Steele County, Minnesota Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Steele County is located in Minnesota with a total population of 37,439. It is the 28th most populous county out of 87 in Minnesota. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Steele County is 40.5 years. This is 4% higher than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Steele County is $84,196. This is 5% lower than the state median of $89,062. It is also 4% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 8.3%. This is 10% lower than the state poverty rate of 9.3%. The unemployment rate is 3.4%. This is 16% lower than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $245,400. Housing costs are 25% lower than the state median of $329,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.9x, Steele County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 79.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 10% higher than the state average of 72.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Steele County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 83.5% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 8.9%. The Black or African American population (3.3%) is well below the state average of 7.0%. The Asian population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 5.1%.

Education

28.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 29% 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 93.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Steele 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.