Watonwan County, MN

County

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2024 Population

11,205

US Senator

Amy Klobuchar

Democratic(DFL) Party

US Senator

Tina Smith

Democratic(DFL) Party

2024 Median Age

40.8

0.493% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

13.2%

1.13% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$71,699

1.57% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$162,400

7.12% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

5,142

2.65% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Watonwan 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.

91.1% of the residents in Watonwan County, MN are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Watonwan County, MN was $162,400, and the homeownership rate was 77.8%.

Most people in Watonwan County, MN drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Watonwan County, MN was 2 cars per household.

Watonwan County, MN borders Blue Earth County, MN, Brown County, MN, Cottonwood County, MN, Jackson County, MN, and Martin County, MN.

United States Minnesota

Population & Diversity

Watonwan County, MN is home to a population of 11.2k people, from which 91.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 13% of Watonwan County, MN residents were born outside of the country (1.46k people).

In 2024, there were 4.86 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.58k people) in Watonwan County, MN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.56k Other (Hispanic) and 1.02k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

91.1%

2024 Citizenship

91.9%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 91.1% of Watonwan County, MN residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Watonwan County, MN was 91.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Watonwan County, MN

White (Non-Hispanic)
7.58k ± 71
Other (Hispanic)
1.56k ± 365
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
1.02k ± 358

30.4%

Hispanic Population

3.4k people

30.4% of the people in Watonwan County, MN are hispanic (3.4k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Watonwan 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

13%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.46k people

11.5%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.29k people

As of 2024, 13% of Watonwan County, MN residents (1.46k 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 Watonwan County, MN was 11.5%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
251 ± 74
Gulf War (2001-)
81 ± 36
Gulf War (1990s)
43 ± 28

Watonwan County, MN has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.1 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Watonwan County, MN employs 5.14k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Watonwan County, MN were Health Care & Social Assistance (967 people), Manufacturing (920 people), and Construction (550 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($85,227), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($68,750), and Finance & Insurance ($67,500).

Employment

Occupations

5.14k

2024 Value

± 367

−2.65%

1 Year decline

± 10%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Watonwan County, MN declined at a rate of −2.65%, from 5.28k employees to 5.14k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Watonwan County, MN, are Management Occupations (562 people), Production Occupations (521 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (495 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Watonwan 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

5.14k

2024 Value

± 367

−2.65%

1 Year decline

± 10%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Watonwan County, MN declined at a rate of −2.65%, from 5.28k employees to 5.14k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Watonwan County, MN, are Health Care & Social Assistance (967 people), Manufacturing (920 people), and Construction (550 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Watonwan County, MN, though some of these residents may live in Watonwan County, MN and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$55,906

Median earning men ± $3,842

$37,719

Median earning women ± $2,230

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($114,375), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($72,361), and Information ($64,167).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($69,688), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($66,250), and Public Administration ($53,438).

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

28
Construction
27
Other Services (except Public Administration)
15
Retail Trade

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

$73.8k
Manufacturing
$24.7k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$17.2k
Construction

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 Watonwan 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Watonwan County, MN was $162,400 in 2024, which is 0.488 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $151,600 to $162,400, a 7.12% increase. The homeownership rate in Watonwan County, MN is 77.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Watonwan County, MN have an average commute time of 23.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Watonwan County, MN is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Watonwan County, MN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.0588%.

Housing

Property

$162,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$8,160

$3,290

Median Property Taxes

±$268

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 Watonwan 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 Watonwan County, MN compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

77.8%

Homeownership

2024

68.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 77.8% of the housing units in Watonwan County, MN were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 78.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Watonwan 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.

$71,699

Median Household Income

± $4,196

4.23k

Number of Households

± 329

In 2024, the median household income of the 4.23k households in Watonwan County, MN grew to $71,699 from the previous year's value of $70,593.

The following chart displays the households in Watonwan 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 Watonwan 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%)
Carpooled (11.1%)
Worked At Home (8.11%)

In 2024, 73% of workers in Watonwan County, MN drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.1%) and those who worked at home (8.11%).

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

23.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Watonwan County, MN have a shorter commute time (23.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.03% of the workforce in Watonwan County, MN have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Watonwan 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 Watonwan County, MN distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Watonwan County, MN have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.2% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Watonwan County, MN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.0588%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

13.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Watonwan County, MN (1.46k out of 11.1k 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 Males 6 - 11 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Watonwan County, MN is Hispanic, followed by White and Other.

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, 12.3% of the children was living in poverty in Watonwan County, MN. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.1%.

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 173 in Watonwan County, MN. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 70.4 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

89.3% of the population of Watonwan County, MN has health coverage, with 44.5% on employee plans, 15.4% on Medicaid, 17.2% on Medicare, 10.6% on non-group plans, and 1.56% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Watonwan County, MN see 1,856 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,856 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1846 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1385 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.8% were men and 49.2% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,856 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Watonwan County, MN

Primary care physicians in Watonwan County, MN see an average of 1,856 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,856 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 27.9% under 18 years, 17.8% between 18 and 34 years, 34.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 19.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.8% were men and 49.2% were women.

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

Uninsured People

10.7%

Uninsured

44.5%

Employer Coverage

15.4%

Medicaid

17.2%

Medicare

10.6%

Non-Group

1.56%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Watonwan County, MN declined by 10.7% from 12% to 10.7%.

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