Houston County, Minnesota

MN · FIPS 27055 Republican

Located in Minnesota, Houston County has a population of 18,653 residents and a median age of 45.1 years, making it the #1,953 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $239,000, and the median household income is $79,825, which is 6% above the national median.

18,653
Population
#1,953 of 3,222
$79,825
Median Income
+6.2% #593 of 3,222
45.1 years
Median Age
+15.9% #728 of 3,222
6.6%
Poverty Rate
-47.8% #161 of 3,222

Demographics

Houston County has a population of 18,653, making it the #1,953 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.1 years, which is 15.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.8%
Native Born
2.2%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Houston County is $79,825, ranking #593 out of 3,222 counties — 6.2% above the national median. The poverty rate is 6.6% and unemployment stands at 1.6%.

Income#593
$79,825
+6.2%
vs nation
82th percentile
Per Capita#418
$44,963
+9.0%
vs nation
87th percentile
Poverty#161
6.6%
-47.8%
vs nation
95th percentile
Unemployment#184
1.6%
-70.3%
vs nation
94th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Houston County is $239,000 (-15.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $879/mo and the homeownership rate is 83.4%.

Home Value#1,000
$239,000
-15.2%
vs nation
69th percentile
Rent#1,555
$879
-24.4%
vs nation
52th percentile
Homeownership#226
83.4%
+29.5%
vs nation
93th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Houston County, 30.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 10.7% below the national average, ranking #758 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
30.1% −10.7% vs nation
Rank #758 of 3,222
76th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Houston County is 79.6 years. 15.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 4.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#283
79.6
+5.9%
vs nation
91th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#562
15.1%
-22.8%
vs nation
82th percentile
Diabetes#515
9.0%
-19.2%
vs nation
84th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#146
30.6%
-18.0%
vs nation
95th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#175
4.6
-17.9%
vs nation
95th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#151
3.4
-22.8%
vs nation
95th percentile
Uninsured Rate#54
4.2%
-60.0%
vs nation
98th percentile
Physical Inactivity#770
22.7%
-14.0%
vs nation
76th percentile
Food Insecurity#91
8.4%
-41.7%
vs nation
97th percentile

Substance Use

17.8% of adults in Houston County smoke , 38.4% are obese , and 25.2% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,597
17.8%
-0.9%
vs nation
49th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,563
38.4%
+1.3%
vs nation
50th percentile
Excessive Drinking#3,052
25.2%
+26.6%
vs nation
3th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 17.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 7.6 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,226
17.9
-9.2%
vs nation
52th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#149
7.6
-62.3%
vs nation
95th percentile

Families & Children

7.2% of children in Houston County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 3.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#36
3.8
-82.4%
vs nation
99th percentile
Child Poverty#99
7.2%
-62.1%
vs nation
97th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Houston County is 78.8%. The mean commute time is 25.5 min, which is 7.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
78.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.5 min −7.6% vs nation
Rank #1,824 of 3,222
43th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Houston County voted Republican with a margin of 16.5%. The vote was 41% Dem / 57.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +16.5%
41% 57.5%
Dem 11,394 votes Rep
2020 REP +13.0%
42.4% 55.4%
Dem 11,440 votes Rep
2016 REP +14.0%
39.4% 53.4%
Dem 10,515 votes Rep
2012 DEM +3.2%
50.7% 47.5%
Dem 10,422 votes Rep
2008 DEM +10.7%
54.3% 43.6%
Dem 10,883 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Houston County, Minnesota

Houston County, Minnesota has a total population of 18,653, making it the 1,953rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Houston County is 45.1 years, which is 15.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Houston County is $79,825, which ranks #593 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.2% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 6.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 1.6%.

The median home value in Houston County is $239,000, 15.2% below the national median. Renters in Houston County pay a median gross rent of $879 per month. The homeownership rate is 83.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Houston County, 30.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 10.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.5 min.

Houston County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.5%).

All data for Houston 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.