| County | Rank | Change (2020) ↓ | 2026 Pop. | 2020 Pop. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wright County | 1 | 13.39% | 160,875 | 141,875 |
| Washington County | 2 | 9.2% | 293,084 | 268,400 |
| Isanti County | 3 | 7.84% | 44,637 | 41,390 |
| Carver County | 4 | 7.66% | 115,524 | 107,307 |
| Sherburne County | 5 | 7.13% | 104,551 | 97,589 |
| Aitkin County | 6 | 6.45% | 16,727 | 15,714 |
| Pine County | 7 | 6.29% | 30,709 | 28,891 |
| Stearns County | 8 | 5.92% | 167,871 | 158,488 |
| Chisago County | 9 | 5.79% | 60,001 | 56,718 |
| Scott County | 10 | 5.48% | 159,646 | 151,356 |
| Anoka County | 11 | 5.44% | 384,340 | 364,502 |
| Mille Lacs County | 12 | 5.44% | 27,895 | 26,456 |
| Dakota County | 13 | 5% | 462,478 | 440,436 |
| Mower County | 14 | 4.83% | 41,996 | 40,062 |
| Rice County | 15 | 4.67% | 70,235 | 67,100 |
| Crow Wing County | 16 | 4.63% | 69,354 | 66,285 |
| Cass County | 17 | 4.57% | 31,540 | 30,162 |
| Wadena County | 18 | 4.28% | 14,725 | 14,120 |
| Todd County | 19 | 4.07% | 26,319 | 25,290 |
| Kandiyohi County | 20 | 3.99% | 45,468 | 43,723 |
| Le Sueur County | 21 | 3.69% | 29,706 | 28,648 |
| Olmsted County | 22 | 3.68% | 169,034 | 163,041 |
| Clay County | 23 | 3.57% | 67,694 | 65,359 |
| Sibley County | 24 | 3.51% | 15,320 | 14,801 |
| Hubbard County | 25 | 3.14% | 22,060 | 21,389 |
| Blue Earth County | 26 | 3.05% | 71,308 | 69,196 |
| Kanabec County | 27 | 3.04% | 16,546 | 16,058 |
| Dodge County | 28 | 2.93% | 21,500 | 20,888 |
| Pope County | 29 | 2.8% | 11,647 | 11,330 |
| Benton County | 30 | 2.54% | 42,409 | 41,358 |
| Douglas County | 31 | 2.45% | 40,051 | 39,093 |
| Morrison County | 32 | 2.43% | 34,828 | 34,003 |
| Otter Tail County | 33 | 2.01% | 61,278 | 60,068 |
| Carlton County | 34 | 1.7% | 36,801 | 36,187 |
| Beltrami County | 35 | 1.67% | 47,016 | 46,246 |
| Becker County | 36 | 1.33% | 35,672 | 35,205 |
| Stevens County | 37 | 1.29% | 9,789 | 9,664 |
| Lyon County | 38 | 1.18% | 25,725 | 25,426 |
| Winona County | 39 | 1.12% | 50,227 | 49,672 |
| Fillmore County | 40 | 1.12% | 21,482 | 21,245 |
| Nicollet County | 41 | 0.99% | 34,839 | 34,498 |
| Hennepin County | 42 | 0.93% | 1,293,582 | 1,281,722 |
| Goodhue County | 43 | 0.56% | 47,846 | 47,579 |
| Itasca County | 44 | 0.55% | 45,290 | 45,043 |
| St. Louis County | 45 | 0.53% | 201,146 | 200,083 |
| Lake of the Woods County | 46 | 0.34% | 3,783 | 3,770 |
| Meeker County | 47 | 0.3% | 23,503 | 23,433 |
| Watonwan County | 48 | 0.14% | 11,254 | 11,238 |
| Steele County | 49 | -0.08% | 37,350 | 37,381 |
| Wabasha County | 50 | -0.22% | 21,352 | 21,399 |
| McLeod County | 51 | -0.3% | 36,640 | 36,751 |
| Clearwater County | 52 | -0.42% | 8,530 | 8,566 |
| Ramsey County | 53 | -0.48% | 549,097 | 551,739 |
| Nobles County | 54 | -0.64% | 22,065 | 22,207 |
| Faribault County | 55 | -0.65% | 13,806 | 13,896 |
| Roseau County | 56 | -0.66% | 15,209 | 15,310 |
| Brown County | 57 | -0.69% | 25,732 | 25,911 |
| Grant County | 58 | -1.2% | 6,017 | 6,090 |
| Chippewa County | 59 | -1.93% | 12,367 | 12,610 |
| Swift County | 60 | -1.94% | 9,626 | 9,816 |
| Redwood County | 61 | -1.95% | 15,122 | 15,422 |
| Jackson County | 62 | -2.15% | 9,775 | 9,990 |
| Polk County | 63 | -2.31% | 30,363 | 31,081 |
| Renville County | 64 | -2.35% | 14,341 | 14,686 |
| Lac qui Parle County | 65 | -2.39% | 6,540 | 6,700 |
| Lincoln County | 66 | -2.39% | 5,504 | 5,639 |
| Murray County | 67 | -2.55% | 7,958 | 8,166 |
| Freeborn County | 68 | -2.64% | 30,076 | 30,891 |
| Big Stone County | 69 | -2.89% | 5,011 | 5,160 |
| Cottonwood County | 70 | -2.96% | 11,180 | 11,521 |
| Cook County | 71 | -3.07% | 5,427 | 5,599 |
| Red Lake County | 72 | -3.09% | 3,820 | 3,942 |
| Mahnomen County | 73 | -3.1% | 5,224 | 5,391 |
| Rock County | 74 | -3.24% | 9,373 | 9,687 |
| Pennington County | 75 | -3.28% | 13,492 | 13,950 |
| Yellow Medicine County | 76 | -3.3% | 9,177 | 9,490 |
| Norman County | 77 | -3.42% | 6,216 | 6,436 |
| Waseca County | 78 | -3.76% | 18,242 | 18,955 |
| Martin County | 79 | -3.83% | 19,227 | 19,993 |
| Marshall County | 80 | -4.14% | 8,669 | 9,043 |
| Houston County | 81 | -4.89% | 17,902 | 18,823 |
| Lake County | 82 | -4.94% | 10,372 | 10,911 |
| Wilkin County | 83 | -5.19% | 6,144 | 6,480 |
| Kittson County | 84 | -6.06% | 3,936 | 4,190 |
| Pipestone County | 85 | -6.2% | 8,830 | 9,414 |
| Koochiching County | 86 | -6.23% | 11,282 | 12,032 |
| Traverse County | 87 | -9.17% | 3,052 | 3,360 |
Minnesota's counties show varied growth patterns from 2020 to 2026. Wright County leads with 2.12% annualized growth, followed by Washington County (1.48%) and Isanti County (1.27%). The largest counties are Hennepin County (1,293,582), Ramsey County (549,097), and Dakota County (462,478). Of the 87 counties in Minnesota, 48 are growing while 39 have experienced population decline. Overall, counties averaged 0.11% annualized growth, with total population growing by 0.47% annually.
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