | $1,229 | 34.3% | 94.9% | 5.0% |
| Nicollet County | 2.42 | 38.5 | 9.1% | 27.8% | 6.0% | 1981 | $1,052 | 36.8% | 95.1% | 2.1% |
| Waseca County | 2.42 | 40.7 | 11.3% | 19.3% | 6.0% | 1966 | $941 | 20.6% | 93.5% | 2.7% |
| Brown County | 2.26 | 43.2 | 7.9% | 21.1% | 7.7% | 1961 | $885 | 25.7% | 92.9% | 2.8% |
| Steele County | 2.48 | 40.7 | 10.2% | 20.6% | 5.8% | 1974 | $1,181 | 27.4% | 93.4% | 3.7% |
| Dodge County | 2.60 | 38.9 | 10.4% | 13.4% | 5.1% | 1980 | $1,127 | 30.6% | 95.5% | 3.3% |
| Olmsted County | 2.52 | 38.8 | 9.0% | 29.4% | 6.7% | 1987 | $1,440 | 49.1% | 94.9% | 3.6% |
| Wabasha County | 2.35 | 44.9 | 6.0% | 16.7% | 10.8% | 1975 | $887 | 26.9% | 94.9% | 2.2% |
| Winona County | 2.37 | 37.7 | 6.6% | 30.5% | 9.3% | 1968 | $912 | 33.7% | 94.3% | 2.5% |
| Trempealeau County | 2.48 | 39.7 | 8.5% | 26.0% | 6.3% | 1977 | $951 | 20.6% | 89.7% | 2.4% |
| Moody County | 2.50 | 41.1 | 9.8% | 26.5% | 6.8% | 1971 | $864 | 31.6% | 95.3% | 2.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Salem County, NJ · Toa Baja Municipio, PR · Tipton County, TN · Tehama County, CA · Adams County, IL · Starr County, TX · Clay County, MN · San Benito County, CA · Coos County, OR · Chaves County, NM
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 Blue Earth County. 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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