Wadena, MN

Census Place

Add Comparison
2024 Population
4,419
US Senator
Amy Klobuchar
Democratic(DFL) Party
US Senator
Tina Smith
Democratic(DFL) Party
2024 Median Age
39.2
7.4% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
17.7%
21.7% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$56,080
22.3% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$160,800
1.32% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
1,986
6.98% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Wadena, 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.

99.8% of the residents in Wadena, MN are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Wadena, MN was $160,800, and the homeownership rate was 58.1%.

Most people in Wadena, MN drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 15.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Wadena, MN was 3 cars per household.

United StatesMinnesotaOtter Tail County, MNWadena County, MNFergus Falls, MNCrow Wing, Morrison, Todd & Wadena Counties PUMA, MNClay, Otter Tail & Wilkin Counties PUMA, MN

Population & Diversity

Wadena, MN is home to a population of 4.42k people, from which 99.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.22% of Wadena, MN residents were born outside of the country (54 people).

In 2024, there were 5.57 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.44k people) in Wadena, MN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 618 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) and 192 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.8%
2024 Citizenship
97.1%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.8% of Wadena, MN residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Wadena, MN was 97.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

View Data
Save Image

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Wadena, MN
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    3.44k ± 485
  2. Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
    618 ± 533
  3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    192 ± 126
4.53%
Hispanic Population
200 people

In 2024, there were 5.57 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.44k people) in Wadena, MN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 618 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) and 192 Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

4.53% of the people in Wadena, MN are hispanic (200 people).

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

View Data
Save Image

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Minnesota.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    58,764 ± 5,921 people
  2. Somalia
    36,253 ± 4,660 people
  3. 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.

View Data
Save Image

Foreign-Born Population

1.22%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
54 people
3.83%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
167 people

As of 2024, 1.22% of Wadena, MN residents (54 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 Wadena, MN was 3.83%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

View Data
Save Image

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    93 ± 67
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    14 ± 26

Wadena, MN has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 6.64 times greater than any other conflict.

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

View Data
Save Image

Economy

The economy of Wadena, MN employs 1.99k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Wadena, MN were Manufacturing (475 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (338 people), and Retail Trade (230 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($190,089), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($145,625), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($96,563).

Employment

Occupations

1.99k
2024 Value
± 352
−6.98%
1 Year decline
± 25.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Wadena, MN declined at a rate of −6.98%, from 2.14k employees to 1.99k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Wadena, MN, are Production Occupations (398 people), Sales & Related Occupations (228 people), and Material Moving Occupations (189 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Wadena, MN.

View Data
Save Image

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.

View Data
Save Image

Industries

Employment by Industries

1.99k
2024 Value
± 352
−6.98%
1 Year decline
± 25.7%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Wadena, MN declined at a rate of −6.98%, from 2.14k employees to 1.99k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Wadena, MN, are Manufacturing (475 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (338 people), and Retail Trade (230 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Wadena, MN, though some of these residents may live in Wadena, MN and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

View Data
Save Image

Median Earnings by Industry

$37,441
Median earning men ± $11,276
$32,150
Median earning women ± $3,643

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($104,071), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($95,000), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($88,105).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Retail Trade ($52,676), Manufacturing ($40,568), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($33,698).

View Data
Save Image

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.

View Data
Save Image

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

Voting results are not available for Wadena, MN. Showing the available data for Minnesota.
2024 Election Results
  1. Kamala Harris (50.9%)
    Democratic Party
  2. Donald J. Trump (46.7%)
    Republican Party
  3. 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.

View Data
Save Image

Senator Elections

US Senators from Minnesota

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Minnesota.
Amy Klobuchar
Senator from Minnesota1
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 Minnesota2
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.

View Data
Save Image

Housing & Living

The median property value in Wadena, MN was $160,800 in 2024, which is 0.483 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $158,700 to $160,800, a 1.32% increase. The homeownership rate in Wadena, MN is 58.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Wadena, MN have an average commute time of 15.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Wadena, MN is higher than the national average, with an average of 3 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$160,800
Median Property Value 2024
±$7,414
$1,186
Median Property Taxes
±$233

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 Wadena, MN the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

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

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Rent vs Own

58.1%
Homeownership
2024
64%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 58.1% of the housing units in Wadena, MN were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 52.6%.

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

View Data
Save Image

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$56,080
Median Household Income
± $8,925
2.04k
Number of Households
± 334

In 2024, the median household income of the 2.04k households in Wadena, MN grew to $56,080 from the previous year's value of $45,850.

The following chart displays the households in Wadena, 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 $15k - $20k range.

View Data
Save Image

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Wadena, 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.

View Data
Save Image

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (82.6%)
  2. Bicycle (5.63%)
  3. Carpooled (5.33%)

In 2024, 82.6% of workers in Wadena, MN drove alone to work, followed by those who used a bicycle to get to work (5.63%) and those who carpooled to work (5.33%).

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.

View Data
Save Image

Commute Time

15.1 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Wadena, MN have a shorter commute time (15.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.27% of the workforce in Wadena, MN have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

View Data
Save Image
View Data
Save Image

Car Ownership

3 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Wadena, MN distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Wadena, MN have 3 cars.

View Data
Save Image

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

17.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Wadena, MN (763 out of 4.32k 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 Females 25 - 34, followed by Females < 5 and then Females 35 - 44.

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

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.

View Data
Save Image

Health

92.5% of the population of Wadena, MN has health coverage, with 23.5% on employee plans, 36.5% on Medicaid, 10.4% on Medicare, 11.8% on non-group plans, and 10.4% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Minnesota see 1,134 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,134 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1287 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 278 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47% were men and 53% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 28.3% under 18 years, 18% between 18 and 34 years, 36.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 17.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47% were men and 53% were women.

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

View Data
Save Image

Uninsured People

7.46%
Uninsured
23.5%
Employer Coverage
36.5%
Medicaid
10.4%
Medicare
11.8%
Non-Group
10.4%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Wadena, MN declined by 3.62% from 7.74% to 7.46%.

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

View Data
Save Image