Houston County, Minnesota Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Houston County is located in Minnesota with a total population of 18,653. It is the 51st most populous county out of 87 in Minnesota. The county encompasses 6 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Houston County is 45.1 years. This is 16% higher than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Houston County is $79,825. This is 10% lower than the state median of $89,062. It is also 1% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 6.6%. This is 29% lower than the state poverty rate of 9.3%. The unemployment rate is 1.6%. This is 61% lower than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $239,000. Housing costs are 27% lower than the state median of $329,300. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.0x. 83.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 15% higher than the state average of 72.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Houston County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 93.5% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 1.6%. The Black or African American population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 7.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population (1.6%) is well below the state average of 6.4%. The Asian population (0.9%) is well below the state average of 5.1%.

Education

30.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 24% 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 95.4%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Houston County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Minnesota and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.