Blue Earth County, Minnesota

MN · FIPS 27013 Republican

Located in Minnesota, Blue Earth County has a population of 69,871 residents and a median age of 31.6 years, making it the #790 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.7%. The median home value is $266,700, and the median household income is $74,477, which is 1% below the national median.

69,871
Population
#790 of 3,222
$74,477
Median Income
-0.9% #873 of 3,222
31.6 years
Median Age
-18.8% #3,147 of 3,222
15.7%
Poverty Rate
+24.4% #2,068 of 3,222

Demographics

Blue Earth County has a population of 69,871, making it the #790 most populous county in the US. The median age is 31.6 years, which is 18.8% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

94.6%
Native Born
5.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Blue Earth County is $74,477, ranking #873 out of 3,222 counties — 0.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.7% and unemployment stands at 4.9%.

Income#873
$74,477
-0.9%
vs nation
73th percentile
Per Capita#1,233
$37,155
-10.0%
vs nation
62th percentile
Poverty#2,068
15.7%
+24.4%
vs nation
36th percentile
Unemployment#1,942
4.9%
-7.7%
vs nation
40th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Blue Earth County is $266,700 (-5.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,123/mo and the homeownership rate is 61.4%.

Home Value#803
$266,700
-5.4%
vs nation
75th percentile
Rent#667
$1,123
-3.4%
vs nation
79th percentile
Homeownership#2,952
61.4%
-4.7%
vs nation
8th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Blue Earth County, 34.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 1.4% above the national average, ranking #512 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
34.2% +1.4% vs nation
Rank #512 of 3,222
84th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Blue Earth County is 79.7 years. 17.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#267
79.7
+6.1%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,267
17.7%
-9.5%
vs nation
60th percentile
Diabetes#1,101
9.9%
-11.1%
vs nation
65th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#271
31.5%
-15.6%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#730
5.2
-7.7%
vs nation
77th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#803
4.0
-10.9%
vs nation
75th percentile
Uninsured Rate#207
5.2%
-50.7%
vs nation
93th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,249
24.7%
-6.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Food Insecurity#423
10.6%
-26.4%
vs nation
87th percentile

Substance Use

18.5% of adults in Blue Earth County smoke , 42.1% are obese , and 23.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 16.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,829
18.5%
+3.0%
vs nation
42th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,648
42.1%
+11.1%
vs nation
16th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,743
23.4%
+17.8%
vs nation
13th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#374
16.9
-47.7%
vs nation
82th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Blue Earth County is 2.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.0 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 5.7 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#161
2.3
-71.1%
vs nation
90th percentile
Suicide Rate#579
14.0
-28.8%
vs nation
77th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#154
7.3
-59.2%
vs nation
94th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#50
5.7
-72.0%
vs nation
98th percentile

Families & Children

10.6% of children in Blue Earth County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 6.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#187
4.6
-32.1%
vs nation
86th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#125
6.1
-72.3%
vs nation
96th percentile
Child Poverty#408
10.6%
-44.2%
vs nation
87th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Blue Earth County is 69.3%. The mean commute time is 18.8 min, which is 31.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
69.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
18.8 min −31.9% vs nation
Rank #2,934 of 3,222
9th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Blue Earth County voted Republican with a margin of 1.3%. The vote was 48.3% Dem / 49.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.7 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +1.3%
48.3% 49.6%
Dem 36,326 votes Rep
2020 DEM +4.4%
50.8% 46.4%
Dem 36,051 votes Rep
2016 REP +3.7%
43.4% 47.1%
Dem 33,256 votes Rep
2012 DEM +9.6%
53.4% 43.8%
Dem 34,039 votes Rep
2008 DEM +13.0%
55.1% 42.1%
Dem 35,070 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Blue Earth County, Minnesota

Blue Earth County, Minnesota has a total population of 69,871, making it the 790th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Blue Earth County is 31.6 years, which is 18.8% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Blue Earth County is $74,477, which ranks #873 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 0.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.9%.

The median home value in Blue Earth County is $266,700, 5.4% below the national median. Renters in Blue Earth County pay a median gross rent of $1,123 per month. The homeownership rate is 61.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Blue Earth County, 34.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 1.4% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 18.8 min.

Blue Earth County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 84.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.8%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (4.8%).

All data for Blue Earth 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.