Aitkin County, Minnesota

MN · FIPS 27001 Republican

Located in Minnesota, Aitkin County has a population of 16,056 residents and a median age of 56.9 years, making it the #2,096 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.1%. The median home value is $255,800, and the median household income is $60,833, which is 19% below the national median.

16,056
Population
#2,096 of 3,222
$60,833
Median Income
-19.1% #2,004 of 3,222
56.9 years
Median Age
+46.3% #36 of 3,222
13.1%
Poverty Rate
+4.1% #1,554 of 3,222

Demographics

Aitkin County has a population of 16,056, making it the #2,096 most populous county in the US. The median age is 56.9 years, which is 46.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.1%
Native Born
0.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Aitkin County is $60,833, ranking #2,004 out of 3,222 counties — 19.1% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.1% and unemployment stands at 5.8%.

Income#2,004
$60,833
-19.1%
vs nation
38th percentile
Per Capita#1,344
$36,503
-11.5%
vs nation
58th percentile
Poverty#1,554
13.1%
+4.1%
vs nation
52th percentile
Unemployment#2,427
5.8%
+9.0%
vs nation
25th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Aitkin County is $255,800 (-9.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $869/mo and the homeownership rate is 85.3%.

Home Value#864
$255,800
-9.3%
vs nation
73th percentile
Rent#1,614
$869
-25.3%
vs nation
50th percentile
Homeownership#108
85.3%
+32.4%
vs nation
97th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Aitkin County, 20.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 39.9% below the national average, ranking #1,955 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
20.3% −39.9% vs nation
Rank #1,955 of 3,222
39th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Aitkin County is 77.9 years. 15.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#663
77.9
+3.7%
vs nation
78th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#766
15.9%
-18.7%
vs nation
76th percentile
Diabetes#701
9.3%
-16.5%
vs nation
78th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#773
34.3%
-8.1%
vs nation
75th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#641
5.1
-8.9%
vs nation
80th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#779
4.0
-11.4%
vs nation
75th percentile
Uninsured Rate#760
6.8%
-34.6%
vs nation
76th percentile
Physical Inactivity#603
21.9%
-17.0%
vs nation
81th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,164
13.0%
-9.8%
vs nation
63th percentile

Substance Use

18.9% of adults in Aitkin County smoke , 36.2% are obese , and 24.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 37.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,957
18.9%
+5.2%
vs nation
38th percentile
Adult Obesity#961
36.2%
-4.5%
vs nation
70th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,985
24.7%
+24.2%
vs nation
5th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,516
37.6
+16.3%
vs nation
28th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 26.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.8 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,185
26.7
+35.3%
vs nation
15th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,393
17.6
-1.6%
vs nation
44th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,557
19.8
-2.2%
vs nation
45th percentile

Families & Children

16.1% of children in Aitkin County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 14.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#819
14.2
-34.9%
vs nation
73th percentile
Child Poverty#1,282
16.1%
-15.2%
vs nation
59th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Aitkin County is 76.1%. The mean commute time is 29.3 min, which is 6.0% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
76.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
29.3 min +6.0% vs nation
Rank #1,005 of 3,222
69th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Aitkin County voted Republican with a margin of 30.9%. The vote was 33.8% Dem / 64.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +30.9%
33.8% 64.7%
Dem 10,419 votes Rep
2020 REP +26.4%
36% 62.4%
Dem 10,025 votes Rep
2016 REP +26.0%
34.1% 60.1%
Dem 9,185 votes Rep
2012 REP +1.4%
48.4% 49.8%
Dem 9,109 votes Rep
2008 REP +0.0%
48.8% 48.8%
Dem 9,410 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Aitkin County, Minnesota

Aitkin County, Minnesota has a total population of 16,056, making it the 2,096th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Aitkin County is 56.9 years, which is 46.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Aitkin County is $60,833, which ranks #2,004 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 19.1% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.8%.

The median home value in Aitkin County is $255,800, 9.3% below the national median. Renters in Aitkin County pay a median gross rent of $869 per month. The homeownership rate is 85.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Aitkin County, 20.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 39.9% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 29.3 min.

Aitkin County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.5%).

All data for Aitkin County, Minnesota comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.