Clearwater County, Minnesota

MN · FIPS 27029 Republican

Located in Minnesota, Clearwater County has a population of 8,616 residents and a median age of 41.6 years, making it the #2,597 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.6%. The median home value is $192,100, and the median household income is $64,475, which is 14% below the national median.

8,616
Population
#2,597 of 3,222
$64,475
Median Income
-14.2% #1,672 of 3,222
41.6 years
Median Age
+6.9% #1,620 of 3,222
12.6%
Poverty Rate
-0.2% #1,414 of 3,222

Demographics

Clearwater County has a population of 8,616, making it the #2,597 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.6 years, which is 6.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.9%
Native Born
1.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Clearwater County is $64,475, ranking #1,672 out of 3,222 counties — 14.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.6% and unemployment stands at 7.7%.

Income#1,672
$64,475
-14.2%
vs nation
48th percentile
Per Capita#1,847
$33,526
-18.7%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poverty#1,414
12.6%
-0.2%
vs nation
56th percentile
Unemployment#2,913
7.7%
+44.7%
vs nation
10th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Clearwater County is $192,100 (-31.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $742/mo and the homeownership rate is 80.1%.

Home Value#1,498
$192,100
-31.9%
vs nation
53th percentile
Rent#2,517
$742
-36.2%
vs nation
22th percentile
Homeownership#610
80.1%
+24.4%
vs nation
81th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Clearwater County, 19.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 41.1% below the national average, ranking #2,028 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
19.8% −41.1% vs nation
Rank #2,028 of 3,222
37th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Clearwater County is 76.0 years. 15.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 9.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,292
76.0
+1.1%
vs nation
58th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#767
15.9%
-18.7%
vs nation
76th percentile
Diabetes#901
9.6%
-13.8%
vs nation
71th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#324
31.9%
-14.5%
vs nation
90th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#583
5.1
-9.6%
vs nation
82th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,283
4.3
-4.2%
vs nation
59th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,503
9.1%
-12.9%
vs nation
52th percentile
Physical Inactivity#604
21.9%
-17.0%
vs nation
81th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,194
13.1%
-9.1%
vs nation
62th percentile

Substance Use

17.2% of adults in Clearwater County smoke , 39.2% are obese , and 23.1% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,359
17.2%
-4.2%
vs nation
57th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,808
39.2%
+3.4%
vs nation
43th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,666
23.1%
+16.3%
vs nation
15th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 28.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.4 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,261
28.4
+43.9%
vs nation
12th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,519
19.4
-4.3%
vs nation
46th percentile

Families & Children

18.4% of children in Clearwater County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 30.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,372
30.7
+40.6%
vs nation
21th percentile
Child Poverty#1,660
18.4%
-3.1%
vs nation
47th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Clearwater County is 70.8%. The mean commute time is 27.2 min, which is 1.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
70.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.2 min −1.5% vs nation
Rank #1,437 of 3,222
55th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Clearwater County voted Republican with a margin of 50.1%. The vote was 24.3% Dem / 74.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +50.1%
24.3% 74.4%
Dem 4,805 votes Rep
2020 REP +44.8%
26.8% 71.6%
Dem 4,708 votes Rep
2016 REP +43.2%
26% 69.2%
Dem 4,225 votes Rep
2012 REP +14.5%
41.9% 56.4%
Dem 4,183 votes Rep
2008 REP +9.7%
44.1% 53.8%
Dem 4,261 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Clearwater County, Minnesota

Clearwater County, Minnesota has a total population of 8,616, making it the 2,597th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Clearwater County is 41.6 years, which is 6.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Clearwater County is $64,475, which ranks #1,672 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 14.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.7%.

The median home value in Clearwater County is $192,100, 31.9% below the national median. Renters in Clearwater County pay a median gross rent of $742 per month. The homeownership rate is 80.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Clearwater County, 19.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 41.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 87.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.2 min.

Clearwater County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.6% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (7.3%) and American Indian (non-Hispanic) (6.8%).

All data for Clearwater 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.