Heron Lake, Minnesota Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 593, Heron Lake'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

Heron Lake is a small community located in Minnesota, within Jackson County. The total population is 593. It ranks as the 465th most populous out of 914 Census-designated places in Minnesota.

Age Demographics

The median age in Heron Lake is 45.8 years. This is 18% higher than the state median of 38.8 years. Only 14.3% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 19.4% 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 Heron Lake is $68,000. This is 24% lower than the state median of $89,062. It is also 16% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 9.3%. This is about the same as the state poverty rate of 9.3%. The unemployment rate is 1.5%. This is 64% lower than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $88,600. Housing costs are 73% lower than the state median of $329,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.3x, Heron Lake is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 83.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 15% higher than the state average of 72.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Heron Lake is White (non-Hispanic), making up 77.9% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 15.2%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (15.2% vs 6.4%). The Asian population (0.8%) is well below the state average of 5.1%.

Education

19.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 51% lower than the state rate of 39.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 94.0%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Heron Lake, 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.