Population 21,045 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Dodge County
Household size in Dodge County
| Period | Dodge County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.72 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.69 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.66 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.60 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.12 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
At 2.60 people per household, Dodge County sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in Minnesota as a whole, where it has 2.52 people. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.72, a much bigger shift than 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 Dodge County
| Period | Dodge County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.1 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.3 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.9 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.9 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.8 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Dodge County are younger than 38.9 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 36.1 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Dodge County is younger than the great majority of Minnesota counties.
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 Dodge County
| Period | Dodge County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.4% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Dodge County than nationally: 10.4%, against 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Minnesota. The single-parent share is up 1.1 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 Dodge County
Renters in Dodge County
| Period | Dodge County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.8% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.1% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 13.4% of households in Dodge County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 35.7% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the south; owners are most common in the north. No other Minnesota county has a lower 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 Dodge County
| Period | Dodge County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.1% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Dodge County: just 5.1% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy is down 2.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of Minnesota's 87 counties, only five have 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 Dodge County
| Period | Dodge County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Dodge County was built around 1980, the same vintage as the country's housing overall. The median year built has moved up from 1975 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the northwest 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 Dodge County
| Period | Dodge County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $660 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $737 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $742 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,127 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$467 | +$522 | +$606 |
Rent in Dodge County runs $1,127 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $467 a month from 2006–10, a 71% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 26.4% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the northeast and lowest in the south.
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 Dodge County
Bachelor's degrees in Dodge County
| Period | Dodge County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.1% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.1% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.2% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 30.6% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +8.6 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
About three in ten adults 25 and older in Dodge County (30.6%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, a little below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 8.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Compared with other Minnesota counties, though, Dodge County has a higher share of college graduates than most.
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 Dodge County
| Period | Dodge County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.2% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.7% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.0% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.5% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Dodge County: 95.5% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 5.3 points, as it has nationally. Of Minnesota's 87 counties, only eight have a higher share of high school graduates.
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 Dodge County
| Period | Dodge County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.8% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 3.8% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.3% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Dodge County has been low: just 3.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Dodge 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| Steele County | 2.48 | 40.7 | 10.2% | 20.6% | 5.8% | 1974 | $1,181 | 27.4% | 93.4% | 3.7% |
| Waseca County | 2.42 | 40.7 | 11.3% | 19.3% | 6.0% | 1966 | $941 | 20.6% | 93.5% | 2.7% |
| Winona County | 2.37 | 37.7 | 6.6% | 30.5% | 9.3% | 1968 | $912 | 33.7% | 94.3% | 2.5% |
| Blue Earth County | 2.43 | 34.1 | 10.6% | 38.6% | 7.3% | 1979 | $1,229 | 34.3% | 94.9% | 5.0% |
| Watonwan County | 2.66 | 40.2 | 11.5% | 22.2% | 14.3% | 1961 | $831 | 17.3% | 86.2% | 5.6% |
| Monroe County | 2.55 | 39.9 | 10.4% | 27.2% | 8.8% | 1979 | $938 | 21.4% | 90.5% | 3.1% |
| Cottonwood County | 2.42 | 39.7 | 8.3% | 25.6% | 10.5% | 1961 | $822 | 23.5% | 94.1% | 2.7% |
| Murray County | 2.22 | 46.1 | 6.5% | 17.8% | 12.4% | 1960 | $832 | 23.5% | 91.7% | 2.6% |
| Adams County | 2.17 | 54.4 | 5.7% | 13.8% | 39.9% | 1983 | $1,073 | 17.5% | 89.6% | 5.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Polk County, AR · Jerome County, ID · Jersey County, IL · Jo Daviess County, IL · Ottawa County, OK · Plaquemines Parish, LA · Plumas County, CA · Plymouth County, IA · Poinsett County, AR · Jefferson County, OR
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 Dodge 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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