Population 6,306 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wadena
Household size in Wadena
| Period | Wadena | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.17 | 2.52 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.26 | 2.54 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.31 | 2.55 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.27 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.10 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Wadena is a place of small households, averaging 2.27 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 climbed from 2.17, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the northwest and smallest in the east.
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 Wadena
| Period | Wadena | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.0 | 37.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.7 | 38.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.5 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.6 | 40.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.4 | +2.1 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Wadena are younger than 40.6 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has dropped from 42.0 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. The youngest areas are in the west, the oldest in the east.
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 Wadena
| Period | Wadena | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.0% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 14.7% | 10.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.1% | 9.7% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.1% | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Wadena: 15.1% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 4.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Of the 188 Minnesota cities with 5,000+ people, only six have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Wadena
Renters in Wadena
| Period | Wadena | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.1% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.6% | 27.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.2% | 28.4% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 34.4% | 27.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +2.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a third of households in Wadena rent their homes (34.4%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Minnesota as a whole (27.8%). About three in ten owners (29.7%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 4.3 points, as it has nationally.
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 Wadena
| Period | Wadena | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.6% | 9.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.2% | 8.7% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 8.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −0.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 5.0% of homes in Wadena are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy has fallen 3.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Wadena
| Period | Wadena | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1963 | 1973 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1967 | 1975 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Wadena is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1968, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1963 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, 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 Wadena
| Period | Wadena | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $546 | $882 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $611 | $953 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $728 | $1,099 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $843 | $1,404 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$297 | +$522 | +$606 |
The median renter in Wadena pays $843 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $297 a month from 2006–10, a 54% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 24.9% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the east; the highest are in the southwest.
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 Wadena
Bachelor's degrees in Wadena
| Period | Wadena | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.7% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 33.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 36.2% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.7% | 39.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +7.4 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Wadena: 17.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 2.9 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only nine of the 188 Minnesota cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Wadena
| Period | Wadena | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.1% | 91.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.0% | 92.2% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.5% | 93.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.9% | 93.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Wadena have finished high school (90.9%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Still, the rate is lower than in Minnesota as a whole (93.7%). The share with a diploma is up 0.8 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 Wadena
| Period | Wadena | Minnesota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.6% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.5% | 6.5% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.4% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −2.4 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Wadena is the same as the national rate: 5.4% of the labor force. The rate is higher than in Minnesota overall (4.1%). 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).
Wadena 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wadena | 2.27 | 40.6 | 15.1% | 34.4% | 5.0% | 1968 | $843 | 17.7% | 90.9% | 5.4% |
| Bluffton | 2.85 | 36.7 | 12.2% | 10.6% | 9.1% | 1980 | $852 | 16.9% | 93.0% | 2.2% |
| Hewitt | 2.72 | 39.1 | 7.4% | 12.0% | 10.7% | 1975 | $803 | 14.4% | 88.6% | 2.9% |
| Verndale | 2.53 | 38.6 | 9.2% | 8.9% | 15.7% | 1974 | $756 | 18.3% | 92.2% | 3.9% |
| Deer Creek | 2.79 | 38.3 | 8.5% | 11.4% | 15.6% | 1976 | $747 | 20.8% | 91.0% | 3.4% |
| Aldrich | 2.72 | 37.8 | 8.2% | 10.0% | 12.6% | 1977 | $806 | 19.3% | 88.9% | 4.3% |
| Wrightstown | 2.72 | 40.0 | 7.9% | 10.3% | 15.8% | 1978 | $945 | 16.9% | 89.3% | 3.1% |
| Sebeka | 2.34 | 41.8 | 9.3% | 20.5% | 15.2% | 1977 | $776 | 17.7% | 93.0% | 4.6% |
| New York Mills | 2.52 | 38.3 | 11.1% | 24.0% | 15.9% | 1980 | $774 | 19.7% | 92.7% | 2.4% |
| Bertha | 2.68 | 39.4 | 10.0% | 15.6% | 8.5% | 1969 | $879 | 13.9% | 82.8% | 3.2% |
| Heinola | 2.42 | 50.0 | 4.7% | 10.6% | 36.5% | 1978 | $807 | 26.1% | 94.1% | 2.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Seabeck, WA · Golden Triangle, NJ · Goodland, KS · Goodview, VA · Grafton, WV · Greendale, IN · Grimesland, NC · Grover, NC · Guerneville, CA · Halifax, VA
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 Wadena. 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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