Population 4,542 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Staples
Household size in Staples
| Period | Staples | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.49 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.30 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.36 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.32 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Staples is a place of small households, averaging 2.32 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.49, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the southwest.
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 Staples
| Period | Staples | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.5 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.2 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.6 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.8 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.4 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Staples skews older than the country: its median age is 42.8, against 40.1 nationally. The youngest areas are in the south, the oldest in the north.
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 Staples
| Period | Staples | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.3% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Staples as they are nationally: 12.3%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Minnesota overall (9.6%). Staples has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Minnesota cities.
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 Staples
Renters in Staples
| Period | Staples | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.8% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.0% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.5% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.9% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Staples own their homes; 25.9% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. About half of owners (51.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northwest.
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 Staples
| Period | Staples | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.1% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 18.8% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.7 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Staples: 13.3% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Staples has a higher vacancy rate than at least four in five Minnesota cities.
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 Staples
| Period | Staples | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1969 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1968 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1973 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +5 | +6 |
Housing in Staples leans older: the median home dates to 1973, against 1980 nationally. The newest homes are mostly in the north, the oldest in the south.
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 Staples
| Period | Staples | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $543 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $606 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $758 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $824 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$280 | +$522 | +$606 |
The median renter in Staples pays $824 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 26.8% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northeast; the most affordable are in the center. Of the 188 Minnesota cities with 5,000+ people, only nine have lower 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 Staples
Bachelor's degrees in Staples
| Period | Staples | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.3% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.2% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 21.9% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.4 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Staples have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 21.9%, against 35.6% nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the northeast. Staples has a lower share of college graduates than at least four in five Minnesota cities.
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 Staples
| Period | Staples | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.7% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.5% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.4% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.4% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Staples have finished high school (92.4%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Minnesota. Compared with other Minnesota cities, though, Staples has a lower share of high school graduates than most.
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 Staples
| Period | Staples | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.1% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.3% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Staples runs below the national rate: 4.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. That is in line with the rest of Minnesota. 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).
Staples 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staples | 2.32 | 42.8 | 12.3% | 25.9% | 13.3% | 1973 | $824 | 21.9% | 92.4% | 4.3% |
| Philbrook | 2.38 | 48.5 | 7.2% | 10.2% | 19.9% | 1987 | $760 | 23.8% | 93.8% | 2.6% |
| Aldrich | 2.72 | 37.8 | 8.2% | 10.0% | 12.6% | 1977 | $806 | 19.3% | 88.9% | 4.3% |
| Motley | 2.29 | 49.6 | 5.5% | 19.2% | 26.4% | 1984 | $908 | 17.4% | 94.5% | 3.9% |
| Verndale | 2.53 | 38.6 | 9.2% | 8.9% | 15.7% | 1974 | $756 | 18.3% | 92.2% | 3.9% |
| Leader | 2.55 | 41.7 | 7.2% | 11.7% | 20.3% | 1991 | $1,160 | 15.1% | 94.4% | 4.7% |
| Lincoln | 2.15 | 53.7 | 1.5% | 7.3% | 41.6% | 1980 | $984 | 23.6% | 94.8% | 1.8% |
| Bertha | 2.68 | 39.4 | 10.0% | 15.6% | 8.5% | 1969 | $879 | 13.9% | 82.8% | 3.2% |
| Hewitt | 2.72 | 39.1 | 7.4% | 12.0% | 10.7% | 1975 | $803 | 14.4% | 88.6% | 2.9% |
| Cushing | 2.17 | 55.8 | 1.5% | 8.2% | 50.6% | 1979 | $1,062 | 24.4% | 94.1% | 2.0% |
| Pillager | 2.54 | 44.5 | 5.4% | 10.9% | 18.1% | 1992 | $1,207 | 24.4% | 95.7% | 3.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Coleman, MI · Bishop, TX · Timberville, VA · Strasburg, CO · Blaine, TN · Renfrew, PA · Bloomfield, IN · Reidland, KY · Reddick, FL · Bokeelia, 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 Staples. 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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