Watonwan County, Minnesota Demographics 2026

Name: Watonwan County, Minnesota Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Watonwan County, Minnesota has a population of 11,205, the 65th most populous county in Minnesota. The median household income is $71,699 and the median home value is $162,400. The poverty rate is 13.2%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Watonwan County Quick Facts

Population 11,205

Median Household Income $71,699

Median Home Value $162,400

Poverty Rate 13.2%

Unemployment Rate 5.3%

Median Age 40.8 years

Homeownership Rate 77.8%

Affordability Ratio 2.3x

Bachelor's Degree+ 17.2%

High School Graduation 86.2%

Cities/Places 7

Population 11,205 65th of 87

Median Income $71,699 19% lower than state

Poverty Rate 13.2%

Unemployment 5.3%

How Watonwan County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	11,169	11,205	+0.3%
Median household income	$70,593	$71,699	+1.6%
Median home value	$151,600	$162,400	+7.1%

Median Household Income

Watonwan

$71,699

$89,062

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Watonwan

$162,400

$329,300

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 14.3%

$25K-$50K 20.5%

$50K-$100K 29.7%

$100K+ 35.6%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

3.5%

$10K-$15K

3.1%

$15K-$20K

4.8%

$20K-$25K

2.8%

$25K-$30K

4.3%

$30K-$35K

4.8%

$35K-$40K

5.1%

$40K-$45K

2.3%

$45K-$50K

3.9%

$50K-$60K

6.6%

$60K-$75K

10.8%

$75K-$100K

12.3%

$100K-$125K

10.3%

$125K-$150K

8.2%

$150K-$200K

10.6%

$200K+

6.5%

Employment

5.3% Unemployment Rate State: 4.1%|National: 5.2%

63.1% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 77.8%

Renter 22.2%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.3x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $834/mo 14.0% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

26.3%

18-34

18.9%

35-54

21.5%

55-74

24.2%

75+

9.1%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 41 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Watonwan County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
St. James	4,767	$60,242	18.1%	$122,100
Madelia	2,327	$76,548	13.7%	$165,400
Butterfield	535	$64,083	8.4%	$90,400
Lewisville	255	$76,250	3.1%	$63,900
Odin	126	$46,875	15.9%	$75,000
Darfur	74	$65,500	5.4%	$71,700
La Salle	28	$56,875	0.0%	$97,500

Explore Minnesota Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Watonwan County is located in Minnesota with a total population of 11,205. It is the 65th most populous county out of 87 in Minnesota. The county encompasses 7 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Watonwan County is 40.8 years. This is 5% higher than the state median of 38.8 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Watonwan County is $71,699. This is 19% lower than the state median of $89,062. It is also 11% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.2%. This is 42% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.3%. The unemployment rate is 5.3%. This is 29% higher than the state rate of 4.1%. The median home value is $162,400. Housing costs are 51% lower than the state median of $329,300. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.3x, Watonwan County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 77.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 8% higher than the state average of 72.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Watonwan County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 67.7% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 30.3%. The Black or African American population (0.0%) is well below the state average of 7.0%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (30.3% vs 6.4%). The Asian population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 5.1%.

Education

17.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 56% 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 86.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Watonwan 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Watonwan County, Minnesota?

Watonwan County has a population of 11,205, making it the 65th most populous county in Minnesota.

What is the median income in Watonwan County?

The median household income in Watonwan County is $71,699 with a poverty rate of 13.2%.

How many cities are in Watonwan County, Minnesota?

Watonwan County contains 7 Census-designated places.