Waseca County, Minnesota

MN · FIPS 27161 Republican

Located in Minnesota, Waseca County has a population of 18,885 residents and a median age of 40.6 years, making it the #1,939 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 7.5%. The median home value is $220,800, and the median household income is $76,261, which is 1% above the national median.

18,885
Population
#1,939 of 3,222
$76,261
Median Income
+1.5% #761 of 3,222
40.6 years
Median Age
+4.4% #1,923 of 3,222
7.5%
Poverty Rate
-40.5% #284 of 3,222

Demographics

Waseca County has a population of 18,885, making it the #1,939 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.6 years, which is 4.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.1%
Native Born
2.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Waseca County is $76,261, ranking #761 out of 3,222 counties — 1.5% above the national median. The poverty rate is 7.5% and unemployment stands at 2.5%.

Income#761
$76,261
+1.5%
vs nation
76th percentile
Per Capita#1,373
$36,326
-12.0%
vs nation
57th percentile
Poverty#284
7.5%
-40.5%
vs nation
91th percentile
Unemployment#454
2.5%
-52.9%
vs nation
86th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Waseca County is $220,800 (-21.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $883/mo and the homeownership rate is 80.7%.

Home Value#1,182
$220,800
-21.7%
vs nation
63th percentile
Rent#1,533
$883
-24.1%
vs nation
52th percentile
Homeownership#517
80.7%
+25.4%
vs nation
84th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Waseca County, 21.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 37.7% below the national average, ranking #1,821 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.0% −37.7% vs nation
Rank #1,821 of 3,222
43th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Waseca County is 79.3 years. 14.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#333
79.3
+5.5%
vs nation
89th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#371
14.3%
-26.9%
vs nation
88th percentile
Diabetes#371
8.7%
-21.8%
vs nation
88th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#90
29.8%
-20.1%
vs nation
97th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#816
5.3
-6.8%
vs nation
74th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#543
3.8
-14.8%
vs nation
83th percentile
Uninsured Rate#313
5.6%
-46.8%
vs nation
90th percentile
Physical Inactivity#519
21.4%
-18.9%
vs nation
84th percentile
Food Insecurity#126
8.8%
-38.9%
vs nation
96th percentile

Substance Use

15.9% of adults in Waseca County smoke , 41.2% are obese , and 23.4% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#915
15.9%
-11.5%
vs nation
71th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,414
41.2%
+8.7%
vs nation
23th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,734
23.4%
+17.6%
vs nation
13th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 15.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 9.1 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#816
15.4
-22.1%
vs nation
68th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#280
9.1
-54.9%
vs nation
90th percentile

Families & Children

10.2% of children in Waseca County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 10.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#445
10.2
-53.4%
vs nation
85th percentile
Child Poverty#355
10.2%
-46.3%
vs nation
89th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Waseca County is 74.7%. The mean commute time is 24.4 min, which is 11.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
74.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.4 min −11.6% vs nation
Rank #2,069 of 3,222
36th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Waseca County voted Republican with a margin of 32.5%. The vote was 32.8% Dem / 65.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.4 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +32.5%
32.8% 65.3%
Dem 10,361 votes Rep
2020 REP +30.1%
33.7% 63.8%
Dem 10,389 votes Rep
2016 REP +32.7%
29.6% 62.3%
Dem 9,579 votes Rep
2012 REP +7.7%
45% 52.7%
Dem 9,706 votes Rep
2008 REP +8.2%
44.5% 52.7%
Dem 9,888 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Waseca County, Minnesota

Waseca County, Minnesota has a total population of 18,885, making it the 1,939th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Waseca County is 40.6 years, which is 4.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Waseca County is $76,261, which ranks #761 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 1.5% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 7.5%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 2.5%.

The median home value in Waseca County is $220,800, 21.7% below the national median. Renters in Waseca County pay a median gross rent of $883 per month. The homeownership rate is 80.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Waseca County, 21.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 37.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.4 min.

Waseca County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 87.2% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.3%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).

All data for Waseca 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.