Fastest-growing counties in Minnesota
Fastest-growing counties in Minnesota
From 2018 to 2019, the U.S. population grew by .48%, its slowest rate in 100 years. Declining births, increasing deaths largely due to the graying Baby Boomer population, and a crackdown on immigration have contributed to many states seeing net population losses in recent years.
But in other pockets of the country, populations are growing. These shifts can be due to job opportunities, high quality of life, easy commutability to job centers, low rents, or any combination of these or other factors. Stacker compiled a list of the fastest-growing counties in Minnesota using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest population growth from 2010 to 2019, based on 5-year estimates.
A county typically sees population growth as a “bedroom community” (a municipality with an atypically large commuting population) to a large city. These communities are typically quieter than their feeder cities, offer lower rents and a higher quality of living, and are remote enough to be immune to the feeder city’s crime, traffic, and crowds. Keep reading to see if your home county made the list.
#30. Cass County
--- #1,112 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.2%
--- #32 among counties in Minnesota, #1,184 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 29,268
--- #36 largest county in Minnesota, #1,447 largest county nationwide
#29. Otter Tail County
--- #1,096 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.1%
--- #35 among counties in Minnesota, #1,347 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 58,195
--- #17 largest county in Minnesota, #885 largest county nationwide
#28. Carlton County
--- #1,084 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +1.9%
--- #33 among counties in Minnesota, #1,217 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 35,633
--- #30 largest county in Minnesota, #1,283 largest county nationwide
#27. Nobles County
--- #1,075 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +3.3%
--- #25 among counties in Minnesota, #998 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 21,734
--- #44 largest county in Minnesota, #1,737 largest county nationwide
#26. Hubbard County
--- #1,033 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.0%
--- #23 among counties in Minnesota, #909 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 21,019
--- #46 largest county in Minnesota, #1,773 largest county nationwide
#25. Dodge County
--- #1,023 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.2%
--- #22 among counties in Minnesota, #884 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 20,669
--- #48 largest county in Minnesota, #1,791 largest county nationwide
#24. Mower County
--- #992 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.5%
--- #29 among counties in Minnesota, #1,134 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 39,807
--- #25 largest county in Minnesota, #1,180 largest county nationwide
#23. Kandiyohi County
--- #985 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +2.3%
--- #30 among counties in Minnesota, #1,160 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 42,841
--- #23 largest county in Minnesota, #1,117 largest county nationwide
#22. Douglas County
--- #837 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.5%
--- #21 among counties in Minnesota, #861 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 37,513
--- #27 largest county in Minnesota, #1,234 largest county nationwide
#21. Nicollet County
--- #825 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.2%
--- #16 among counties in Minnesota, #779 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 33,954
--- #32 largest county in Minnesota, #1,330 largest county nationwide
#20. Becker County
--- #811 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.4%
--- #15 among counties in Minnesota, #754 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 34,011
--- #31 largest county in Minnesota, #1,328 largest county nationwide
#19. Isanti County
--- #809 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.6%
--- #20 among counties in Minnesota, #839 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 39,430
--- #26 largest county in Minnesota, #1,191 largest county nationwide
#18. Benton County
--- #777 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +5.2%
--- #17 among counties in Minnesota, #782 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 40,129
--- #24 largest county in Minnesota, #1,174 largest county nationwide
#17. Crow Wing County
--- #724 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +3.9%
--- #24 among counties in Minnesota, #933 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 64,217
--- #15 largest county in Minnesota, #824 largest county nationwide
#16. Chisago County
--- #714 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.7%
--- #19 among counties in Minnesota, #834 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 55,315
--- #18 largest county in Minnesota, #916 largest county nationwide
#15. Beltrami County
--- #702 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.0%
--- #14 among counties in Minnesota, #699 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 46,403
--- #20 largest county in Minnesota, #1,043 largest county nationwide
#14. Rice County
--- #652 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +4.9%
--- #18 among counties in Minnesota, #809 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 66,185
--- #14 largest county in Minnesota, #807 largest county nationwide
#13. Blue Earth County
--- #588 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.5%
--- #13 among counties in Minnesota, #653 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 66,795
--- #13 largest county in Minnesota, #795 largest county nationwide
#12. Clay County
--- #485 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +11.1%
--- #4 among counties in Minnesota, #334 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 63,446
--- #16 largest county in Minnesota, #837 largest county nationwide
#11. Sherburne County
--- #451 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +8.8%
--- #8 among counties in Minnesota, #483 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 94,463
--- #12 largest county in Minnesota, #623 largest county nationwide
#10. Stearns County
--- #381 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +7.1%
--- #11 among counties in Minnesota, #606 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 158,452
--- #7 largest county in Minnesota, #415 largest county nationwide
#9. Carver County
--- #338 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +15.0%
--- #2 among counties in Minnesota, #197 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 101,949
--- #11 largest county in Minnesota, #594 largest county nationwide
#8. Olmsted County
--- #336 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +9.6%
--- #7 among counties in Minnesota, #428 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 154,809
--- #8 largest county in Minnesota, #424 largest county nationwide
#7. Wright County
--- #334 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +11.3%
--- #3 among counties in Minnesota, #326 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 134,438
--- #10 largest county in Minnesota, #472 largest county nationwide
#6. Scott County
--- #272 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +15.2%
--- #1 among counties in Minnesota, #190 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 145,275
--- #9 largest county in Minnesota, #446 largest county nationwide
#5. Anoka County
--- #240 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +6.9%
--- #12 among counties in Minnesota, #616 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 350,253
--- #4 largest county in Minnesota, #199 largest county nationwide
#4. Washington County
--- #233 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +10.1%
--- #5 among counties in Minnesota, #399 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 255,938
--- #5 largest county in Minnesota, #265 largest county nationwide
#3. Dakota County
--- #195 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +7.1%
--- #10 among counties in Minnesota, #602 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 421,453
--- #3 largest county in Minnesota, #166 largest county nationwide
#2. Ramsey County
--- #124 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +8.2%
--- #9 among counties in Minnesota, #519 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 544,442
--- #2 largest county in Minnesota, #123 largest county nationwide
#1. Hennepin County
--- #40 among all counties nationwide
- 2010 to 2019 percent population change: +9.6%
--- #6 among counties in Minnesota, #426 among all counties nationwide
- 2019 population: 1,245,837
--- #1 largest county in Minnesota, #34 largest county nationwide



