Stearns County, Minnesota
Located in Minnesota, Stearns County has a population of 160,865 residents and a median age of 35.1 years, making it the #430 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.9%. The median home value is $273,400, and the median household income is $77,066, which is 3% above the national median.
Demographics
Stearns County has a population of 160,865, making it the #430 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.1 years, which is 9.8% below 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 Stearns County is $77,066, ranking #723 out of 3,222 counties — 2.6% above the national median. The poverty rate is 12.9% and unemployment stands at 4.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Stearns County is $273,400 (-3.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,068/mo and the homeownership rate is 67.9%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Stearns County, 28.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 14.6% below the national average, ranking #847 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Stearns County is 80.0 years. 16.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.2% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.4% of adults in Stearns County smoke , 38.4% are obese , and 24.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 16.4 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Stearns County is 2.1 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 9.3 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
12.1% of children in Stearns County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.7 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 7.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Stearns County is 71.9%. The mean commute time is 23.7 min, which is 14.3% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Stearns County voted Republican with a margin of 26.7%. The vote was 35.7% Dem / 62.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Stearns County, Minnesota
Stearns County, Minnesota has a total population of 160,865, making it the 430th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Stearns County is 35.1 years, which is 9.8% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Stearns County is $77,066, which ranks #723 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 2.6% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.9%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1%.
The median home value in Stearns County is $273,400, 3.0% below the national median. Renters in Stearns County pay a median gross rent of $1,068 per month. The homeownership rate is 67.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Stearns County, 28.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 14.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.1% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.7 min.
Stearns County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 80.2% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (9.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (4.8%).
All data for Stearns 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.