Population 39,726 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Cottage Grove
Household size in Cottage Grove
| Period | Cottage Grove | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.98 | 2.58 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.96 | 2.61 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.01 | 2.63 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.89 | 2.58 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.09 | −0.00 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Cottage Grove average 2.89 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here. Household size has dropped from 2.98 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Of the 188 Minnesota cities with 5,000+ people, only 16 have larger households.
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 Cottage Grove
| Period | Cottage Grove | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.7 | 36.8 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.3 | 37.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.1 | 38.6 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.3 | 39.2 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.6 | +2.5 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Cottage Grove is a little younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 37.3, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 34.7, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the northeast, the oldest in the south.
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 Cottage Grove
| Period | Cottage Grove | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 10.2% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 10.6% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 9.9% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 9.8% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Cottage Grove (11.1%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the Minneapolis area as a whole (9.8%). The single-parent share has edged down 0.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Cottage Grove
Renters in Cottage Grove
| Period | Cottage Grove | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 27.3% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 29.6% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 30.0% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 11.3% | 29.3% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +2.0 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Cottage Grove is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 11.3% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly three in ten owners (28.6%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 1.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Cottage Grove
| Period | Cottage Grove | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.1% | 7.0% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 6.2% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 5.5% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 1.3% | 5.7% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Cottage Grove: just 1.3% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy is down 4.8 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. No other Minnesota city with 5,000+ people has a lower vacancy rate.
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 Cottage Grove
| Period | Cottage Grove | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1984 | 1975 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1984 | 1976 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1986 | 1977 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1980 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Cottage Grove is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1990, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1984 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 Cottage Grove
| Period | Cottage Grove | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,137 | $1,007 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,201 | $1,077 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,471 | $1,258 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,903 | $1,603 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$765 | +$597 | +$522 | +$606 |
Rent in Cottage Grove runs $1,903 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $765 a month since 2006–10, up 67%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 32.6% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Of the 188 Minnesota cities with 5,000+ people, only 13 have higher rents.
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 Cottage Grove
Bachelor's degrees in Cottage Grove
| Period | Cottage Grove | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.5% | 37.2% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.1% | 39.1% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.0% | 41.8% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 41.2% | 45.4% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.6 pts | +8.1 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
About four in ten adults 25 and older in Cottage Grove (41.2%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a bit above the national share of 35.6%. Still, the share is lower than in the wider Minneapolis area (45.4%). The share with a degree has risen 8.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Cottage Grove
| Period | Cottage Grove | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.3% | 92.4% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.6% | 92.9% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.9% | 93.5% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.2% | 94.0% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +1.6 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Cottage Grove: 95.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The Minneapolis area as a whole looks much the same.
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 Cottage Grove
| Period | Cottage Grove | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 6.7% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.3% | 6.8% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.8% | 3.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Cottage Grove runs below the national rate: 4.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 1.9 points, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Cottage Grove 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage Grove | 2.89 | 37.3 | 11.1% | 11.3% | 1.3% | 1990 | $1,903 | 41.2% | 95.2% | 4.0% |
| St. Paul Park | 2.35 | 41.8 | 11.5% | 22.3% | 3.9% | 1984 | $2,071 | 30.3% | 92.8% | 1.6% |
| Newport | 2.35 | 37.6 | 5.0% | 31.4% | 3.2% | 1973 | $1,247 | 29.3% | 91.4% | 4.1% |
| Woodbury | 2.75 | 39.2 | 7.1% | 22.6% | 3.6% | 2000 | $2,039 | 61.9% | 96.9% | 3.2% |
| Inver Grove Heights | 2.46 | 42.8 | 11.7% | 22.6% | 3.5% | 1990 | $1,507 | 44.6% | 95.9% | 3.8% |
| Nininger | 2.74 | 44.4 | 7.0% | 4.1% | 4.5% | 1985 | $1,189 | 37.8% | 94.9% | 5.3% |
| South St. Paul | 2.48 | 38.7 | 11.4% | 29.2% | 3.7% | 1959 | $1,226 | 32.2% | 92.4% | 5.7% |
| Afton | 2.56 | 50.9 | 2.2% | 1.6% | 4.0% | 1980 | $2,133 | 58.5% | 99.4% | 3.3% |
| Sunfish Lake | 2.08 | 36.3 | 16.1% | 66.4% | 1.6% | 1987 | $1,549 | 67.4% | 98.5% | 8.3% |
| Landfall | 2.39 | 37.0 | 6.9% | 5.5% | 4.9% | 1983 | $1,399 | 12.1% | 82.7% | 3.0% |
| Hastings | 2.49 | 42.7 | 7.1% | 20.6% | 4.6% | 1983 | $1,356 | 32.1% | 95.4% | 4.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: San Lorenzo, PR · Franklin, WI · Gahanna, OH · Grass Valley, CA · Holiday, FL · Hudsonville, MI · Hyde Park, MA · Irmo, SC · Kendall West, FL · Lewiston, ME
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 Cottage Grove. 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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