Minnesota Counties by Population (2026)
2026 Pop.
100K
200K
300K
400K
500K
600K
700K
800K
900K
1M
1.1M
1.2M
Top 5 Most Populous Counties
1,293,582
549,097
462,478
384,340
293,084
87 Counties
| County | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Area (mi²) | Density | Change (2020) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hennepin County | 1,293,582 | 554 | 2,335 | 0.93% |
| Ramsey County | 549,097 | 152 | 3,612 | -0.48% |
| Dakota County | 462,478 | 563 | 821 | 5% |
| Anoka County | 384,340 | 422 | 911 | 5.44% |
| Washington County | 293,084 | 385 | 761 | 9.2% |
| St. Louis County | 201,146 | 6.2K | 32 | 0.53% |
| Olmsted County | 169,034 | 654 | 258 | 3.68% |
| Stearns County | 167,871 | 1.3K | 125 | 5.92% |
| Wright County | 160,875 | 661 | 243 | 13.39% |
| Scott County | 159,646 | 356 | 448 | 5.48% |
| Carver County | 115,524 | 354 | 326 | 7.66% |
| Sherburne County | 104,551 | 433 | 241 | 7.13% |
| Blue Earth County | 71,308 | 748 | 95 | 3.05% |
| Rice County | 70,235 | 496 | 142 | 4.67% |
| Crow Wing County | 69,354 | 1K | 69 | 4.63% |
| Clay County | 67,694 | 1K | 65 | 3.57% |
| Otter Tail County | 61,278 | 2K | 31 | 2.01% |
| Chisago County | 60,001 | 415 | 145 | 5.79% |
| Winona County | 50,227 | 626 | 80 | 1.12% |
| Goodhue County | 47,846 | 757 | 63 | 0.56% |
| Beltrami County | 47,016 | 2.5K | 19 | 1.67% |
| Kandiyohi County | 45,468 | 797 | 57 | 3.99% |
| Itasca County | 45,290 | 2.7K | 17 | 0.55% |
| Isanti County | 44,637 | 436 | 102 | 7.84% |
| Benton County | 42,409 | 408 | 104 | 2.54% |
| Mower County | 41,996 | 711 | 59 | 4.83% |
| Douglas County | 40,051 | 637 | 63 | 2.45% |
| Steele County | 37,350 | 430 | 87 | -0.08% |
| Carlton County | 36,801 | 861 | 43 | 1.7% |
| McLeod County | 36,640 | 492 | 74 | -0.3% |
| Becker County | 35,672 | 1.3K | 27 | 1.33% |
| Nicollet County | 34,839 | 449 | 78 | 0.99% |
| Morrison County | 34,828 | 1.1K | 31 | 2.43% |
| Cass County | 31,540 | 2K | 16 | 4.57% |
| Pine County | 30,709 | 1.4K | 22 | 6.29% |
| Polk County | 30,363 | 2K | 15 | -2.31% |
| Freeborn County | 30,076 | 707 | 43 | -2.64% |
| Le Sueur County | 29,706 | 449 | 66 | 3.69% |
| Mille Lacs County | 27,895 | 572 | 49 | 5.44% |
| Todd County | 26,319 | 945 | 28 | 4.07% |
| Brown County | 25,732 | 611 | 42 | -0.69% |
| Lyon County | 25,725 | 714 | 36 | 1.18% |
| Meeker County | 23,503 | 608 | 39 | 0.3% |
| Nobles County | 22,065 | 715 | 31 | -0.64% |
| Hubbard County | 22,060 | 926 | 24 | 3.14% |
| Dodge County | 21,500 | 439 | 49 | 2.93% |
| Fillmore County | 21,482 | 861 | 25 | 1.12% |
| Wabasha County | 21,352 | 523 | 41 | -0.22% |
| Martin County | 19,227 | 712 | 27 | -3.83% |
| Waseca County | 18,242 | 423 | 43 | -3.76% |
| Houston County | 17,902 | 552 | 32 | -4.89% |
| Aitkin County | 16,727 | 1.8K | 9 | 6.45% |
| Kanabec County | 16,546 | 522 | 32 | 3.04% |
| Sibley County | 15,320 | 589 | 26 | 3.51% |
| Roseau County | 15,209 | 1.7K | 9 | -0.66% |
| Redwood County | 15,122 | 879 | 17 | -1.95% |
| Wadena County | 14,725 | 536 | 27 | 4.28% |
| Renville County | 14,341 | 983 | 15 | -2.35% |
| Faribault County | 13,806 | 712 | 19 | -0.65% |
| Pennington County | 13,492 | 617 | 22 | -3.28% |
| Chippewa County | 12,367 | 581 | 21 | -1.93% |
| Pope County | 11,647 | 675 | 17 | 2.8% |
| Koochiching County | 11,282 | 3.1K | 4 | -6.23% |
| Watonwan County | 11,254 | 435 | 26 | 0.14% |
| Cottonwood County | 11,180 | 640 | 17 | -2.96% |
| Lake County | 10,372 | 2.1K | 5 | -4.94% |
| Stevens County | 9,789 | 564 | 17 | 1.29% |
| Jackson County | 9,775 | 703 | 14 | -2.15% |
| Swift County | 9,626 | 742 | 13 | -1.94% |
| Rock County | 9,373 | 482 | 19 | -3.24% |
| Yellow Medicine County | 9,177 | 759 | 12 | -3.3% |
| Pipestone County | 8,830 | 465 | 19 | -6.2% |
| Marshall County | 8,669 | 1.8K | 5 | -4.14% |
| Clearwater County | 8,530 | 1K | 9 | -0.42% |
| Murray County | 7,958 | 705 | 11 | -2.55% |
| Lac qui Parle County | 6,540 | 765 | 9 | -2.39% |
| Norman County | 6,216 | 873 | 7 | -3.42% |
| Wilkin County | 6,144 | 751 | 8 | -5.19% |
| Grant County | 6,017 | 548 | 11 | -1.2% |
| Lincoln County | 5,504 | 537 | 10 | -2.39% |
| Cook County | 5,427 | 1.5K | 4 | -3.07% |
| Mahnomen County | 5,224 | 558 | 9 | -3.1% |
| Big Stone County | 5,011 | 499 | 10 | -2.89% |
| Kittson County | 3,936 | 1.1K | 4 | -6.06% |
| Red Lake County | 3,820 | 432 | 9 | -3.09% |
| Lake of the Woods County | 3,783 | 1.3K | 3 | 0.34% |
| Traverse County | 3,052 | 574 | 5 | -9.17% |
Overview of Minnesota Counties
There are 87 counties in Minnesota.
Hennepin County is the largest county in the state, with a population of 1,293,582. The most recent census shows that its population has increased by 0.01% since the previous census.
A number of other Minnesota counties also boast relatively large populations for their state, though not able to match the density of Hennepin County:
- Ramsey County : 549,097
- Dakota County : 462,478
Minnesota Counties with the Fewest Residents
The smallest county in Minnesota is Traverse County , with a population of just 3,052. This total represents a decrease of 0.1% since the last census count was performed.
Other small counties include:
- Lake of the Woods County : 3,783
- Red Lake County : 3,820
- Kittson County : 3,936
Minnesota Counties with Rapid Growth
Wright County , with its sizeable population of 160,875, has shown the largest population growth, with an increase of 0.1% since the last census.
Hennepin County has also had relatively high population growth of 0.01% with 1,293,582 residents.
On the other hand, Traverse County has had the largest decrease in population, with its 3,052 current residents totalling 0.1% less than the previous census.
Sources
- US Census State Population Estimates - Most recent state estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
- US Census County Population Estimates - Most recent county estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program
- American Community Survey (2009 - 2013)
- Census QuickFacts
- Historical Populations of States and Counties (1790 - 1990)