Kanabec County, Minnesota

MN · FIPS 27065 Republican

Located in Minnesota, Kanabec County has a population of 16,390 residents and a median age of 44.7 years, making it the #2,077 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.0%. The median home value is $228,100, and the median household income is $71,460, which is 5% below the national median.

16,390
Population
#2,077 of 3,222
$71,460
Median Income
-4.9% #1,089 of 3,222
44.7 years
Median Age
+14.9% #793 of 3,222
10.0%
Poverty Rate
-20.5% #796 of 3,222

Demographics

Kanabec County has a population of 16,390, making it the #2,077 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.7 years, which is 14.9% 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 Kanabec County is $71,460, ranking #1,089 out of 3,222 counties — 4.9% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.0% and unemployment stands at 4.6%.

Income#1,089
$71,460
-4.9%
vs nation
66th percentile
Per Capita#1,486
$35,685
-13.5%
vs nation
54th percentile
Poverty#796
10.0%
-20.5%
vs nation
75th percentile
Unemployment#1,733
4.6%
-13.4%
vs nation
46th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Kanabec County is $228,100 (-19.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $962/mo and the homeownership rate is 84.5%.

Home Value#1,102
$228,100
-19.1%
vs nation
66th percentile
Rent#1,131
$962
-17.3%
vs nation
65th percentile
Homeownership#147
84.5%
+31.3%
vs nation
95th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Kanabec County, 15.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 53.3% below the national average, ranking #2,713 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
15.7% −53.3% vs nation
Rank #2,713 of 3,222
16th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Kanabec County is 77.4 years. 16.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#809
77.4
+2.9%
vs nation
74th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#799
16.0%
-18.2%
vs nation
75th percentile
Diabetes#631
9.2%
-17.4%
vs nation
80th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#528
33.1%
-11.3%
vs nation
83th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,055
5.4
-4.3%
vs nation
67th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#997
4.1
-8.0%
vs nation
68th percentile
Uninsured Rate#772
6.9%
-34.4%
vs nation
76th percentile
Physical Inactivity#956
23.5%
-10.9%
vs nation
70th percentile
Food Insecurity#518
11.0%
-23.6%
vs nation
84th percentile

Substance Use

19.2% of adults in Kanabec County smoke , 37.8% are obese , and 24.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 20.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,043
19.2%
+6.9%
vs nation
35th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,373
37.8%
-0.3%
vs nation
56th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,986
24.7%
+24.2%
vs nation
5th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#601
20.4
-36.9%
vs nation
72th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 24.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.0 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,044
24.5
+24.0%
vs nation
20th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,822
22.0
+8.8%
vs nation
35th percentile

Families & Children

12.5% of children in Kanabec County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 16.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,060
16.4
-25.0%
vs nation
65th percentile
Child Poverty#682
12.5%
-34.2%
vs nation
78th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Kanabec County is 72.7%. The mean commute time is 37.6 min, which is 36.1% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
72.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
37.6 min +36.1% vs nation
Rank #135 of 3,222
96th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Kanabec County voted Republican with a margin of 42.3%. The vote was 28.1% Dem / 70.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +42.3%
28.1% 70.4%
Dem 9,682 votes Rep
2020 REP +37.9%
30% 67.9%
Dem 9,242 votes Rep
2016 REP +35.8%
28.6% 64.4%
Dem 8,125 votes Rep
2012 REP +9.1%
44.2% 53.3%
Dem 8,107 votes Rep
2008 REP +8.7%
44% 52.7%
Dem 8,499 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Kanabec County, Minnesota

Kanabec County, Minnesota has a total population of 16,390, making it the 2,077th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Kanabec County is 44.7 years, which is 14.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Kanabec County is $71,460, which ranks #1,089 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 4.9% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.0%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.6%.

The median home value in Kanabec County is $228,100, 19.1% below the national median. Renters in Kanabec County pay a median gross rent of $962 per month. The homeownership rate is 84.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Kanabec County, 15.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 53.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 37.6 min.

Kanabec County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.7% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.8%).

All data for Kanabec 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.