Cottonwood County, Minnesota
Located in Minnesota, Cottonwood County has a population of 11,458 residents and a median age of 40.3 years, making it the #2,390 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.0%. The median home value is $169,300, and the median household income is $72,941, which is 3% below the national median.
Demographics
Cottonwood County has a population of 11,458, making it the #2,390 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.3 years, which is 3.6% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Cottonwood County is $72,941, ranking #976 out of 3,222 counties — 2.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.0% and unemployment stands at 2.8%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Cottonwood County is $169,300 (-39.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $817/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Cottonwood County, 24.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 28.5% below the national average, ranking #1,355 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Cottonwood County is 78.3 years. 16.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
18.4% of adults in Cottonwood County smoke , 39.3% are obese , and 22.1% report excessive drinking.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 30.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.4 per 100,000.
Motor Vehicle Deaths Trend
Families & Children
14.3% of children in Cottonwood County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 15.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Cottonwood County is 75.8%. The mean commute time is 17.4 min, which is 37.0% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Cottonwood County voted Republican with a margin of 41.1%. The vote was 28.6% Dem / 69.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.9 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Cottonwood County, Minnesota
Cottonwood County, Minnesota has a total population of 11,458, making it the 2,390th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Cottonwood County is 40.3 years, which is 3.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Cottonwood County is $72,941, which ranks #976 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 2.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.8%.
The median home value in Cottonwood County is $169,300, 39.9% below the national median. Renters in Cottonwood County pay a median gross rent of $817 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Cottonwood County, 24.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 28.5% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 17.4 min.
Cottonwood County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 80.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (11.3%) and Asian (non-Hispanic) (3.8%).
All data for Cottonwood 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.