Fort Ripley, Minnesota Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 68, Fort Ripley's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Fort Ripley is a small community located in Minnesota, within Crow Wing County. The total population is 68. It ranks as the 839th most populous out of 914 Census-designated places in Minnesota.

Age Demographics

The median age in Fort Ripley is 60.5 years. This is 56% higher than the state median of 38.8 years. Only 10.3% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 16.2% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Fort Ripley is $53,542. This is 40% lower than the state median of $89,062. It is also 34% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 2.9%. This is 68% lower than the state poverty rate of 9.3%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The unemployment rate is 15.6%. This is 285% higher than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $275,000. Housing costs are 16% lower than the state median of $329,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.1x. 90.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 26% higher than the state average of 72.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Fort Ripley has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 97.1% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 1.5%. The Hispanic or Latino population (1.5%) is well below the state average of 6.4%.

Education

15.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 62% lower than the state rate of 39.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Fort Ripley, Minnesota is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Minnesota state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 914 Census-designated places in Minnesota. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.