Population 13,964 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Waconia
Household size in Waconia
| Period | Waconia | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.80 | 2.58 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.77 | 2.61 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.83 | 2.63 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.65 | 2.58 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.15 | −0.00 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
At 2.65 people per household, Waconia sits right at the national average. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.80, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the south.
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 Waconia
| Period | Waconia | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.1 | 36.8 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.7 | 37.8 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.5 | 38.6 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 38.6 | 39.2 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +5.5 | +2.5 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
At 38.6, the median age in Waconia is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 33.1, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the south, the oldest in the west.
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 Waconia
| Period | Waconia | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 10.2% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.9% | 10.6% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 9.9% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 9.8% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Waconia: 6.5% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Waconia has a lower 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 Waconia
Renters in Waconia
| Period | Waconia | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.9% | 27.3% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.2% | 29.6% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.7% | 30.0% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 19.6% | 29.3% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +2.0 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 19.6% of households in Waconia rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 24.9% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the southeast. The renter share is up 2.6 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 Waconia
| Period | Waconia | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.5% | 7.0% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.9% | 6.2% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.1% | 5.5% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 2.7% | 5.7% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Waconia: just 2.7% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy is down 2.7 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Of the 188 Minnesota cities with 5,000+ people, only eight 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 Waconia
| Period | Waconia | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1975 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1989 | 1976 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1994 | 1977 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1996 | 1980 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Waconia has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1996, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the center has the oldest housing. Of the 188 Minnesota cities with 5,000+ people, only 18 have newer homes.
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 Waconia
| Period | Waconia | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $712 | $1,007 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $977 | $1,077 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,141 | $1,258 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,632 | $1,603 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$920 | +$597 | +$522 | +$606 |
Rent in Waconia runs $1,632 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $920 a month since 2006–10, up 129%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 26.5% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are in the northeast.
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 Waconia
Bachelor's degrees in Waconia
| Period | Waconia | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.3% | 37.2% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 43.0% | 39.1% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 51.0% | 41.8% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 50.5% | 45.4% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +10.2 pts | +8.1 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
Waconia is highly educated: about half of adults 25 and older (50.5%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 10.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the west.
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 Waconia
| Period | Waconia | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.1% | 92.4% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.4% | 92.9% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.9% | 93.5% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.6% | 94.0% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Waconia: 98.6% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma is up 3.4 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only seven of the 188 Minnesota cities with 5,000+ people 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 Waconia
| Period | Waconia | Minneapolis area | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.1% | 6.7% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.0% | 6.8% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 1.5% | 3.6% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.3 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Waconia than nationally: unemployment was 4.4%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has edged up 1.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. 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).
Waconia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waconia | 2.65 | 38.6 | 6.5% | 19.6% | 2.7% | 1996 | $1,632 | 50.5% | 98.6% | 4.4% |
| Cologne | 2.58 | 40.3 | 4.9% | 7.3% | 2.3% | 1999 | $938 | 38.2% | 98.9% | 3.6% |
| St. Bonifacius | 2.42 | 36.7 | 2.6% | 9.6% | 3.8% | 1993 | $1,244 | 41.2% | 98.5% | 1.8% |
| Norwood | 2.41 | 45.3 | 7.1% | 10.4% | 5.1% | 1984 | $1,541 | 40.0% | 98.1% | 2.7% |
| Mayer | 2.82 | 37.3 | 10.3% | 5.6% | 3.8% | 1996 | $1,501 | 35.4% | 97.7% | 2.9% |
| Victoria | 2.79 | 40.9 | 7.8% | 5.4% | 4.7% | 2005 | $1,761 | 65.6% | 99.3% | 1.8% |
| Young America | 2.82 | 41.1 | 9.4% | 12.8% | 3.6% | 1984 | $1,256 | 26.7% | 96.1% | 2.3% |
| Minnetrista | 2.88 | 42.8 | 6.0% | 6.3% | 10.1% | 1993 | $1,145 | 65.5% | 99.6% | 2.6% |
| Norwood Young America | 2.61 | 41.7 | 12.1% | 24.6% | 1.6% | 1984 | $1,017 | 22.3% | 97.7% | 3.3% |
| Watertown | 2.73 | 37.0 | 13.3% | 14.6% | 4.9% | 1993 | $1,113 | 23.4% | 95.5% | 0.7% |
| Chaska | 2.68 | 38.5 | 14.1% | 31.7% | 1.7% | 1997 | $1,812 | 47.0% | 94.7% | 3.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Suffern, NY · Dunmore, PA · Durham, NH · Eagle Point, OR · East Bridgewater, MA · Eaton Rapids, MI · Edgewater, MD · Edgewood, WA · Englewood, OH · St. Simons, GA
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 Waconia. 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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