Cass County, MN

County

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2024 Population

30,992

US Senator

Amy Klobuchar

Democratic(DFL) Party

US Senator

Tina Smith

Democratic(DFL) Party

2024 Median Age

49.9

0.402% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

12.8%

0.457% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$68,874

6.06% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$288,300

9.91% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

13,185

0.151% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Cass County, MN reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.6% of the residents in Cass County, MN are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Cass County, MN are Leech Lake Tribal College (42 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Cass County, MN was $288,300, and the homeownership rate was 86.2%.

Most people in Cass County, MN drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Cass County, MN was 2 cars per household.

Cass County, MN borders Aitkin County, MN, Beltrami County, MN, Crow Wing County, MN, Hubbard County, MN, Itasca County, MN, Morrison County, MN, Todd County, MN, and Wadena County, MN.

United States Minnesota Brainerd, MN

Population & Diversity

Cass County, MN is home to a population of 31k people, from which 99.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.43% of Cass County, MN residents were born outside of the country (443 people).

In 2024, there were 9.23 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (25k people) in Cass County, MN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.71k American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) and 1.44k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.6%

2024 Citizenship

99.7%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.6% of Cass County, MN residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Cass County, MN was 99.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Cass County, MN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cass County, MN

White (Non-Hispanic)
25k ± 194
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
2.71k ± 139
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.44k ± 145

1.82%

Hispanic Population

565 people

1.82% of the people in Cass County, MN are hispanic (565 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Cass County, MN as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Minnesota.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
58,764 ± 5,921 people
Somalia
36,253 ± 4,660 people
India
31,836 ± 4,368 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Minnesota was Mexico, the natal country of 58,764 Minnesota residents, followed by Somalia with 36,253 and India with 31,836.

Foreign-Born Population

1.43%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

443 people

1.51%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

464 people

As of 2024, 1.43% of Cass County, MN residents (443 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Cass County, MN was 1.51%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Cass County, MN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,171 ± 99
Gulf War (2001-)
327 ± 64
Gulf War (1990s)
226 ± 47

Cass County, MN has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.58 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Cass County, MN.

Economy

The economy of Cass County, MN employs 13.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Cass County, MN were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,902 people), Retail Trade (1,596 people), and Construction (1,431 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($113,750), Utilities ($94,375), and Finance & Insurance ($62,031).

Employment

Occupations

13.2k

2024 Value

± 388

−0.151%

1 Year decline

± 4.12%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cass County, MN declined at a rate of −0.151%, from 13.2k employees to 13.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cass County, MN, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,591 people), Management Occupations (1,550 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,226 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cass County, MN.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Minnesota.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Minnesota (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

13.2k

2024 Value

± 388

−0.151%

1 Year decline

± 4.12%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cass County, MN declined at a rate of −0.151%, from 13.2k employees to 13.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cass County, MN, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,902 people), Retail Trade (1,596 people), and Construction (1,431 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cass County, MN, though some of these residents may live in Cass County, MN and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$48,744

Median earning men ± $1,570

$36,290

Median earning women ± $1,164

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($100,486), Public Administration ($70,404), and Information ($63,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($55,370), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($46,250), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($45,000).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Minnesota.

Y-Axis

2.26%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.93M people employed in Minnesota. This represents a 2.26% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Minnesota.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

132
Construction
79
Accommodation and Food Services
65
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$62.4k
Accommodation and Food Services
$56k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$34.7k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Minnesota went to Kamala Harris with 50.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.7%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.738%).

Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith are the senators currently representing the state of Minnesota. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Minnesota is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Cass County, MN. Showing the available data for Minnesota.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (50.9%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (46.7%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (0.738%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Minnesota went to Kamala Harris with 50.9% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.7%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.738%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Minnesota for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Minnesota

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Minnesota.

Amy Klobuchar

Senator from Minnesota

Assumed office on January 3, 2007
The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) is the Minnesota affiliate of the U.S. Democratic Party and its members are counted as Democrats.

Tina Smith

Senator from Minnesota

Assumed office on January 3, 2018
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Al Franken.

Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith are the senators currently representing Minnesota.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Minnesota over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Cass County, MN awarded 42 degrees. The student population of Cass County, MN in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 92 male students and 151 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cass County, MN are American Indian or Alaska Native (25 and 59.5%), White (13 and 31%), and Two or More Races (4 and 9.52%).

The largest universities in Cass County, MN by number of degrees awarded are Leech Lake Tribal College (42 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Cass County, MN are Liberal Arts & Sciences (15 and 35.7%), Electrician (7 and 16.7%), and General Business Administration & Management (5 and 11.9%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 243 students enrolled in Cass County, MN, 37.9% men and 62.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in American Indian or Alaska Native with 220 records, of which 63.2% were women and 36.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
15 degrees awarded
Electrician
7 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
5 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Cass County, MN was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 15 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Cass County, MN according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Leech Lake Tribal College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

42 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Leech Lake Tribal College with 42 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 13 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cass County, MN, which is 0.448 times less than the 29 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was American Indian or Alaska Native students. These 25 degrees mean that there were 1.92 times more degrees awarded to American Indian or Alaska Native students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 13 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($3,888) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($260) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($670) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Cass County, MN was $288,300 in 2024, which is 0.867 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $262,300 to $288,300, a 9.91% increase. The homeownership rate in Cass County, MN is 86.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Cass County, MN have an average commute time of 25.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cass County, MN is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 13.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cass County, MN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.59%.

Housing

Property

$288,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,268

$11,096

Median Property Taxes

±$338

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Cass County, MN the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Cass County, MN compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

86.2%

Homeownership

2024

65.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 86.2% of the housing units in Cass County, MN were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 84.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Cass County, MN compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$68,874

Median Household Income

± $2,502

12.9k

Number of Households

± 350

In 2024, the median household income of the 12.9k households in Cass County, MN grew to $68,874 from the previous year's value of $64,937.

The following chart displays the households in Cass County, MN distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Cass County, MN is from Minnesota.

0.454

2023 Wage GINI in Minnesota

0.458

2022 Wage GINI in Minnesota

In 2023, the income inequality in Minnesota was 0.454 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.78% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Minnesota was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Minnesota in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Minnesota across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (73.2%)
Worked At Home (12.3%)
Carpooled (9.71%)

In 2024, 73.2% of workers in Cass County, MN drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (12.3%) and those who carpooled to work (9.71%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cass County, MN have a shorter commute time (25.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.87% of the workforce in Cass County, MN have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Cass County, MN compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Cass County, MN distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Cass County, MN have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 13.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cass County, MN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.59%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

12.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cass County, MN (3.92k out of 30.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Males 65 - 74 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Cass County, MN is White, followed by Native American and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 20.7% of the children was living in poverty in Cass County, MN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7.6%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 236 in Cass County, MN. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 23.7 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

93.1% of the population of Cass County, MN has health coverage, with 32.5% on employee plans, 22.2% on Medicaid, 21% on Medicare, 14.9% on non-group plans, and 2.43% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Cass County, MN see 3,404 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,404 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1489 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1123 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.6% were men and 48.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,404 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Cass County, MN

Primary care physicians in Cass County, MN see an average of 3,404 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,404 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Cass County, MN in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 21.4% under 18 years, 13.9% between 18 and 34 years, 37.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 27% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 51.6% were men and 48.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.93%

Uninsured

32.5%

Employer Coverage

22.2%

Medicaid

21%

Medicare

14.9%

Non-Group

2.43%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cass County, MN declined by 2.46% from 7.1% to 6.93%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Cass County, MN changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 99.3 in Cass County, MN.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Cass County, MN.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 38.1% in Cass County, MN.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Cass County, MN.