Population 37,439 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Steele County
Household size in Steele County
| Period | Steele County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.60 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.49 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.48 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.12 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
The average household in Steele County has 2.48 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has dropped from 2.60 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. 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 Steele County
| Period | Steele County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.8 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.4 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.4 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.7 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.0 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
At 40.7, the median age in Steele County is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has climbed from 38.8 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the southeast.
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 Steele County
| Period | Steele County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.8% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit less common in Steele County than nationally: 10.2%, against 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Minnesota. Compared with other Minnesota counties, though, Steele County has a higher share of single-parent households than most.
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 Steele County
Renters in Steele County
| Period | Steele County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.1% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.2% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.8% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 20.6% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 20.6% of households in Steele County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About four in ten owners (39.0%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share is down 0.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Steele County
| Period | Steele County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.8% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Steele County: 5.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 1.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Steele County has a lower vacancy rate than at least four in five Minnesota counties.
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 Steele County
| Period | Steele County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1972 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Steele County run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1974 against 1980. The median year built has moved up from 1968 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the southwest.
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 Steele County
| Period | Steele County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $799 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $809 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $910 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,181 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$381 | +$522 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Steele County costs $1,181 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $381 a month from 2006–10, a 48% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 32.1% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Steele County
Bachelor's degrees in Steele County
| Period | Steele County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.7% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.0% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.1% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.4% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a quarter of adults 25 and older in Steele County (27.4%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 4.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the northwest.
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 Steele County
| Period | Steele County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.8% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.0% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.7% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.4% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Steele County is above the national rate: 93.4% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Minnesota. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 3.6 points, mirroring the country.
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 Steele County
| Period | Steele County | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.0% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.7% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.7% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Steele County runs below the national rate: 3.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has edged down 1.3 points since 2006–10, 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).
Steele 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| Winona County | 2.37 | 37.7 | 6.6% | 30.5% | 9.3% | 1968 | $912 | 33.7% | 94.3% | 2.5% |
| 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% |
| Monroe County | 2.55 | 39.9 | 10.4% | 27.2% | 8.8% | 1979 | $938 | 21.4% | 90.5% | 3.1% |
| Pipestone County | 2.34 | 40.6 | 8.8% | 19.2% | 8.7% | 1955 | $775 | 22.0% | 92.6% | 3.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Wakulla County, FL · Covington County, AL · Crawford County, KS · Crawford County, OH · Dallas County, AL · Danville City, VA · Dare County, NC · Daviess County, IN · Defiance County, OH · Warren County, MO
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 Steele 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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