Steele County, Minnesota
Located in Minnesota, Steele County has a population of 37,439 residents and a median age of 40.5 years, making it the #1,269 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.3%. The median home value is $245,400, and the median household income is $84,196, which is 12% above the national median.
Demographics
Steele County has a population of 37,439, making it the #1,269 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.5 years, which is 4.1% 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 Steele County is $84,196, ranking #445 out of 3,222 counties — 12.0% above the national median. The poverty rate is 8.3% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Steele County is $245,400 (-12.9% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,061/mo and the homeownership rate is 79.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Steele County, 28.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 17.0% below the national average, ranking #925 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Steele County is 80.0 years. 13.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
12.5% of adults in Steele County smoke , 36.9% are obese , and 24.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 9.1 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 12.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 6.2 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
9.7% of children in Steele County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 12.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Steele County is 79.0%. The mean commute time is 21.6 min, which is 21.7% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Steele County voted Republican with a margin of 24.4%. The vote was 36.8% Dem / 61.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.0 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Steele County, Minnesota
Steele County, Minnesota has a total population of 37,439, making it the 1,269th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Steele County is 40.5 years, which is 4.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Steele County is $84,196, which ranks #445 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 12.0% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.3%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.
The median home value in Steele County is $245,400, 12.9% below the national median. Renters in Steele County pay a median gross rent of $1,061 per month. The homeownership rate is 79.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Steele County, 28.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 17.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.6 min.
Steele County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (8.9%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (3.3%).
All data for Steele 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.