Carlton County, Minnesota

MN · FIPS 27017 Republican

Located in Minnesota, Carlton County has a population of 36,518 residents and a median age of 41.4 years, making it the #1,305 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.9%. The median home value is $245,100, and the median household income is $80,573, which is 7% above the national median.

36,518
Population
#1,305 of 3,222
$80,573
Median Income
+7.2% #561 of 3,222
41.4 years
Median Age
+6.4% #1,684 of 3,222
11.9%
Poverty Rate
-5.6% #1,253 of 3,222

Demographics

Carlton County has a population of 36,518, making it the #1,305 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.4 years, which is 6.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.2%
Native Born
1.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Carlton County is $80,573, ranking #561 out of 3,222 counties — 7.2% above the national median. The poverty rate is 11.9% and unemployment stands at 4.7%.

Income#561
$80,573
+7.2%
vs nation
83th percentile
Per Capita#892
$39,410
-4.5%
vs nation
72th percentile
Poverty#1,253
11.9%
-5.6%
vs nation
61th percentile
Unemployment#1,836
4.7%
-10.5%
vs nation
43th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Carlton County is $245,100 (-13.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,009/mo and the homeownership rate is 80.0%.

Home Value#934
$245,100
-13.1%
vs nation
71th percentile
Rent#961
$1,009
-13.2%
vs nation
70th percentile
Homeownership#641
80.0%
+24.2%
vs nation
80th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Carlton County, 26.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 21.4% below the national average, ranking #1,058 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
26.5% −21.4% vs nation
Rank #1,058 of 3,222
67th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Carlton County is 76.3 years. 13.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.4% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,182
76.3
+1.5%
vs nation
61th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#308
13.9%
-28.9%
vs nation
90th percentile
Diabetes#579
9.1%
-18.3%
vs nation
82th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,186
36.0%
-3.5%
vs nation
62th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,170
5.5
-3.2%
vs nation
63th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#542
3.8
-14.8%
vs nation
83th percentile
Uninsured Rate#276
5.4%
-48.3%
vs nation
91th percentile
Physical Inactivity#181
18.6%
-29.5%
vs nation
94th percentile
Food Insecurity#659
11.5%
-20.2%
vs nation
79th percentile

Substance Use

15.8% of adults in Carlton County smoke , 41.2% are obese , and 24.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 28.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#881
15.8%
-12.0%
vs nation
72th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,413
41.2%
+8.7%
vs nation
23th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,894
24.2%
+21.9%
vs nation
8th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,078
28.5
-12.0%
vs nation
49th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 14.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.7 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#736
14.9
-24.3%
vs nation
71th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#698
12.7
-28.7%
vs nation
72th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#436
10.7
-47.1%
vs nation
85th percentile

Families & Children

8.4% of children in Carlton County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 12.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#641
12.4
-43.4%
vs nation
79th percentile
Child Poverty#183
8.4%
-55.8%
vs nation
94th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Carlton County is 74.3%. The mean commute time is 23.6 min, which is 14.4% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
74.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.6 min −14.4% vs nation
Rank #2,223 of 3,222
31th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Carlton County voted Republican with a margin of 2.6%. The vote was 47.7% Dem / 50.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.1 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +2.6%
47.7% 50.3%
Dem 20,746 votes Rep
2020 DEM +1.5%
49.6% 48.1%
Dem 20,369 votes Rep
2016 DEM +1.6%
46.8% 45.2%
Dem 18,059 votes Rep
2012 DEM +26.1%
62% 35.9%
Dem 18,356 votes Rep
2008 DEM +26.8%
62.3% 35.5%
Dem 18,449 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Carlton County, Minnesota

Carlton County, Minnesota has a total population of 36,518, making it the 1,305th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Carlton County is 41.4 years, which is 6.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Carlton County is $80,573, which ranks #561 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 7.2% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.9%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.7%.

The median home value in Carlton County is $245,100, 13.1% below the national median. Renters in Carlton County pay a median gross rent of $1,009 per month. The homeownership rate is 80.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Carlton County, 26.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 21.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.6 min.

Carlton County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 86.9% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.9%) and American Indian (non-Hispanic) (3.1%).

All data for Carlton 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.