| County | Rank | Change (2020) ↓ | 2026 Pop. | 2020 Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wright County | 1 | 13.13% | 160,506 | 141,876 |
| Isanti County | 2 | 9.01% | 45,115 | 41,385 |
| Washington County | 3 | 8.35% | 290,796 | 268,397 |
| Carver County | 4 | 8.25% | 116,163 | 107,308 |
| Sherburne County | 5 | 7.83% | 105,232 | 97,588 |
| Scott County | 6 | 6.09% | 160,580 | 151,361 |
| Pine County | 7 | 5.75% | 30,546 | 28,886 |
| Hubbard County | 8 | 5.74% | 22,623 | 21,395 |
| Anoka County | 9 | 5.73% | 385,355 | 364,474 |
| Mille Lacs County | 10 | 5.1% | 27,826 | 26,475 |
| Crow Wing County | 11 | 5% | 69,597 | 66,284 |
| Dakota County | 12 | 4.82% | 461,665 | 440,419 |
| Rice County | 13 | 4.81% | 70,333 | 67,105 |
| Chisago County | 14 | 4.61% | 59,337 | 56,723 |
| Cass County | 15 | 4.26% | 31,436 | 30,152 |
| Clay County | 16 | 4.24% | 68,129 | 65,358 |
| Stearns County | 17 | 4.2% | 165,107 | 158,456 |
| Sibley County | 18 | 4.06% | 15,422 | 14,820 |
| Kanabec County | 19 | 3.6% | 16,632 | 16,054 |
| Todd County | 20 | 3.42% | 26,155 | 25,291 |
| Aitkin County | 21 | 3.27% | 16,221 | 15,708 |
| Douglas County | 22 | 3.05% | 40,287 | 39,095 |
| Mower County | 23 | 2.97% | 41,258 | 40,068 |
| Le Sueur County | 24 | 2.93% | 29,473 | 28,633 |
| Olmsted County | 25 | 2.84% | 167,685 | 163,055 |
| Watonwan County | 26 | 2.82% | 11,553 | 11,236 |
| Dodge County | 27 | 2.76% | 21,471 | 20,895 |
| Blue Earth County | 28 | 2.7% | 71,068 | 69,202 |
| Beltrami County | 29 | 2.38% | 47,331 | 46,232 |
| Morrison County | 30 | 2.22% | 34,746 | 33,991 |
| Kandiyohi County | 31 | 2.15% | 44,666 | 43,727 |
| Winona County | 32 | 2.11% | 50,703 | 49,656 |
| Wadena County | 33 | 2.1% | 14,421 | 14,124 |
| Otter Tail County | 34 | 1.71% | 61,124 | 60,098 |
| Fillmore County | 35 | 1.68% | 21,592 | 21,235 |
| Carlton County | 36 | 1.4% | 36,697 | 36,190 |
| Goodhue County | 37 | 1.36% | 48,241 | 47,594 |
| Red Lake County | 38 | 1.24% | 3,986 | 3,937 |
| Becker County | 39 | 1.21% | 35,609 | 35,184 |
| Meeker County | 40 | 1.08% | 23,684 | 23,430 |
| Nobles County | 41 | 1.05% | 22,434 | 22,201 |
| Lac qui Parle County | 42 | 0.91% | 6,753 | 6,692 |
| Benton County | 43 | 0.88% | 41,719 | 41,355 |
| Clearwater County | 44 | 0.86% | 8,639 | 8,565 |
| Hennepin County | 45 | 0.84% | 1,292,484 | 1,281,663 |
| Itasca County | 46 | 0.74% | 45,356 | 45,022 |
| Lyon County | 47 | 0.61% | 25,583 | 25,429 |
| Wabasha County | 48 | 0.59% | 21,520 | 21,394 |
| Pope County | 49 | 0.43% | 11,376 | 11,327 |
| Steele County | 50 | 0.23% | 37,475 | 37,388 |
| St. Louis County | 51 | 0.17% | 200,406 | 200,067 |
| Swift County | 52 | 0.04% | 9,805 | 9,801 |
| Stevens County | 53 | -0.06% | 9,666 | 9,672 |
| Faribault County | 54 | -0.21% | 13,870 | 13,899 |
| Yellow Medicine County | 55 | -0.22% | 9,477 | 9,498 |
| Lake of the Woods County | 56 | -0.27% | 3,760 | 3,770 |
| Roseau County | 57 | -0.36% | 15,243 | 15,298 |
| Nicollet County | 58 | -0.57% | 34,307 | 34,504 |
| Redwood County | 59 | -0.81% | 15,292 | 15,417 |
| McLeod County | 60 | -0.83% | 36,439 | 36,743 |
| Lincoln County | 61 | -0.85% | 5,575 | 5,623 |
| Cottonwood County | 62 | -0.99% | 11,403 | 11,517 |
| Grant County | 63 | -1.02% | 6,031 | 6,093 |
| Norman County | 64 | -1.04% | 6,371 | 6,438 |
| Waseca County | 65 | -1.42% | 18,704 | 18,973 |
| Freeborn County | 66 | -1.45% | 30,450 | 30,899 |
| Chippewa County | 67 | -1.49% | 12,418 | 12,606 |
| Jackson County | 68 | -1.49% | 9,841 | 9,990 |
| Pipestone County | 69 | -1.58% | 9,269 | 9,418 |
| Cook County | 70 | -1.63% | 5,507 | 5,598 |
| Ramsey County | 71 | -1.67% | 542,533 | 551,733 |
| Lake County | 72 | -1.69% | 10,738 | 10,923 |
| Brown County | 73 | -1.72% | 25,463 | 25,908 |
| Rock County | 74 | -2.07% | 9,485 | 9,685 |
| Polk County | 75 | -2.23% | 30,407 | 31,099 |
| Pennington County | 76 | -2.3% | 13,622 | 13,942 |
| Marshall County | 77 | -2.4% | 8,808 | 9,025 |
| Big Stone County | 78 | -2.5% | 5,029 | 5,158 |
| Renville County | 79 | -2.7% | 14,295 | 14,691 |
| Houston County | 80 | -3.07% | 18,265 | 18,843 |
| Wilkin County | 81 | -3.4% | 6,257 | 6,477 |
| Martin County | 82 | -3.41% | 19,316 | 19,998 |
| Kittson County | 83 | -3.68% | 4,033 | 4,187 |
| Koochiching County | 84 | -3.72% | 11,580 | 12,027 |
| Murray County | 85 | -3.91% | 7,857 | 8,177 |
| Mahnomen County | 86 | -5.73% | 5,065 | 5,373 |
| Traverse County | 87 | -7.47% | 3,108 | 3,359 |
Minnesota's counties show varied growth patterns from 2020 to 2026. Wright County leads with 2.08% annualized growth, followed by Isanti County (1.45%) and Washington County (1.34%). The largest counties are Hennepin County (1,292,484), Ramsey County (542,533), and Dakota County (461,665). Of the 87 counties in Minnesota, 52 are growing while 35 have experienced population decline. Overall, counties averaged 0.18% annualized growth, with total population growing by 0.44% annually.
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