Watonwan County, Minnesota

MN · FIPS 27165 Republican

Located in Minnesota, Watonwan County has a population of 11,205 residents and a median age of 40.8 years, making it the #2,405 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 13.2%. The median home value is $162,400, and the median household income is $71,699, which is 5% below the national median.

11,205
Population
#2,405 of 3,222
$71,699
Median Income
-4.6% #1,069 of 3,222
40.8 years
Median Age
+4.9% #1,866 of 3,222
13.2%
Poverty Rate
+4.7% #1,576 of 3,222

Demographics

Watonwan County has a population of 11,205, making it the #2,405 most populous county in the US. The median age is 40.8 years, which is 4.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

87.0%
Native Born
13.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Watonwan County is $71,699, ranking #1,069 out of 3,222 counties — 4.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 13.2% and unemployment stands at 5.3%.

Income#1,069
$71,699
-4.6%
vs nation
67th percentile
Per Capita#1,446
$35,869
-13.1%
vs nation
55th percentile
Poverty#1,576
13.2%
+4.7%
vs nation
51th percentile
Unemployment#2,160
5.3%
-0.9%
vs nation
33th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Watonwan County is $162,400 (-42.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $834/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.8%.

Home Value#1,973
$162,400
-42.4%
vs nation
39th percentile
Rent#1,864
$834
-28.3%
vs nation
42th percentile
Homeownership#986
77.8%
+20.9%
vs nation
69th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Watonwan County, 17.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 49.0% below the national average, ranking #2,459 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
17.2% −49.0% vs nation
Rank #2,459 of 3,222
24th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Watonwan County is 79.0 years. 17.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#406
79.0
+5.1%
vs nation
87th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,238
17.6%
-10.0%
vs nation
61th percentile
Diabetes#1,314
10.3%
-7.5%
vs nation
58th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#531
33.1%
-11.3%
vs nation
83th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#719
5.2
-7.8%
vs nation
77th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#723
3.9
-12.1%
vs nation
77th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,776
10.3%
-1.2%
vs nation
44th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,591
26.1%
-1.1%
vs nation
49th percentile
Food Insecurity#498
10.9%
-24.3%
vs nation
84th percentile

Substance Use

17.3% of adults in Watonwan County smoke , 39.3% are obese , and 23.0% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,410
17.3%
-3.7%
vs nation
55th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,842
39.3%
+3.7%
vs nation
41th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,636
23.0%
+15.6%
vs nation
16th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 21.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.6 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,782
21.7
+10.2%
vs nation
30th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,041
15.6
-23.1%
vs nation
63th percentile

Families & Children

12.3% of children in Watonwan County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 29.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#2,317
29.7
+36.1%
vs nation
23th percentile
Child Poverty#649
12.3%
-35.2%
vs nation
79th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Watonwan County is 70.5%. The mean commute time is 24.2 min, which is 12.2% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
70.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.2 min −12.2% vs nation
Rank #2,103 of 3,222
35th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Watonwan County voted Republican with a margin of 27.8%. The vote was 35.1% Dem / 62.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 6.3 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +27.8%
35.1% 62.9%
Dem 4,910 votes Rep
2020 REP +21.5%
38.2% 59.7%
Dem 5,201 votes Rep
2016 REP +19.2%
36.5% 55.7%
Dem 4,971 votes Rep
2012 REP +0.4%
48.8% 49.2%
Dem 5,115 votes Rep
2008 DEM +0.7%
48.7% 48%
Dem 5,258 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Watonwan County, Minnesota

Watonwan County, Minnesota has a total population of 11,205, making it the 2,405th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Watonwan County is 40.8 years, which is 4.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Watonwan County is $71,699, which ranks #1,069 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 4.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 13.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.3%.

The median home value in Watonwan County is $162,400, 42.4% below the national median. Renters in Watonwan County pay a median gross rent of $834 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Watonwan County, 17.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 49.0% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.2 min.

Watonwan County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 67.7% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (30.4%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).

All data for Watonwan 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.